NBA

KNICKS PICK GALLINARI SIXTH; NETS GRAB LOPEZ 10TH

The Italian Stallion is now a Knick and he’s already hearing New York jeers.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh chose 6-10 Italian forward Danilo Gallinari over Indiana shooting guard Eric Gordon with the sixth pick in tonight’s NBA Draft, drawing boos at the Garden Theatre.

“I’ll be more worried if they’re booing him next year,” new coach Mike D’Antoni said.

Walsh said before the draft some of the combo guards he was interested in could be gone by the time the Knicks picked, and apparently they were. With UCLA’s Russell Westbrook gone, and Gallinari having impressed the Knicks during his workout earlier this month with his dead-eye shot, he was Walsh’s choice. Gordon went next to the Clippers.

“I think he’s an unusual package,” Walsh said. “We saw video of him. I knew he could take it to the goal. I knew he had a great handle. He played a good all-around game.

“But he came here (to work out), his shooting was off the charts. He made shots when the game was on the line and he got the ball with the game on the line. When he was here, his shooting touch was great. He’s the kind of player who can bring a team together.”

Gallinari was a standout at age 19 in the Italian League for Milan, but scouts were worried he wasn’t athletic enough to play defense in the NBA. He worked out only for the Knicks, Nets and, reluctantly, Memphis.

Gallinari said after his Nets’ workout he might return to Europe if the Nets, at No. 10, or the Knicks didn’t take him. He recanted that the next day after working out for the Knicks.

“I would like the team to win, New York is best city in the world,” Gallinari said.

With the 10th pick, the Nets chose Stanford center Brook Lopez.

“I think they’re getting a guy who’s coachable, [who will] do everything required,” Lopez said.

The Nets, who traded stalwart forward Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee earlier today for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons, also had the 21st pick, where they chose California forward Ryan Anderson.

“We needed to make changes. We made a trade that we think will help us in the future,” exec Kiki Vandeweghe told ESPN. “And we think we got two good young players in Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson.”

The Knicks’ top priority, USC freshman guard O.J. Mayo, went to the Timberwolves at No. 3. And two-way point guard Westbrook, a great defender whom the Knicks were hoping fell to them, went to Seattle at four.

Gallinari’s father, Vittorio, played on the same team as D’Antoni in Milan for eight seasons. D’Antoni speaks fluent Italian and the belief is that relationship would hasten the son’s adjustment to the NBA.

“If you’re dreaming, it’s (Dirk) Nowitzki or (Toni) Kukoc,” D’Antoni said, comparing Gallinari to two successful Europeans. “If it’s a nightmare, it’s someone else. The scouts loved him and they convinced me.

“Hopefully someone will teach him to play defense.”

Walsh said if the Knicks didn’t get a point guard-type tonight, they would pursue one in the summer.

With the Knicks drafting Gallinari, that could make David Lee expendable. What’s clear is Lee is the most marketable player they have, unless Lee tells prospective teams he won’t sign a contract extension.

The draft began with commissioner David Stern being jeered, fans obviously still ticked off with his handling of the Tim Donaghy referee scandal.

The Chicago Bulls selected Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, who went second to the Miami Heat.

Mayo was the third pick, the first time in NBA Draft history that freshmen were the top three picks.

Rose, a Chicago native, led the Tigers to the national championship game in his lone college season. The Bulls opted for the point guard’s playmaking ability over the scoring and rebounding of Beasley, who ranked in the top three in the nation in both categories as a freshman.

Rose is the Bulls’ first No. 1 overall selection since they grabbed Elton Brand in 1999. He’s the second straight freshman taken with the top pick, following Portland’s Greg Oden last year.

At No. 4, Seattle took Westbrook, and UCLA teammate Kevin Love was taken fifth by Memphis.

After the Knicks’ pick and before the Nets’, the L.A. Clippers took Gordon, Milwaukee chose West Virginia’s Joe Alexander eighth, and Charlotte picked Texas’ D.J. Augustin ninth.

Lopez’s twin brother Robin was chosen 15th by Phoenix.

With AP