The Knicks Fix

Vince Carter as a Knick? It's suspicious that the Nets would be willing to move Carter across the river to their division rivals. Get past the initial excitement about it -- and get over the fact that it's not going to happen -- and look at it from a distance. The Knicks are on the Nets' heels in the standings and both teams are outside the playoffs looking in. When you have a high-profile player like Carter, you don't deal him to your rival unless you know something your rival doesn't.

Rod Thorn would love to sandbag the Knicks with Carter, who did not make the Nets better since his arrival in New Jersey. In fact, you could argue that they got worse. Put Carter on the Knicks, have him dominate the ball on a team with Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry? Then take away popular Jamal Crawford -- rumored in the failed deal -- from the team and you lose the one guy who looked for Curry on the post.

What I know is Isiah Thomas has always loved Carter and tried before to get him from Toronto. Glen Grunwald also knows Carter well from the Toronto days.

But aside from the initial excitement of adding a superstar, how would he make the Knicks better other than at the box office? How would he shore up their greatest weakness -- defense -- as they push for the playoffs? Thomas' only focus should be on interior defense. His needs aren't in the backcourt, his needs are at power forward. I was watching the Knicks-Sixers game last night thinking how Sam Dalembert would be a good fit next to Curry. Blocks shots, rebounds, athletic and doesn't need the ball. If he could hit the occasional 15 footer, he'd be perfect. The Sixers are rebuilding, so no way they will part with Dalembert. But that's the mold the Knicks should be looking for when they consider players to sign with the mid-level exception (yikes) in the offseason.

The word is that Thomas won't make any deals before today's 3 p.m. deadline because he wants to leave the team alone to grow together, experience this playoff push and come back next year experienced. That's fine. But some time between now and the start of next season, he needs to find an athletic PF to improve the interior D.

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Had to share this: Cablevision spares no expense on its sports facilities. A beautiful large-screen plasma HD TV was installed n the lobby of t the MSG Training Center in Greenburgh. But you can't appreciate the picture. Why? The reception is terrible. Go figure.