NBA

Walsh, D’Antoni view Curry as ‘Answer’

Now Knicks fans can blame Eddy Curry for something else. It seems the Knicks center, not Allen Iverson, is “The Answer.”

Knicks president Donnie Walsh announced yesterday the team had decided not to sign Iverson, the controversial 34-year-old guard, to a one-year contract. Walsh linked Curry’s emergence in his season debut Wednesday against the Pacers (10 points and four rebounds in 11 minutes) with tipping the scales against signing Iverson.

In saying the Knicks “rethought” their position on Iverson, Walsh ended a wild week full of flip-flops and fan frenzy favoring the move.

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“We were misleading because we didn’t know what we wanted to do,” Walsh said. “It got to be, ‘We’re going to do it, we’re not going to do it.’

“I don’t think you build a basketball team on [fan] polls.”

Coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed he was on board with adding A.I., but was convinced by Walsh on Thursday night to stay the course following the Knicks’ 110-103 comeback victory over Indiana, in which Curry shined.

“I think it changed things,” said D’Antoni, whose 2-9 Knicks face the winless Nets today. “It did, no doubt about it. With Eddy, it makes us a different team. We have a presence now and we want to take advantage of.”

D’Antoni and Walsh reached the decision late Thursday and cancelled plans to speak to Iverson in person. They said the major concern was whether Iverson fit into a rebuilding club, and whether he would take time away from younger players the Knicks are trying to develop, as well as from Curry, who looms big in their plans for multiple reasons.

“I mentioned his name and 100 other guys’ too,” D’Antoni said of Iverson. “But it’s not the way we want to go and I understand that. I’m really cool with it. Donnie put a plan out there a year and half ago and we’re gong to stick with the plan.”

Walsh refused to blame Iverson’s reputation as a malcontent who has sparred with coaches, taking special care to be polite regarding the guard’s stained rep. Iverson’s agent is also LeBron James’ agent, Leon Rose.

“It has nothing to do with Allen Iverson,” Walsh said. “It’s a stage our team is in right now, building for the future. It got interesting for a while because Allen’s a great player. [But] there’s other things we could do during the year that will be more in line with what our philosophy is.”

Had the suddenly slim Curry not looked so promising Wednesday, the Knicks might have held an Iverson press conference last night.

“He’s a guy whose going to be the center point of your offense,” D’Antoni said of Iverson. “With development of some of your young guys and Eddy, we didn’t think we wanted to have that dominant force on the team right now.”

Curry’s success is vital because of his long-term contract. If he returns to 2006-07 form, he would become either another lure for James, a free agent after this season, or a tradeable asset to open up enough cap room to sign two maximum free agents, say James and Amare Stoudemire.

“That’s part of it,” Walsh said. “Eddy’s now on the team and we have to devote a lot of attention to Eddy from a franchise standpoint. He went out there in 11 minutes and actually changed the game.”

On Tuesday, Walsh called the Knicks’ chances of landing Iverson a “long shot.” But on Wednesday, D’Antoni convinced Walsh to offer Iverson a contract when he cleared waivers, pending a sit-down meeting with A.I.

“I didn’t think it fit in the beginning,” Walsh said. “When we started thinking about it, it’s enticing to think you can get a guy who can score the ball that way. As it went on, I started to think with Mike that he’s going to take time from some of the players we want to develop.”

Walsh said he could revisit the Iverson situation, but made it seem unlikely.

“I think Allen should go to a team in a contending situation or playoffs situation,” Walsh said, “and I think he will.”

Walsh said image-conscious owner James Dolan gave his input, but any conspiracy theory that Dolan put the kibosh on the signing is incorrect.

“There were no orders down to me,” Walsh said, “to do one thing or another.”

marc.berman@nypost.com