The Knicks Fix

Newsday's Alan Hahn answers your Knicks questions in a special live chat today at 1 p.m.

Alan has the latest on the draft aftermath and the start of free agency.

Just got back from the Danilo Gallinari press conference. I had a little "Time to make the donuts" moment there on the Throgs Neck Bridge after going up last night for the draft, leaving well after midnight and then heading back up around 8:30 this morning.

Plenty of driving time to think about your reactions to the Knicks' decision to go with Gallinari instead of one of the available guards or whomever else you guys seemed to want instead. A few thoughts:

* - The Freddie Weis Factor is undeniable and understandable. That was a disaster in '99 and it was a disaster of like three regimes ago. There was no Ron Artest-type on the board that the Knicks passed up this year. I said it before, I said it last night and I'll say it again: Jerryd Bayless and Eric Gordon are one-dimensional, shoot-first guards. Bayless may have the ability to be a scoring point guard in the NBA, but Gordon, from my research over the past month, just doesn't project to be a point guard. He doesn't have the ball-handling skills or the court vision. He's an incredible shooter. Terrific. And the Knicks need shooters, but they need a lot of things and Gallinari's upside -- you should see the kid's hands...huge -- is very promising.

* - Linas Kleiza comes to mind. Remember a few months ago at the trade deadline when the Knicks were engaged in talks with the Denver Nuggets about trading Zach Randolph and they were trying to get Kleiza? Remember how stoked most of you were about adding this rugged, good-shooting Euro (yes, he played college ball in the US but still) swingman? OK, so some of the attraction was getting rid of Zach Randolph's contract, but still...Gallinari is very comparable to Kleiza on some levels -- toughness, basketball IQ, shooting -- but Gallinari projects to be better than Kleiza once he physically matures as an NBA player.

* - Walsh did try to get a guard in this draft. I heard that as the draft went on, he kept a close eye on Mario Chalmers and wanted to snare an extra pick to grab him. It just didn't happen.

* - Last but not least: as I said last night, there are some Knicks fans who love to be romanced by the Isiah Thomas drafts, but they don't want the morning-after.

Just bloggin'.

I do want to say it was fun to interact with you Fixers on the blog throughout the day. I hope you guys enjoyed what we did here and as we say here, let's "keep it poppin'" throughout this summer, which, trust me, will continue to be a busy one for your Knicks.

UPDATE -- 9:15 a.m.

We've got some housekeeping to do from last night's fast-paced, dizzying NBA draft.

First, four of the five picks to start the draft are freshmen (Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love). Maybe David Stern should just scrap that one-and-done rule?

There were a mind-boggling 14 trades. A late trade, reported by Chad Ford of ESPN.com, sent O.J. Mayo from Minnesota to Memphis for Kevin Love and Mike Miller, among others. It was an eight-player deal.

Darrell Arthur, who apparently has some sort of kidney problem that scared teams away, fell all the way to New Orleans at No. 27. But wait -- the Hornets traded him to Portland, then he went to Houston and finally to Memphis. So Arthur, who was the last player in the green room, had to wait longer to find a home. He was traded three times and was a member of four teams last night.

Now, winner and losers (in no particular order).

Winners

Portland: The rice get richer. After trades, the Blazers eventually ended up with Jerryd Bayless and Ike Diogu. Portland had the No. 13 pick, but get a lottery player with Bayless. Diogu is a good player who was sent over from Indiana. The Blazers also drafted Joey Dorsey, before trading him to Houston. Portland also had Darrell Arthur for a short time. Imagine if Portland kept Dorsey and Arthur. Wow.

Miami: Pat Riley did a nice job after that smoke screen he threw up. The Heat got Beasley and then acquired Mario Chalmers from Minnesota. So the Heat get a power forward and potential starting point guard. Great draft.

Memphis: The Grizz end up with Mayo and Donte Greene of Syracuse. A lot of teams liked Greene, who has loads of potential. But will he stay in Memphis with Rudy Gay around? Anyhow, getting Mayo from Minnesota makes it a good night. And they shed Brian Cardinal's contract in the trade.

Nets: I wasn't sure about New Jersey after the selections of Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson in the first round. I mean the Nets acquire Yi Jianlian earlier in the day and already have Josh Boone and Sean Williams. Anderson is another power foward in the logjam. But they stole Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis with the 40th pick. Plus, they've positioned themselves for the summer of LeBron.

Losers

Minnesota: What exactly are the T-Wolves thinking? They draft O.J. Mayo to go along with Al Jefferson as a solid inside-outside combo, then trade him for Kevin Love? Doesn't Love play the same position as Jefferson? Then the T-Wolves get Mario Chalmers in the second round and trade him to Miami? Isn't this the team with Sebastian Telfair? Who's playing center? One bit of reasoning I see with Love is perhaps a trade to Charlotte. Love fits better in Charlotte with Larry Brown. Plus, the Bobcats surprisingly picked D.J. Augustin. Could Raymond Felton be headed to Minnesota?

Sacramento: What are the Kings thinking? Who's running the scouting department there? Jason Thompson from Rider at No. 12? I hope Patrick Ewing Jr., a good bargain in the second round, works out.

We'll see .....

Indiana: The Pacers were busy last night. They ended up with Brandon Rush of Kansas and Roy Hibbert of Georgetown. They could both end up being solid players.

Milwaukee: The Bucks really stockpiled a lot of small forwards yesterday -- Richard Jefferson (in Nets trade), Joe Alexander (at No. 8), and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (No. 37). We'll see where this is going.

A few wild ones out there. The Nets might be on the verge of something big involving Richard Jefferson, but I don't think it involves them leapfrogging the Knicks. The Clippers, however, might jump into Seattle's No. 4 spot. Interesting....

The David Lee-to-Memphis thing probably isn't going to happen, but I've talked to a few people who said it has nothing to do with Lee killing the deal, which is what ESPN was reporting. I was skeptical of this because it's not D-Lee's style to do something like that.

I was told Lee has nothing to do with the Memphis situation not coming to fruition. It's just one scenario out of many that just might not actually happen, but was discussed.

But, I was told, the Portland Trail Blazers are very interested in making something happen with the Knicks involving Lee.....

Stay tuned . . . .

Newsday's Alan Hahn answers your Knicks and NBA draft questions in a special live chat at noon. Alan will also have the latest on trades.

Hear that? It's quiet.

Too quiet.

Wendy Nix of ESPN said during last night's draft show that Donnie Walsh told her he probably won't be able to make any of the move-up trades he was pursuing. Chad Ford of ESPN.com says the David Lee-to-Memphis for the No. 5 is dead because, apparently, Lee suggested to the Grizz he won't sign long-term to play in Graceland.

The truth behind a lot of these rumors involving the Knicks is the lack of interest from other teams. I've been told by several league executives that Donnie is facing a sobering reality right now: most of his players just don't have any trade value.

Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Quentin Richardson and even Stephon Marbury? Crickets.

Lee is the one chip he's got -- teams always mention him first when DW calls -- and he can't give it up for nothing. I can tell you this: if D-Lee isn't dealt tonight in the draft, he'll probably be used in some other scenario later this summer. This is David's last year of his rookie contract. He's hoping for a long-term extension and Walsh, with an eye on 2010, doesn't appear interested in making a major financial committment to Lee.

Anyway, here's where I'm at right now. It's possible the Knicks could trade out of the top 10 and pick up Portland's picks (13 and 27), as the New York Times today reported (rare rumor-mongering by Ho-Beck! The apocalypse is upon us!). Quite frankly, I don't see Jarret Jack as a reason to trade out of the six spot. Maybe for Steve Blake, who can give you a little poor man's Nash. But he and Crawford in the back court would be a nightmare on defense. Just snap the red cape and shout, Ole!

If the Knicks do nothing but make a pick at No. 6 -- don't consider that a bad day, Fixers -- I'm thinking you go with Danilo Gallinari.

I don't know enough about what Russell Westbrook can do at the NBA level at the point, but from what I've seen, heard and read, he's got the stuff to be, at the very least, a solid off-the-bench guy who can defend and move the ball. Can he shoot it consistently, at least enough to draw double-teams away from Jamal Crawford? Can he handle the rock at this level and get people involved in the offense and read situations?

If anything, he is a confident kid. And Westbrook impressed me yesterday when he talked about the pride he takes in defense.

"Somebody scoring on me, that's like me losing a game," he said.

But quite frankly there's an obvious drop-off in the draft from Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo to the next tier, so maybe it's not worth using your pick to find your PGOTF (point guard of the future).

I'm not convinced Eric Gordon can be a point guard. Jerryd Bayless and Gordon seem to be from that mold of the late 1990s -- the score-first point guards. Pass. D.J. Augustin was a great college point guard and his ball-handling skills are exceptional, but his size and lack of strength concerns me at this NBA level.

That's why I come to Gallinari. If you do wind up moving Lee, Gallinari slides into Lee's spot at the four and probably can give you more minutes at the three than Lee could. David is obviously more advanced right now that Danilo and D-Lee's inside-pivot post move will continue to develop into a valuable weapon for him. Gallinari has similar intangibles -- smarts, toughness, committment -- and yet has better range and can take it strong to the hole.

Of course, as I said before, his lack of nimble athleticism might result in him being nothing more than a Bokie Nachbar, a nice player but not at all a legit NBA starter.

My sleeper for the Knicks, though his name rarely came up in relation to the No. 6 pick, is Joe Alexander. There's something about this kid that just continues to impress me. I'm wondering what it is about him that hasn't linked him to Knicks interest, but we do know the Knicks saw him twice in workouts (once at MSG Training Center and once at the Nets facility).

Great ups, great explosiveness and size and strength. Smarts and excellent shooting ability. He fits all of the D'Antoni traits. So why aren't they as enamoured as I am (and, apparently, Scott Skiles is, too)?

Back to the phones and Blackberry. Don't forget about the LIVE CHAT we're having here at noon. Oughta be fun.

Will Donnie come up big? A couple of longtime Fixers debate the Knicks' chances on The Final Score. Check it out.

Newsday will host two live chats Thursday for the NBA Draft. Both will be hosted here in the Knicks blog.

First, Alan Hahn will answer your Knicks and NBA Draft questions in a special live chat at noon.

Later on, we'll have an NBA Draft live blog and live chat going on, right back here in the Knicks blog. Alan will be with the Knicks at team headquarters in Greenburgh and NBA columnist Ken Berger will be in NYC at the draft. Alan and Ken will also be blogging Thursday night.

You can read Ken Berger's NBA blog by clicking here.

Gotta love the game of poker being played here among the lottery teams in the draft.

Among today's stories is a report in the Sun-Sentinel that says the Miami Heat are considering an option to pass on Michael Beasley and take O.J. Mayo with the second overall pick.

So instead of trading the No. 2 pick to move down to take Mayo, the Heat might just say with confidence that Mayo, in their eyes, is the second-best player in the draft. Beasley is hearing unfavorable comparisons to Derrick Coleman. This story in the Kane County (Ks.) Chronicle interested me enough to create a link for you Firefox users.

(Dude, if I did that for every link I'd be on the computer all day.)

The Beasley thing is interesting on many levels. Miami's perceived hesitation to annoint him the No. 2 could be merely a ploy by Pat Riley. Word is he has told Mayo's camp that he's very much in play in the two-spot. The trickle down would be interesting and would trigger an overwhelming amount of interest in Minnesota's pick at No. 3. The Wolves don't have a place for Beasley with Al Jefferson already owning the low block.

Memphis is rumored to be very much involved in talks with Miami about swapping picks. As we reported today, the Grizzlies are looking for a power forward to play with newly-signed center Marc Gasol, which is why they have engaged in talks for David Lee. But if they can get their hands on Michael Beasley, all bets are off.

Chad Ford of ESPN.com says Memphis "would give up Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry and the No. 5 pick as part of a package for the No. 2 pick. The same source said the Heat are asking the Grizzlies to sweeten the deal by substituting Mike Conley for Lowry. The deal would be Conley and the No. 5 pick to Miami for the No. 2 pick and Daequan Cook.

That trade would land Riley the point guard he covets and still get him a high lottery pick in the draft. The Heat would likely choose between Kevin Love or Brook Lopez at No. 5."

I can understand this trade from a Memphis point of view. Beasley is a no-brainer. For Miami you get a shooter (Miller) who you missed after Jason Kapono left. Kevin Love told me that he worked out for Miami with the idea that Miami might trade down, so he clearly knew something was possible.

But are those pieces, along with Mike Conley or Kyle Lowry, worth the second overall pick, where you could have Beasley or Mayo?

Again, the trickle down from this would be very, very interesting.

With so much going on between picks 2-5, the Knicks might be left out and left with just the No. 6 and left to pick from what is available. As of right now, it seems anything is possible for Thursday night.

Heading to midtown in a bit to catch the NBA's draft player availability.

Stay tuned . . .

Let's jump into the speculation pool, now that the water is warm.....

Shawn Marion will pick up his $17.8 million option for next season with the Miami Heat, but there is already speculation that Marion will now be shopped. The Heat will likely have some viable options to consider, including the Los Angeles Clippers (Elton Brand) or Lakers (Lamar Odom) as potential trade partners.

But what about reuniting him with Mike D'Antoni in New York?

We've heard enough about how much the Heat love O.J. Mayo. If the Knicks could somehow get one of those picks from either Minnesota or Memphis, they could select Mayo and package him with, say, Stephon Marbury's expiring contract, for Marion and whatever else makes the deal work money-wise.

Marion would give the Knicks an all-star player who knows the D'Antoni system well and has thrived in it. His presence makes the Knick roster a little more attractive going forward and it will matter a great deal in 2010 -- the Summer of LeBron -- to have players King James would want to run with.

Just bloggin....

* - I don't like the idea of trading a David Lee at this early stage of his career because I think you build with guys like Lee on your team. But it is hard to turn down the opportunity to have consecutive picks that high in the lottery, especially when it could give you some tantalizing options. If this trade does not come to fruition -- and it's hardly a given, considering that it's contingent on whether or not Kevin Love will be available for Memphis -- Lee will be stung to have heard his name linked to trade talks. Part of the biz, yeah, but when there's a new regime in place, you want to feel like you're viewed as part of the future, not as trade bait.

* - It's difficult to figure out where Danilo Gallinari is positioned on the Knicks draft board. A lot of the early media hype -- the Italian connection with D'Antoni was too convenient -- led to the speculation that he was a Knicks target. Walsh did come away impressed with Gallinari, but I've heard he's not at the top of their list. Talk that the Nets gave him a guarantee at No. 10 is completely false, I've been told.

* - Joe Alexander is an interesting player to keep an eye on in this draft class. He seems to be on a collision course with Scott Skiles and Milwaukee at No. 8. The fact that he speaks Mandarin should be appealing to Yi Jianlian. It might piss off Andrew Bogut, though.

* - Baron Davis is mulling his options with his $17.8 million opt-out with the Warriors, but he'll likely follow the Marion route and take the money and play it out. There has been some backchannel explorations by Davis' camp to gauge open-market interest and, as we reported last month, New York was one destination of choice. The Knicks, however, aren't interested.

* - Golden State might also have to deal with Monta Ellis, who becomes a restricted free agent on July 1. Watch for a potential situation involving the Memphis Grizzlies, who need to find a replacement for the departed Juan Carlos Navarro.

* - I'll be in midtown on Wednesday afternoon for the NBA draft player availability. Check here later in the day (or night) for fresh stuff. And be sure to get here early on Thursday because I'll be doing a LIVE CHAT starting at noon on draft day to answer all of your Knicks/NBA Draft-related questions. And maybe even a hockey question or two.

Donnie's not showing his cards, Fixers.

“We have no deals right now. You know, there’s so many discussions. I’m not going to confirm or deny specific ones, because then I’d be talking about ten different discussions that took place today that somehow get out and people talk about. That’s the fun of the draft and I understand that.”

No one would expect he would come out and say, "Yeah, that Memphis rumor is true!" so it's not surprising he played it coy. But he did try to suggest that there are numerous scenarios brought up throughout draft week and most of them never come to fruition. He also said that some things that could be there for the Knicks depend on how things go with the draft.

So the Memphis thing: the Grizzlies seem to be locked on Kevin Love at No. 5. But if Minnesota winds up taking him at No. 3, the Griz would then be interested in taking Lee from the Knicks for the fifth pick. Now, if Love goes three and the Knicks get the five, it leaves Seattle to take either OJ Mayo or Jerryd Bayless and word is they are high on the latter. So that leaves the potential for Mayo to be available for the Knicks at No. 5 and they can then grab another player -- perhaps a project or perhaps another fine young guard such as Russell Westbrook -- at No. 6.

Of course Minnesota might not take Love and instead go for Mayo or trade the pick. Walsh has checked out this scenario, too.

He was asked if there were any irons in the fire and Walsh deadpanned, "It takes two to tango."

Said Danilo Gallinari shot the ball real well at his workout here and he was impressed with how the kid, at 19, looked on film.

Regarding Russell Westbrook, Walsh acknowledged that the kid helped himself with an impressive showing in his workouts.

"I think we saw he was a good athlete, but when you see it up close, it was impressive," he said. "And so was some others.”

Stay tuned . . .

One rumor getting a lot of play involves the Memphis Grizzlies' pick at No. 5 and the Knicks, who would send David Lee to get the pick, with some other contract-type pieces. This would give the Knicks a pick at 5 and 6 and ensure them the player they want.

Memphis would give up a fifth overall to get Lee, who was taken 30th, but is established. He will cost them some money, however, because he will be a restricted free agent after this season and is already looking for a contract extension.

The Knicks are also apparently involved in talks with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 3 pick, which would suggest they're trying hard to get in position to draft O.J. Mayo, a player Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh absolutely love.

I've also heard today that Danilo Gallinari has slipped down their board a little, but he is still on it. The guy who has leaped ahead of everyone is Russell Westbrook, whose stock is very strong at No. 6. But if the Knicks somehow get two top-10 picks, they have more options. Joe Alexander might be another option.

Though it would be doubtful that they would draft two guards, if they did, word is that Nate Robinson would be shopped and perhaps packaged with Zach Randolph.

I'm at the MSG Training Center waiting on Donnie Walsh, who will speak with the media this afternoon.

Stay tuned....

Something we overlooked this weekend, but as we begin attempts to project what Donnie Walsh and Glen Grunwald have in mind for the draft, we should include every piece of evidence. The Knicks told the media after Thursday's workouts that there would be nothing through Monday. However...

According to our man Al Iannazzone of the Bergen Record, a strong Knicks contingent (Grunwald, Brendan Suhr, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni and Phil Weber) was present at the Nets facility on Friday for a joint workout that included six players. Two of those players have already had workouts with the Knicks.

One is Mike Taylor, the Iowa State guard who played in the D-League this past season. He worked out for the Knicks on Thursday.

The other . . .

Joe Alexander, from West Virginia.

Probably just coincidence. The rest of the group included Roy Hibbert (Georgetown), Kentrell Gransberry (South Florida), Maureece Rice (George Washington) and Damjan Rudez (Europe).

Stay tuned. Going to be a busy week....

Fellow Fixer Jon Rothstein, who puts in work for MSG Network and ESPN Radio, agreed to offer his projection of the 2008 NBA Draft.

I agreed to mock his mock draft and I welcome all of you to do the same.

My man JR -- a regular vistor to this site who has his own hoops blog at MSG.com -- is a well-versed college basketball afficionado who does his homework on players and also on what NBA teams are looking for.

And if you're tuning in, JR is in the Jody McDonald slot this Sunday morning on ESPN Radio and is having your beloved blog host on at 10:25 a.m. to do some NBA Draft preview stuff. JR, like Brandon Tierney, always promotes the blog, so give 'em love, Fixers.

In the meantime, here's Rothstein's mock (the lottery picks only) and my mocks of his mock. The forum is now open for all of you.

Mock on.

* *

1. Chicago Bulls ..............Derrick Rose, Memphis

JR: The hometown product revitalizes the franchise he grew up rooting for, forming a lethal 1-2 punch for Luol Deng.

The Fix: Agreed. Though I think Michael Beasley is an easier pick because you can keep Hinrich (and not have to deal with the trade speculation and difficulty in making a good deal) and make your frontcourt that much stronger and, overall, be a better team sooner, Rose has the most upside of any player in the draft.

2. Miami Heat............Michael Beasley, Kansas St.

JR: Pat Riley wants to trade this pick but whoever winds up with Beasley will get production, charisma, and a major dose of nastiness.

The Fix: Which is why, Jon, the Bulls should take him and let Miami take Rose. The needs are there for both teams, but do you pass up a coveted PG for an undersized PF? The book says you don't. (The book also says you wait on Tom Thibodeau before hiring an inexperienced head coach like Vinny Del Negro, so we know the Bulls don't always follow the "book").

3. Minnesota Timberwolves...O.J. Mayo, USC

JR: Originally the pick was Brook Lopez, but Mayo’s scoring ability and high ceiling make him bound for Minnesota.

The Fix: Randy Foye's presence makes this a curious choice by you. Mayo has huge upside, but drafting him means they'd then have to move Rashad McCants and figure out how to play two combo guards in the backcourt. Going with a big makes more sense, which is why I say Lopez. Or maybe Kevin McHale trades this pick to his boy Danny Ainge for, like, Brian Scalabrine, just to ensure a Celtic dynasty.

4. Seattle Supersonics..........Jerryd Bayless, Arizona

JR: The prototypical hybrid, Bayless should be the spark needed to ignite more easy baskets for Kevin Durant in Seattle.

The Fix: Here is where the WaMu Theatre fills with boos. Bayless, it says here, is the best fit for the Knicks of anyone in this draft after Rose.

5. Memphis Grizzlies.............Kevin Love, UCLA

JR: A clone of Brad Miller, Love gives the Grizzlies polish inside and out.

The Fix: Hopefully he's in better shape than Brad Miller. But a good fit here for a team that will want to get up and down the floor. Love can play the pick-and-pop and post-up a little. But Marc Iavaroni wants defense and he'll get no Love on defense.

6. New York Knicks...............Russell Westbrook, UCLA

JR: Combo guard should excel under Mike D’Antoni.

The Fix: Westbrook's stock rose quickly in predraft workouts and UCLA often churns out quality players. But you could trade down a little, maybe pick up a second-rounder, and probably still land him. I'm just wondering if they'll be chanting for Gallinari, the "Italian Stallion", at the Theatre. Di-no! clap, clap Di-no! clap, clap....

7. Los Angeles Clippers..........Eric Gordon, Indiana

JR: Gordon’s skills make him a candidate to start right away for the Clippers.

The Fix: And he was never heard from again.

8. Milwaukee Bucks...............Joe Alexander, West Virginia

JR: Alexander best trait is what Scott Skiles wants from all his players; toughness.

The Fix: Super Joe and Yi Jianlian would make a good combo and Skiles ought to get Andrew Bogut's head on straight, too, which means the Bucks could have a solid, athletic and young frontcourt for years to come.

9. Charlotte Bobcats...............Brook Lopez, Stanford

JR: Larry Brown will love Lopez’s defense and rebounding. At least until January.

The Fix: Buzz! Wrong answer. LB goes for more athleticism (see: DeAndre Jordan) or goes for huge upside (Anthony Randolph). And starts getting antsy by Christmas. Does he ever really unpack?

10. New Jersey Nets...............Danilo Gallinari, Italy

JR: The Italian gives Lawrence Frank insurance if New Jersey doesn’t resign Bostjan Nachbar.

The Fix: No one has made the Gallinari-Nachbar comparisons but they do seem very similar. Bokie is a nice player, but if you're the Nets you have to hope Gallinari winds up the better player. If the Knicks pass on him at No. 6, the Clippers might grab him at No. 7, but I agree he doesn't get past this point, which will make Dino happen because he'd get to live in New York. Of course if they're in on Carmelo Anthony, then he'd have to decide between Milan and Denver.

11. Indiana Pacers..................D.J. Augustin, Texas

JR: The little general has been better than almost everyone so far in workouts. He might not last this long.

The Fix: No, this is about where he should wind up. Smart, talented but small. He fits with what the Pacers want to do with their team (and I don't just mean finding a reason to get rid of Jamaal Tinsley).

12. Sacramento Kings..............Anthony Randolph, LSU

JR: How good can someone be whose team lost eight games in a row in the worst year in the history of the SEC? The likely bust of the first round goes to Arco Arena.

The Fix: Geoff Petrie only likes players who can shoot. Randolph fits here at this point of your mock, but so would some others, especially the French kid, Nicolas Batum. Oui, oui!.

13. Portland Trailblazers...........DeAndre Jordan, Texas A &M

JR: The Blazers have the same chance of keeping this pick as I do of winding up with Jessica Alba. If they do keep it, look for them to go after a wing such as Brandon Rush although I really believe it should be Chris Douglas-Roberts.

The Fix: Dude, first of all, your chances with Jessica Alba are far more remote than the Blazers keeping the pick. Second, with Greg Oden (remember him?) ready to start his career, the chances the Blazers draft another big man such as Jordan are as likely as you winding up with Jessica Lange (I hear you're into cougars).

14. Golden State Warriors.........Darrell Arthur, Kansas

JR: The best player in the NCAA title game, Arthur has a fluid offensive game but needs to become a better rebounder.

The Fix: Has a post-up game that Don Nelson is dying for and would fit well playing next to developing Brandan Wright in the new frontcourt.

At this point in the draft, the playoff teams pick from the little of what remains (JaVale McGee, Brandon Rush). The 15th pick will be one to watch because it is owned by the Phoenix Suns (compensation from Atlanta in the Joe Johnson trade) and it is been made quite clear that Steve Kerr wants to use his first-round pick and a veteran (Leandro Barbosa or Boris Diaw) to move up in the draft.

The Nets have two picks and are on the board again at No. 21 (from Dallas in the Jason Kidd trade), Seattle has another pick at No. 24 (from Phoenix in Kurt Thomas trade) and Memphis has their second first-round choice at No. 28 (from the Lakers in the Pau Gasol trade). Any of these could be moved.

The Knicks don't have a second-round pick, but you can expect they will try to pick one up along the way. Seattle has four second-round picks, which they most likely won't all keep and Portland has three, including the Knicks' pick as a result of the Demetris Nichols trade last year.

My two sleepers in the second round are Joey Dorsey (Memphis), who has an NBA-ready body and could be a very good depth player in someone's front court, and Georgetown's Patrick Ewing, Jr., who has the explosive athleticism, toughness and smarts to be a reliable energy/defense player off the bench in the right system.

Remember to catch the show on Sunday morning. Check back here for a link to the segment once it hits the 1050ESPNRadio.com website.

A week before a draft in which the Knicks own just one pick -- sixth overall -- and Donnie Walsh is keeping everybody guessing.

On Thursday he had in five more players for workouts to bring the total to 21 draft candidates who have visited the MSG Training Center this month. This group did not include any bona fide lottery picks, but it did feature a very impressive 7-foot center in DeAndre Jordan. The freshman from Texas A&M seemed like a very grounded young man and someone who is aware his status as a "sleeper" only lasts so long.

“After a while they’re going to stop saying ‘potential’ and just say ‘you peaked'," Jordan said. "So you’ve got to find it inside to be tired of hearing the word potential and want to come out here and do well.”

Hofstra's Antoine Agudio, an undersized shooting guard, has a different perspective. He's more of the longshot that is trying to prove himself worthy. Agudio, who was slowed by injuries during his senior year, did not get an invite to the Pre-draft camp in Orlando and admits that stung him. But he feels his draft stock isn't high because his teams never made it to the NCAA Tournament.

UMass forward Dante Milligan is a New York kid with close ties to the Knicks and the Garden, thanks to a "Big Brother" connection with MSG Network executive Dan Shoenberg.

Milligan has a bittersweet story as told here in the Boston Globe from when UMass went to the NIT Final Four this past season.

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More summer reading for you, Fixers.

This is a very interesting story in the San Antonio Express-News about the plan to make the Spurs arena, the AT&T Center, a "green" facility.

Bexar County, which owns the AT&T Center, and Spurs Sports and Entertainment, which maintains and operates the facility, will announce today that as of June 1, it became CPS Energy's top commercial buyer of wind energy under the city-owned utility's Windtricity program . . .

Without switching to wind power, the AT&T Center's electric bill could climb as much as 28 percent in the next year, based on the cost of fuels that keep CPS' power plants running, an analysis by Sparks' staff indicated.

With plans underway for a $500 million renovation of Madison Square Garden, you would expect there will be as much emphasis on energy conservation and alternatives -- not much room in downtown Manhattan for wind farms, but solar panels on the Garden roof would certainly make sense -- as there is on improved sightlines and more luxury suites.

Just bloggin'.

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If you and the wifey are watching TV tonight, check out "So You Think You Can Dance?" Not only will wifey appreciate it (you might not mind watching the women dance, too, Sailor), but you might recognize one of the 18 finalists.

The name is Courtney Galiano and she's not only one of Long Island's own (Dix Hills), she's a Knicks City Dancer. (That's her on the far right).

Here's her audition for the show along with a little featurette. Just think, the girl that used to dance to "Disco Calypso" on the Garden floor and throw t-shirts at you might one day be famous.

Comparisons have been made between Willie Randolph and Isiah Thomas. Let me say this:

Willie, I covered Isiah Thomas. I knew Isiah Thomas...Willie, you're no Isiah Thomas.

(Oh, and that's a compliment).

Thomas was under the gun from the moment he moved to the bench, but that was his own doing. The greatest difference between Randolph and Thomas is that Randolph had to manage players that Omar Minaya gave him.

Isiah coached the players that Isiah gave himself.

Certainly Randolph deserved better than to be caught somewhat off-guard by a midnight hit on the West Coast (after a win, no less). But he did survive the embarrassing tailspin from the past season and everyone knew (even Willie) that a good start this season was imperative.

It didn't happen, so off with the head.

I've often heard from people in pro sports that the best jobs are in management, because coaches are always the first to get fired. General managers -- hey, I covered Mike Milbury -- often avoid the guilotine by laying the head of the coach they hired on the chopping block first. It often pacifies the masses and buys a little time to get it right.

Isiah had already failed as the team president, with several off-target moves and questionable actions that often undermined his coaches, especially Larry Brown. So when he took over as coach, he already had two strikes against him. Isiah knew it, why do you think he was so reluctant to move to the bench? They might as well have yelled, "Dead man walkin'!" when he hit the tunnel for his first game.

And I don't buy the racism angle one bit with either of these men. But I admit I do see a similar bias: fans and the media are intolerant of people who don't win.

Oh and another way Willie is no Isiah? Isiah got tight with the right people. Somehow, he still has a job.

* *

Congratulations to the classy, hard-working Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics. But one drawback to them winning the championship within a year of making marquee trades is that it promotes the idea that you can just do the Etch-a-Sketch shake with your roster in one summer and turn your team into a winner.

The Celtics' situation is rare (and I hope Danny Ainge sends Kevin McHale a chunk of his championship winnings). First you have to have one star-quality player, then have the assets to acquire two more and, of course, these players have to be available. It helps to have a good buddy running the team of the big-ticket player you're trying to land.

Let's just stop here and agree there is no way the Knicks can duplicate this. Not right now. But with the right decisions (some tough), you may be able to put yourself in position to do this in, say, two years.....

* *

The Knicks will have four players in for a workout Thursday, the most interesting name on the list is 7-footer DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M). If you're local, the other interesting name is Antoine Aguido, the high-scoring guard from Hofstra.

The other two names are Dante Milligan, a 6-9 forward from UMass, and Mike Taylor, a guard from Iowa State.

Bulls fans may want Derrick Rose, but there are a few Bulls who would prefer John Paxson select Michael Beasley with the No. 1 overall pick.

Ben Gordon says the reality of drafting Rose means there will be one guard too many and in this story in the Charlottesville (Va.) Daily Progress, Gordon also talked a little Knicks.

“Would playing for New York be something interesting? I think if you ask any kid if [they want to play in their hometown], anybody would like that; it’s your hometown," Gordon told the paper. “But right now I’m a Chicago Bull. I love playing for the Bulls, but I don’t know what’s going to happen around draft time. Crazy stuff can happen.”

The Mt. Vernon native also gave a little shout-out to Mike D'Antoni, who almost became his coach before he chose the Knicks.

"I think people automatically take what D’Antoni did in Phoenix and assume he can’t coach any other way,” Gordon said. “I think somebody who was Coach of the Year — I’d like to give him more credit than that and think that he can adapt to different situations. I don’t think it’s fair to say he can only coach that Phoenix way."

Gordon's shot-making ability is tantalizing, but he's not a fit with the Knicks. He's clearly better suited as an off-the-bench scorer. It'll be interesting to see what Chicago does with Gordon, who is a restricted free agent, but I don't see a fit with the Knicks.

The Suns might be willing to part with Leandro Barbosa and/or Boris Diaw to get another first-round pick, but take a look at the contracts for these players. Would the Knicks surrender the No. 6 pick to add either one of those salaries without shedding some money along the way?

Both have done well in the D'Antoni system, but this type of a move only adds to the bloated payroll.

* *

There were some rumors that Danilo Gallinari might pull out of the draft if he did not get a guarantee that he would be a top 10 pick. Danilo's father, Vittorio, said in an email on Monday that Danilo decided he would stay in the draft.

That might suggest that Gallinari did, in fact, get some type of confirmation that he would be a top-10 pick. He worked out for the Nets and Knicks and made it clear New York was his preferred destination (not that he has a choice in the matter). But after some thought he agreed to also work out for the LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies over the weekend.

There was one rumor that suggested the Nets, who have a pick at No. 10, gave Gallinari a guarantee.

A person who has intimate knowledge of the Gallinari situation said the fact that the player would only participate in solo workouts for only a select few teams was somewhat of an issue. "It won't hurt his standing [in the draft]," the person said, "but it doesn't help it, either."

Among the 48 college players who withdrew from the draft on Monday, only one -- Arizona's Chase Budinger -- worked out for the Knicks. Memphis' Robert Dozier, who also withdrew, was scheduled to work out for the Knicks but the workout was cancelled at the last minute.

North Carolina oughta be the preseason No. 1 next season. Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Long Island's Danny Green each pulled out of the draft and will rejoin Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough for the Tar Heels.

Click here for the complete list of the NBA draft withdrawals. It also includes international players.

Two items of note so far this morning...

First, Gery Woelfel writes in the Racine Journal-Times that the Bucks will be shopping guards Mo Williams and Michael Redd this summer and says the Knicks have showned some interest in Redd.

It’s almost a foregone conclusion that either Michael Redd or Mo Williams will be jettisoned to another zip code this summer.

Williams is guaranteed $35 million over the next four years plus a player’s option for another $8.5 million. Some NBA officials believe the Bucks could obtain a mid-to-late first-round pick for Williams.

The fact that Redd's contract goes beyond 2010 is an issue for the Knicks cap-wise, but Redd is the kind of shooter who would thrive in the D'Antoni system. I personally think they need to focus more on the point guard situation than on finding more shooters.

Another story that made for an interesting read comes from the Detroit Free Press, which suggests that Zach Randolph would be a good fit for the Pistons and an easier get than Carmelo Anthony. The Pistons are looking for a consistent low-post scorer.

You also can't overlook that Randolph had most of his success playing with Rasheed Wallace in Portland.

OK, so what on the Pistons roster do you want in return for Z-Bo (that the Pistons would be willing to part with)?

Happy Father's Day to you fathers out there.

Zach Randolph and Portland need an order of protection against each other. After an entire season where Randolph behaved himself in New York -- weren't we told the "Hoop Family" was coming to terrorize the Big Apple? -- he still finds nothing but trouble when he hits the PDX.

The latest news comes in a story by the Portland Tribune, which reported that Randolph and his friends were involved in a nightclub brawl on May 31.

First things first. Randolph was in Portland at the time to deal with a $300,000 lawsuit against him filed by a man, 34-year-old Portland rapper Robert Bacote, who accused Randolph of battering and harrassing him. Randolph apparently thought Bacote snitched to police information about Randolph's former teammate, Qyntel Woods.

In 2004, Woods pleaded guilty to animal abuse after one of his pit bulls was found bruised and bloody.

The Oregonian reported this week that the suit was dropped this past Monday. Neither side would say if a settlement was reached.

But the story doesn't end there. According to the Portland Tribune, Randolph and his crew were out at the popular Portland nightclub "Ohm" on the 31st when one of Randolph's friends got into a fight on the dance floor with another man. A witness told Newsday that Randolph got involved and it escalated into a brawl involving "10 to 15" people.

Portland police showed up and quickly shut down the bar, but no arrests were made. No charges were filed. The police didn't even file a report because, according to Portland police spokesman Brian Schmautz, whom I spoke with this afternoon, none of the people involved were interested in making any claims to the police.

Remember back in January, when the Knicks were in Portland to play the Trail Blazers, Randolph was at a club the night before the game and a fight broke out. Randolph wasn't involved in that fight, but just him being there is troubling enough.

It's troubling for the Knicks because they're trying to trade him and these types of things -- though no arrests were made, no charges were filed -- only lower his trade value. Randolph came to New York with a great deal of off-the-court baggage but in New York he has been notably under-the-radar. It's on the court where he's had a few issues, including his verbal altercation with Isiah Thomas and the infamous water fight with Nate Robinson during a timeout in Washington late in the season.

Randolph, who averaged 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this season with the Knicks, does have some trade value despite the character concerns and, of course, the remaining three years and $47.9 million left on his contract. Before the trade deadline, the Knicks were involved in talks with Denver and Milwaukee regarding Randolph, but neither trade materialized.

One league executive suggested that the Knicks might be better off holding on to Randolph this season and getting him playing the right way and putting up big numbers. Then, once interest grows, they could move him for better value.

"Zach must be re-invented," the executive said. "He's got to play well for the New York Knicks so that he can be moved if necessary. He's no good for them - on floor or in a trade - in present form."

Danilo Gallinari has made it pretty clear he'd prefer to only play in the New York area. He worked out with the Nets on Thursday and then came to the MSG Training Center on Friday for a solo session with the Knicks. And that'll do for now, he said.

“New York and New Jersey are my favorite places to play, so my focus is on these two places," the 19-year-old said. "After the draft we will see."

From the conversations with Danilo and his father, Vittorio, it seems clear they are hoping to get an indication from the Knicks soon. Considering Donnie Walsh's determination to keep his draft plans top secret -- no one on the staff is allowed to talk with the media right now -- it is highly doubtful Gallinari will be given any guarantees that if he is on the board at No. 6, the Knicks promise to take him.

It's plausible that the Nets, who pick at No. 10 and No. 21, could give him a guarantee. As for other teams that might have been interested, Gallinari says it's not that he would refuse to report or try to force a trade. He just prefers the New York area.

We saw this last year with Yi Jianlian, who turned down a workout invitation from the Milwaukee Bucks and floated out enough suggestions in the media that he was not interested in going to Milwaukee because it didn't have a strong Asian population. But the Bucks drafted him anyway and Jianlian wound up staying there and enjoying it. They even had a "Yi Jianlian Day" in the Brew City.

Tsingtao is now available on tap, baby!

(Woo-hoo!)

* *

Speaking of beer bellies, Kevin Love talked about how he is determined to disprove the naysayers who feel he is not athletic enough to make it at the NBA level.

“I had a lot of that in high school too," the UCLA forward said. "And in 7th and 8th grade they said he;s just big now and he’s not going to be able to do anything in high school. Then when I got to high school, I succeeded there and they said, it’s not going to translate to college, players are bigger and better and faster and stronger. Then it translated to college and righ tnow, I cut down the body fat and doing everything; I’m too determined to let anybody say that. I’ve proved people wrong my whole life, I’m looking forward to proving them wrong at the next level, as well.”

Love has been working out under Joe Abunassar and got hooked up on this Sun Fair Diet. It's a California thing, dude...costs $60 bucks a day to get well-balanced, healthy meals delivered to you. He says you tell them what you like to eat and they give it to you in healthy portions. I asked him if In-N-Out Burger is anywhere in the diet.

Negatory, Love said.

Damn. If I lived out West I'd be all about that In-N-Out burger.

I like Love's personality. He'd do well in New York just from a media standpoint. Quick-witted and well-spoken. And to be honest he did look a lot leaner than I remember from watching his games at UCLA. But, then again, the TV adds 10 pounds, right?

Love has worked out for Miami (2nd...though -- Scoop Alert! -- he says he worked out for the Heat because of the potential that they may trade down), Seattle (4th), Memphis (5th) and plans to work out for Minnesota (3rd) and Milwaukee (8th). And the Charlotte Bobcats said they would grab him if he fell to the No. 9 spot.

D.J. Augustin, who might be the next-best "true" point guard in the draft after Derrick Rose, said he has worked out for Indiana, Phoenix, Sacramento and the Clippers and has a date with the Portland Trail Blazers (Blog host note: Portland would be a great place for him to go) next week.

And since some of you Fixers are infatuated with Anthony Randolph, I chatted him up some. He said he's working out for everyone from pick No. 2 to No. 10.

And as for some of you Fixers making comparisons to a young Chris Bosh? He says more like a young Marcus Camby. And I found this to be a good quote to share:

“I love blocking shots, that’s my thing," he said. "You ask any of my teammates in college that’s what I love to do more than anything else.”

* *

That's a total of 16 players the Knicks have had in thus far. I'm told there could be more later next week.

It's now Friday evening and I now have to drive from Westchester to Long Island thinking about beer and burgers.

Tim is a Fixer and as Fixers know, mi blog es su blog. Tim wanted to start up a discussion for the blog so I give him the floor....

I'm a fellow Fixer. I was the guy with the Kurt Thomas question in your most recent mailbag.

The reason I even thought to bring this up was because today on ESPN, John Hollinger ranked Spree's performance in the '99 Finals as the No. 41 top performance.

Thanks for the email, Tim. Before the Fixers have at ya, here's my take:

I thought Sprewell was terrific as a Knick. I thought it was an outstanding gamble by Checketts/Grunfeld/Van Gundy and a good move for the franchise at that time. Sprewell fit New York, with his energy, explosiveness and even his moodiness. I didn't cover the team back then, but I've been told by members of the media that he was one of the best players to deal with on a daily basis because he was often candid and always affable. And there's little doubt that, even with Houston's miracle shot in Miami and Marcus Camby's dominance in Atlanta and Larry Johnson's four-point heroics against Indiana, the Knicks don't get to the Finals without Sprewell.

In hindsight, it was bound to be a short-term move, but it actually lasted five seasons, which is one more than Stephon Marbury's tenure. And in five years as a Knick, he made one all-star appearance, three trips to the playoffs and averaged 17.9 points per game.

* *

* - As I said in Orlando, Mayo is an impressive kid who makes sure to present himself as humble and respectful. And he showed a little savvy when his connection with D-Wade was mentioned and he quickly replied, "I'm also working out with Q-Rich. I'm getting close to Q-Rich, too."

There's not much the Knicks could have seen from Mayo in today's workout -- he went solo -- that they couldn't get out of watching tape of him at USC. Mayo wouldn't divulge his workout schedule, so all we know is he's worked out for Miami and now the Knicks.

* - Friday is a big day and could be the last of the workouts. Six players come in early in the afternoon and it should be an interesting session. DJ Augustin (Texas) vs Jason Richardson (Davidson), Donte Green (Syracuse) vs. Kosta Koufos (Ohio State) and the marquee: Kevin Love (UCLA) vs. the sleeper favorite of some of you Fixers: Anthony Randolph (LSU).

I'll try to sneak into the gym for this one!

Later in the day, Danilo Gallinari will conduct a one-man workout for the Knicks. I'm sure they would have preferred to have him work with the above-mentioned group, but it's not up to the Knicks.

The decision to work out solo is made by the player's agent and the team's agree to it. Earlier this week Gordon was caught by surprise when he showed up at the training center to discover he had no one to go up against. Bayless' representatives requested a solo workout. Same for Mayo.

No one wants to risk their stock value this close to the draft.

The Knicks will get a look at young Italian star Danilo Gallinari on Friday, according to his father. Gallinari will first work out with the Nets on Thursday, when the Knicks will have OJ Mayo in at the MSG Training Center.

Mayo, like Jerryd Bayless and Eric Gordon, will work out by himself for the Knicks staff. Clearly the Knicks want to see specific skills in each guard through drills instead of in game situations.

The Knicks won't yet confirm Gallinari. Fellow Fixer Andrew Marchand reported on ESPN Radio that Kevin Love is also scheduled to come in on Friday.

This is a loaded day:

D.J. Augustin
Donte Green
Kosta Koufas
Kevin Love
Anthony Randolph
Jason Richards
That's one workout.

Gallinari goes alone later in the afternoon.

This could be it for Knick workouts.

[I wasn't about to go with another "Hold the Mayo" headline, Fixers.]

OJ Mayo will work out for the Knicks on Thursday at the MSG Training Center. Word is Mayo, who was a star freshman at USC, is being very selective with his workouts -- As K-Berg said in his live blog, Mayo is now with agent Leon Rose after severing ties with BDA -- and the Knicks are obviously on his list.

The Miami Heat are, as well, and the rumors continue to exist about Miami's very strong interest in Mayo, who is working out with Dwyane Wade in Chicago. The Heat traveled to Chicago to watch Mayo work out at Tim Grover's ATTACK Athletics facility, where Eddy Curry