[h1]ROSE-Y OUTLOOK[/h1] [h2]KNICKS EYEING MEMPHIS GUARD[/h2]
[h3]By MARC BERMAN[/h3]
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May 18, 2008 --
Mike D'Antoni always is smiling, even when carping at referees. That smile will be pasted on all summer if the Knicks win the lottery Tuesday and assurethemselves of selecting point guard extraordinaire Derrick Rose.
It's looking like a two-man draft - Rose and rugged power forward Michael Beasley - but D'Antoni is taking a low-key approach regarding theselection.
"I don't want to lay all my eggs in one basket," D'Antoni told The Post. "But it's important. It can jumpstart us."
D'Antoni will preside on the Secaucus dais Tuesday night at 8 p.m. when the fifth-seeded Knicks find out where they select in the June 26 draft. This ishuge, because the free-agency period may be quiet because Donnie Walsh will not offer a long-term mid-level contract and is looking toward clearing cap spacefor 2010 when LeBron James becomes a free agent.
"They have more at stake in the lottery than any team in the past five-to-seven drafts," said George Rodecker, draft editor of Basketball Times."If they jump to 1 or 2, they can sell these next two seasons."
At the No. 5 hole, the Knicks have a 7.6 percent chance of moving into the top spot and a 16 percent chance of moving into the top two. Last year, Portlandmoved up from five to No. 1 and selected Greg Oden.
Rose and Beasley are likely to be the first two picks, and there's debate on the order, depending on a team's need. Rodecker calls Beasley "afreak of nature." But with D'Antoni bringing in his "Seven Seconds or Less" breakneck offense, he has told confidants Rose could theKnicks' Steve Nash.
"He'd fit well, he's a tremendous athlete, an open-court point guard," an NBA scout said. "The way Mike likes to play, there'llbe a lot of open court."
Nevertheless, one Western conference scout believes Beasley should be the first pick.
"I wouldn't pass on Beasley," the scout said. "He'll be in the Hall of Fame one day. I'd take Beasley and put him with StephonMarbury instead of putting Rose in place of Marbury. When he's playing with the light on, Marbury could play another three, four years. (Eddy) Curry and(Zach) Randolph are their biggest problems."
