After all that, it turns out The Answer is No.

The Knicks chose not to add Allen Iverson to their roster and will move forward without him.

“We’re not going to be making additions at this time to our team,” Knicks President Donnie Walsh said, according to The New York Times. “So I guess that ends the speculation about Allen Iverson. It really has nothing to do with Allen Iverson. It’s just a stage that our team is in right now: what we’ve been trying to do since we got here in building a team for the future. It did get interesting for a while because Allen’s a great player, has always been a great player.

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. — -Allen Iverson

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has spoken to a “few people” about Iverson, including Charlotte coach Larry Brown, who coached Iverson in Philadelphia, but the Knicks have still not decided whether or not to pursue the 10-time All-Star if he does clear waivers.

“I’m still not decided and I don’t think we are decided,” Walsh said Thursday after practice.

Asked if he had a timeframe on when he would like to have a decision made, Walsh said, “Not really.”

That means there’s a chance nothing could happen Thursday night?

“Yes,” Walsh said.

Iverson, 34, and the Memphis Grizzlies parted ways Monday and the Knicks are investigating whether or not to add him to their roster. The Daily News also reported that the Miami Heat were interested in adding Iverson.

New York has an open roster spot and could offer Iverson the $1.3 million veteran’s minimum. Walsh said he wouldn’t spend his mid-level exception on him.

Iverson signed a one-year, $3.1 million deal with Memphis before the season but played only three games before leaving for what were termed personal reasons. Iverson appeared not to be happy coming off the bench.

Walsh said he had not yet spoken to Iverson, but head coach Mike D’Antoni would like to before adding Iverson to the roster.

“I think that would be good, yeah,” D’Antoni said. “Usually before you do that, you have personal contact with a player and make sure that everybody’s on board and excited and ready to go.”

D’Antoni said the addition of Iverson for a one-year rental type situation would be consistent with the team’s long-term plans, which include freeing up salary cap space for a run at LeBron James and other free agents next summer.

“It’s always a fluid situation and it’s fluid right now and we’re just trying to determine what is the best for the organization and these players,” D’Antoni said. “If there’s more cons than pros, then we probably won’t do it.”

He added: “He’s a heck of a basketball player and we know that. That’s what I want to comment on for now. We’ll try to figure out what’s best for the Knicks.”

Walsh said he and D’Antoni will make the decision and then present it to team owner Jim Dolan for approval. Walsh said Dolan had not expressed any reservations thusfar based on Iverson’s past.

“They haven’t because I haven’t put it forth,” Walsh said. “In every NBA franchise, before you make any kind of a move you talk to the owner.”

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D’Antoni said he was encouraged by the performance of Eddy Curry, who had 10 points in 11 minutes in his first game this season.

“Real encouraged,” he said. “For two or three things. One, after a year and half or two years without playing, I think that’s great.  You see it helps us with our second unit, it gives a focus of where the ball should go. And I think that he can only get better from here.”

If Curry can return and play meaningful minutes at the center spot, it would allow David Lee to move to the four.

“That definitely could happen,” D’Antoni said.

(Photo courtesy AP)

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12:30 - Knicks practice in Greenburgh,  N.Y. Knicks are coming off just their second win of the season last night in Indiana and the Allen Iverson buzz grows stronger every minute.

12:30 – Press conference for Newark Invitational in Newark. Bob and Dan Hurley and players from St. Anthony and St. Ben’s will be on hand to promote this stacked event Jan. 30, which includes a showdown between Duke-bound point guard Kyrie Irving of St. Patrick and Memphis-bound point guard Joe Jackson of Memphis (Tenn.) White Station.

6 p.m. - Iverson due to clear waivers and become a free agent. Is he a Knick by later today or tomorrow?

6 p.m. – Tobias Harris will announce his college choice at the ESPN Zone in midtown. The 6-foot-8 Harris out of Dix Hills Half Hollow Hills West High has already decided and will announce for either Tennessee, Syracuse, West Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland and Georgia Tech. I’m thinking I may hit this and then hoof it quickly down to the Garden for…

7 p.m. – Syracuse vs. Cal in the Coaches vs. Cancer event at MSG. Will Jim Boeheim be celebrating Harris’ commitment to the Orange or lamenting his commitment to Tennessee or West Virginia?

9:30 p.m. – North Carolina vs. Ohio State at MSG. Second semifinal features former St. Patrick star Dexter Strickland and new-look defending NCAA champs against Evan Turner and the Buckeyes.

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Two.

Think about that.

Baseball isn’t typically played in November and it’s now 19 days into that month. (And we’re five days from my birthday in case anyone’s counting.)

The Yankees won 2 games in the World Series in November and until Wednesday’s win, the Knicks, Nets, Giants and Jets had combined to win one game — yes, one — in the month of November.

I know, I know. This stat was given on WFAN Tuesday and ESPN picked it up Wednesday morning. I’ve been using it all day. What an incredible stat.

Anyway, good job by the Knicks (2-9), who got 26 points from Al Harrington, 13 in the fourth quarter.

A much lighter Eddy Curry made his season debut and looked effective in scoring 10 points in 12 minutes in his first game of the season. Curry has been out after tearing his right calf muscle on the first day of training camp.

Of course, the elephant in the room is 34-year-old Allen Iverson, who becomes af free agent Thursday evening and whom the Knicks are actively considering signing for the veteran’s minimum ($1.3 million).

Howard Beck, the New York Times Knicks beat writer, posted this quote on his blog Thursday afternoon from a Knicks source in regards to the team’s interest in Iverson.

“It’s a given,” the source said. “They’re going to make the biggest play for him.”

While Iverson might cost Larry Hughes or Chris Duhon his job, some of the Knicks appear in favor of the move.

“I think it will help things,” Harrington said, according to the AP. “You got a guy who’s a proven scorer, probably a Hall-of-Famer. He can only do positive things, I think, to this team.”

That’s right. How much worse can it get?

This team needs an attraction to put fannies in the seats at MSG. It needs scoring. It needs a proven winner. It needs AI.

Sure, he’ll take some shots away from Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, but he’ll also drop 30 or 40 a few nights and light a spark under this team.

Can’t you just see him chest-bumping Curry after a dunk as Brandon Tierney mentioned tonight on the post-game show?

Can’t you see him bringing a few extra wins?

He’s a one-year rental for a team going nowhere. Why not go for it?

And hey, when the Knicks visit the winless Nets (0-12) on Saturday, who do you think the Yankees will be rooting for?

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Knicks president Donnie Walsh told Frank Isola of the Daily News that the struggling franchise might have interest in Iverson.

“We’ll look into it,” Walsh said. “Right now, I’d say probably not but we’ll see.”

Isola quotes a source close to Iverson saying the guard would be eager to play in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s “seven-seconds-or-less offense.”

At 1-9, the Knicks are off to the worst start in franchise history. The Knicks’ franchise began in 1946. They play four of their next five games on the road, beginning with Wednesday’s tilt in Indiana that could see the season debut of center Eddy Curry.

Iverson, 34, becomes an unrestricted free agent Wednesday and the Knicks have an open roster spot. In order to open up playing time, the Knicks would likely have to sever ties with veteran Larry Hughes, one of six key Knicks with expiring contracts.

The Knicks could get Iverson for the veteran minimum, but he could present chemistry issues. Walsh also told reporters recently that he won’t do anything to jeopardize the team’s future.

By BILLY DIAMOND
Special Contributor to ZAGSBLOG.com

Facing a raucous anti-Isiah crowd, Florida International dropped to 0-2 after falling, 99-70, Friday at Monmouth’s new Multipurpose Activity Center.

Thomas, the former coach and president of the Knicks, was loudly booed as he walked onto the court to take his seat on the bench and one fan held up a sign that read “FIU: Fire Isiah University.”

“I’m used to being in hostile arenas,” Thomas said, according to The Associated Press. “As an athlete and as a former ‘Bad Boy,’ every place we went to was kind of this kind of environment. So I’m used to dealing with tough environments.”

Thomas’ team played lackluster defense and failed to shut down the opposing team’s best player, Travis Taylor, who led the winners with 18 points. Former Rutgers guard Justin Sofman added 13 points in 14 minutes in his first game since transferring and sitting out a year.

Thomas’ team was coming off an 88-72 loss Monday at defending NCAA champion North Carolina.

That same day, his mother, Mary, underwent heart surgery following a heart attack. He told reporters she’s feeling better.

“It’s been a stressful week,” Thomas told the AP.

Thomas entered the court to a raucous student section behind the FIU home basket booing at the top of its lungs. His team was down by 10 points early in the game, 23-13, to the enjoyment of most in attendance. Chants of “Magic Johnson,” “Sexual Harassment,” and “Fire Isiah” ensued.

He was constantly heckled by fans throughout the game, and he said one adult fan accosted  him and used profane language after the game.

“There was a gentleman that I don’t even think he goes to school here and he’s not even in college, but he got out of line and security put him back in line, which was good,” Thomas said. “He didn’t grab me. If he did that, then I would have had the right to go Charles Barkley on him.

“I think the students were well in line and in-bounds in terms of the chants and the things they were saying. It was all in good spirit.

“But for someone who was older to act that way and conduct himself in that manner, particularly at a college game and a college environment, he should have known better.”

Thomas  was forced to huddle his players before the first mandatory time-out in the first half. His team trailed by eight at halftime and was outscored by 21 points in the second half.

Brooklyn’s Marvin Roberts led FIU with 21 points.

Monmouth coach Dave Calloway said he believes Thomas can turn things around.

“It takes time,” Calloway told the AP. “Recruiting is a big part of it. Guys are going to want to go play for him because he’s an NBA guy. Everybody wants to play in the NBA.”

(The AP contributed)

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NEW YORK

First, Nelson joked that he took rookie Stephen Curry out of the starting lineup because he doesn’t have enough ink.

“Stephen Curry, I took him out of the starting lineup because he doesn’t have enough tattoos,” Nelson said before Golden State trounced New York, 121-107, at MSG. “In fact, he doesn’t have any tattoos. How can a guy start in the NBA with no tattoos?”

Curry was drafted seventh overall by Golden State in this year’s NBA Draft, one spot ahead of New York, which chose Arizona forward Jordan Hill. Curry is averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 assists.

“If Curry wasn’t there, [Hill] was on our board. I’m not sure that we would’ve taken him, but we liked [Brandon] Jennings very much as well. But that would’ve been a decision. There was no decision with Curry,” Nelson said.

As for his other Stephen, Stephen Jackson, Nelson said the team would be better off if Jackson got his wish to be dealt.

“Well, when you have a guy that doesn’t want to be with your team it’s a problem because it’s very difficult for him to give you what he needs, to give you extra because he’s unhappy,” Nelson said. “He wants to move on. That’s been an issue.

“We’re trying to deal with it the best that we can and right now it’s a situation where we’re so banged up with our guys that I have to play him out of position as well. He has to play the power forward position so that’s difficult for him as well.”

Asked if there was any progress on trading Jackson, Nelson said: “I don’t know. You have to talk to our general manager.”

Asked if the Warriors had to trade Jackson for the betterment of the team, Nelson responded: “We don’t have to but I think it would be best for him and for us at this point. But if it doesn’t happen, he’s going to be here. He’s under contract for four years I believe.”

Jackson, averaging 15 points and 4.9 assists, has made no secret of his desire to leave Golden State.

“If it’s soon, I’m ready,” Jackson told Yahoo! Sports after Monday’s game against Minnesota. “Can’t do nothing but be ready. I asked for it as long as it’s the right situation for me and it’s not done out of spite. I’ve done a lot for this team and this organization and I hope the respect stays the same way. If it does happen, I hope it’s somewhere where I want to be.”

As if the Jackson situation weren’t enough to distract the team, guard Monta Ellis told reporters he can’t play with Curry.

“Us together? No,” Ellis told reporters. “Can’t. We just can’t. … Just can’t.”

Curry said he’s trying his best to adapt to the situation.

“Every NBA team has little distractions, sometimes not as public as ours is, but you’ve got to take what’s going and try to make the best of it and that’s how I do it,” Curry said before the game.

Curry admitted to imagining what it might have been like to play for the Knicks had they chosen him.

“Watching the offense, you kind of picture yourself and how you could’ve played, what kind of plays you could’ve made,” he said. “They got a lot of talent — like we are — we’ve just got to figure out how to put it together and get some wins.

“They’re a fun team to watch the way they play and the way D’Antoni coaches, so I enjoy watching them.”

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Nate Robinson will return to the lineup Friday for the Knicks. He has been out since Oct. 31 with a sprained right ankle. “We’ll see if he’s rusty or not,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said…Larry Hughes returns to the starting lineup and rookie Toney Douglas returns to the bench because he’s ill…Eddy Curry will have three more practices before potentially making his season debut Wednesday at Indiana. “If things go really well, then we’ll do it,” D’Antoni said…D’Antoni on the team’s confidence after a 1-8 start: “It’s not good. We’re battling to stay focused and getting over the hump a little bit.”…Darko Milicic has notched two straight DNPs. “It’s just not his time right now,” D’Antoni said.

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Of course, the team that could really use Wall — just named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List – and his transcendant abilities is the New York Knicks.

And the Knicks — off to a dreadful 1-8 start — could well earn the right to select the 6-foot-4 Wall with the top pick. Several mock drafts project Wall as the No. 1 pick next year, ahead of Derrick Favors, Ed Davis and Greg Monroe.

There’s just one problem.

The Knicks traded the pick.

Utah now holds New York’s 2010 1st-round pick after the Knicks dealt for Stephon Marbury.

To borrow a phrase from Spinal Tap, Marbury is currently residing in the “Where are they now?” category and spends more time texting New York Post beat writer Marc Berman than he does actually playing basketball. 

So where does all this leave the Knicks?

Well, without a quality point guard, now or later.

Starting point guard Chris Duhon posted this gem of a line in last night’s 114-101 loss to Al Horford and Atlanta: 0 points on 0-for-6 shooting, 3 turnovers, 3 rebounds, 2 assists.

“He’s going to have to play better and he’s going to have to do it,” a visibly shaken Mike D’Antoni said.

Asked if Duhon might lose his starting job, the coach said, “We’ll see. I don’t know yet.”

At the rate the Knicks are going — which is to say, full-speed straight off a cliff like those chicks in Thelma & Louise — they are “on pace” for a final record that says 10-72 or 9-73.

Is it likely to get that bad?

Probably not, but let’s say they win 25 games.

Is that going to be enough to attract LeBron James or Dwyane Wade to the Garden next summer?

“Honestly, I wouldn’t say they [the Knicks] have to make the playoffs. They just have to compete. Both those guys are on really good teams right now so who knows what the future holds?”  former Knick and current Hawk Jamal Crawford said before the game. “It would be tough for them to leave that.”

Assuming those free agents did want to come to New York, what point guard will they be playing with? Someone who leads his team to the playoffs and makes his teammates better?

Or someone whose team has one more NBA win right now than I do.

One thing’s for sure, the Knicks point guard next year won’t be John Wall — barring some blockbuster trade.

Wall could be headed to Utah…if the winless Nets don’t grab him first.

HORNETS FIRE SCOTT

The New Orleans Hornets announced Thursday that they have relieved Byron Scott of his head coaching duties. Scott will be replaced by General Manager Jeff Bower.

New Orleans lost 124-104 at Phoenix on Wednesday, falling to 3-6 to start the season.

Former Hornets and Bulls head coach Tim Floyd was named an assistant. Floyd stepped down as coach at USC before the season in the wake of the O.J. Mayo scandal in which Floyd allegedly doled out cash payments to a runner in exchange for landing Mayo.

“I want to thank Byron for the hard work he has put in during his time with the Hornets,” said Hornets Owner George Shinn. “I’ve hired Jeff Bower to take over the coaching reign. He knows this team better than anyone, has the respect of the players and in basketball circles, is regarded as one of the best basketball minds in the business. This is our best opportunity to reach our goals this season.”

Bower has spent his 14-plus seasons with the club.

After serving as the assistant general manager for the 2000-01 season, Bower was promoted to general manager in June of 2001 and has since held that position. He returned to the bench as an assistant under Floyd in 2003-04.

“Accountability was our theme this past summer,” said Hornets Vice President of Basketball Chad Shinn. “We talked about the fact that everyone on our staff is held to a certain standard of performance and we didn’t feel this was happening at the head coach level. We feel like we still have an opportunity with our nucleus to get to where we want and Jeff is the right guy, right now to move us in that direction from the bench.”

“As we look at our long-term coaching plans, it’s not about who the head coach is, it’s about the role of the head coach to get the team to perform to their capabilities and reaching our potential this season,” said Bower.

Bower served three years as an assistant coach at Penn State University from 1983-86 before moving to Marist College, where he led the Red Foxes to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1987 after winning the Northeast Conference.

(Information from the Hornets Website was used; Photos courtesy University of Kentucky, AP)

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***Al Horford had 25 and 9 and Josh Smith 22 and 12 as the Hawks gave the Knicks their 5th straight loss. Read about it here.**

NEW YORK — Jamal Crawford says the Knicks would have made the playoffs last season had he not been traded to clear salary cap space.

“Yes, we would’ve made the playoffs last year. I think 37, 38 wins is the playoffs last year. We would’ve got there,” Crawford said Wednesday before his Atlanta Hawks met the Knicks at MSG.

The Knicks finished 32-50 last season and haven’t made the playoffs since the 2003-04 season.

Crawford was traded Nov. 18 to Golden State for Al Harrington and subsequently dealt to Atlanta in a draft-day deal.

“It was the best start in the last 10 years for the Knicks,” he said of last year’s 6-3 start. “My only regret was that I was here through the roughest times. I just wanted to be here when things turned around. And that was the thing that bothered me the most.”

Crawford is in touch with LeBron James and said it will be “tough” for a guy like James or Dwyane Wade to choose the Knicks next summer via free agency if the Knicks continue to struggle.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t say they [the Knicks] have to make the playoffs. They just have to compete. Both those guys are on really good teams right now so who knows what the future holds?”  Crawford said. “It would be tough for them to leave that.”

What if the Knicks go out and win just 20 or so games?

“Do I think that helps them? No, that won’t help them at all,” he said.

Crawford is thriving in Atlanta, averaging 18.1 points in 29.9 minutes off the bench. And he says he’s having the most fun he’s ever had.

“I think this is the most excited I’ve been since high school when we won the championship back then,” he said of Atlanta’s 5-2 start. “This is a ball. There’s no hidden agendas. Everybody’s pulling for everybody. Everybody knows their role and we’re just going out there having fun.”

Hidden agendas? You think he’s referring to the Knicks?

“There’ a lot going [with the Knicks],” he said. “You can see that just riding by, there’s a lot going on for sure.”

Crawford said the Knicks could improve from their 1-7 start, but ”until Nate [Robinson] and Eddy [Curry] and all those guys get back together, it’s going to be pretty tough, honestly.”

Curry returned to practice Tuesday and could return to game action next week, head coach Mike D’Antoni said.

“We’ll make a decision for Wednesday [at Indiana] and see how it goes,” D’Antoni said of Curry. “When he’s in shape and ready to go, we’ll put him in there.”

Robinson is “day-to-day” with an ankle injury and could come back Friday vs.  Golden State.

“He’s cutting a little but but can’t cut right or left,” D’Antoni said.

No current NBA player has gone longer without appearing in the postseason than Crawford, who’s averaged 15.2 points in 604 games over his 10-year career.

But he hopes to end that streak this year.

“The thing that bothers me most about that is that I’ve never actually played in the playoffs,” Crawford said. “I’ve never gotten a chance to be on that stage.

“Hopefully, God willing and everybody stays healthy we’ll get a chance this year.”

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