NBA Insider with Ken Berger

So far, I like what I am hearing about Donnie Walsh’s plans to move forward and repair the Knicks. Hire two people to run the day-to-day basketball operations, including a young, promising exec such as Mark Jackson; revamp the international scouting department by luring one of the top people in the business such as the Pistons’ Tony Ronzone and Nuggets’ Chico Averbuck; take your time and make sure you hire the right coach.

One thing I will not like is a coaching candidate that Walsh will no doubt be hearing from if he hasn’t already: Memphis coach John Calipari. Word is filtering out of the Final Four in San Antonio and Calipari has the itch to give it another go in the NBA.

Calipari has a few things going for him. Walsh’s close friend and confidant, Larry Brown, will give Calipari a glowing recommendation. He’s built the Memphis program into a national power and could have a national championship trophy to show for it by Monday night. There’s also a wrinkle that’s little known outside of the intimate basketball community: Calipari has a close working relationship with hoops maven Williams “Wes” Wesley, who has close ties to LeBron James.

No doubt Coach Cal will try to play the LeBron card if and when he decides to go after the Knicks’ coaching job. Wesley works closely with James’ agent, Leon Rose. A secretive mover and shaker at all levels of basketball, Wesley has become a behind-the-scenes operative for Calipari and is credited with steering top talent to Memphis.

Keep in mind that the Knicks figure to have a top 6 pick in the NBA draft in a few months, and that Calipari’s most prized recruit, Derrick Rose, is expected to come out.

I don’t think Walsh would hand the keys to Calipari simply based on spec that he’d be able to lure LeBron to New York when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2010. And if you ask me, it wouldn’t matter to LeBron if Coach Cal or Cal Ramsey were coaching the Knicks. He’ll go where the money and opportunity are, and if both are with the Knicks, it would be a no-brainer for him from a basketball and marketing standpoint.

Calipari is the consummate college coach, and there is nothing wrong with that. He was a disaster with the Nets, alienating players and coming off as arrogant. But don’t forget that when Calipari was fired by the Nets and needed a place to make a soft landing and regain some humility, Brown gave it to him by hiring him as an assistant coach in Philadelphia. Billy King, who is under consideration for a front-office job under Walsh, was the 76ers’ GM at the time.

Do I think Walsh will hire Calipari? Do I think he should? The answers are “no” and “no.” But at least you know the background on some of the factors that might begin to play out behind the scenes.