Knicks could benefit by adding a dash of Nash

by MARC BERMAN , New York Post

Updated: May 14, 2008, 12:20 PM EST 26 comments

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D'Antoni, who will be introduced at a Garden press conference today at 1 p.m., will have his fingers crossed till the lottery as the Knicks hold the fifth seed, with an 18.4 percent chance of shooting up to the top two spots. Rose will be picked either 1 or 2.

D'Antoni, who is considering sitting on the Secaucus dais instead of Knicks president Donnie Walsh, has told confidants he believes Rose could be the next Nash.

D'Antoni spent a chilly day in New York yesterday finalizing his contract and having dinner with Walsh. D'Antoni's introduction comes two weeks after The New York Post first reported Walsh would strongly pursue him if he became available.

The Post reported Sunday Walsh isn't too concerned whether D'Antoni's system fits with the current roster because he views him for the long haul after roster maneuverings. Walsh looks at D'Antoni as a potentially mighty recruiter for the free-agent class of 2010, with Walsh's stated goal of being under the salary cap to woo free agents such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh.

D'Antoni will be working with those players extensively this summer as the U.S. Olympic team's assistant coach. In a recent SI player poll, D'Antoni came in second to Phil Jackson as the coach they'd most want to play for.

While D'Antoni pines for Rose, he also can try to get Nash to New York if he really wants. Nash can opt out of his contract after next season and force Phoenix into a sign-and-trade with the Knicks.

Nash presumably would want that, as he has lived in the offseason in Greenwich Village with his wife and twin daughters for the past four years. Nash actually makes regular appearances at the Knicks' summer basketball camps for kids.

"He loves the vibe, loves the culture," a Nash friend said.

Nash, however, will be 35 next summer and obtaining him would likely ruin Walsh's bid to get under the salary cap in 2010 for the younger superstars. If Nash doesn't opt out, he'll be a free agent during that 2010 class, and D'Antoni could get him then, too.

In an ominous remark, D'Antoni once told Play magazine, "I have always said, when Steve retires, I'll retire. I don't want anyone to be able to figure out whether our success is because of my system or because Steve's ability to make it work."

Actually, Knicks fans will find that out in the coming years. Longtime Suns owner Jerry Colangelo told The Post D'Antoni will adjust to whatever the roster is.

"He could play any kind of tempo," Colangelo said of D'Antoni. "He coached effectively (in Italy) with the different personnel and how the game was played there. He transformed himself in the NBA. That's a pretty good indication of his flexibility. It's wrong to say the only way he can coach is the up tempo. Maybe it's his preference and choice, but if he doesn't have the horses, he knows he can't. Maybe there'll be a combination."