That $2.5M exception burning a hole in Knicks pocket

The "room exception" that the Knicks have at their disposal once was considered way too small to attract free agents such as Grant Hill, Jamal Crawford and Shawne Williams. Now to use it may result in overpaying for a player.

Let me put it in a more acceptable term: out-bidding.

There are still several options for the Knicks to consider to add some needed depth to the bench, especially on offense. Though Mike D'Antoni and the two star players, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, feel the roster is fine the way it is, let's agree you really can't legitimately talk championship until you prove to have a bench that can go the distance. Right now, the Knicks bench is shallow and inexperienced.

So here are some options that we believe should be on the radar:

 Baron Davis: Yes, call me Captain Obvious. Davis cleared waivers on Friday night and is now an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks can sign him at any time, but what's the rush if, as his agent said, he has a back injury that could potentially keep him out until March? Why? Because the Lakers and Heat also have their eyes on Davis and there are a lot of people winking at the idea that this back injury isn't really as bad as reported. Miracles happen every Christmas, you know.

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What to watch for in today's preseason game against the Nets:

* - Limited run for the stars, but they'll get a good sweat. Don't expect to see much of anything that will reveal the Knicks' plans with the offense, either. But defensively, yes, Mike Woodson will probably want to get the foundation laid early and maintain the standard all the way through the lineup.

* - Last season there was the Andy and Landry Show, this year, it's Shumpy and Lumpy. Shumpert's debut will be interesting to watch, just to see how the kid's obvious swagger in practice with his teammates translates in the setting of a live NBA game. And we've overlooked another rookie, second-round pick Josh Harrellson, for too long.

Though he has the build of a dude that you might see playing offensive tackle at C.W. Post, Harrellson -- who is known around Kentucky as "Jorts" but we'll go with "Lumpy," the kid from Leave it to Beaver (before my time, yes, but I had the benefit of re-runs) -- has been a revelation so far in camp with a very soft, accurate touch from long range and a high basketball IQ. 

* - Hey, enjoy the game. A month ago we were talking about missing an entire season.