NBA

WALSH HAS EYE ON BIG MAN THABEET

CHICAGO — When Knicks team president Donnie Walsh last succeeded in the lottery 21 years ago, the former Pacers president jumped to the second pick and selected 7-foot-4 Marist graduate Rik Smits, who led a Pacers renaissance.

“I remember he had to duck through the door every time he walked into my office,” Walsh said. “I haven’t had a player whose had to duck since.”

It is why Walsh is so intrigued with Hasheem Thabeet, UConn’s 7-3 junior shotblocker. Walsh interviewed Thabeet during the Chicago NBA Draft combine Wednesday and is the only prospect he views worthy enough to give up a decent asset to move up from No. 8 in the draft. The Knicks were last in shotblocking the past two seasons.

Dikembe Mutombo retired last month and the next Mutombo is ready to join the NBA. If Memphis takes Ricky Rubio at No. 2 instead of Thabeet, there is a feeling Oklahoma City, with the third pick, could be willing to trade down instead of taking the shotblocker from Tanzania.

“I look up to [Dikembe]. He had a great career,” Thabeet said. “Him being not too far from my country, to be able to stay in the league that long and accomplish what he can accomplish, he’s a great player. I’m looking forward to having as great a career as him.”

Some scouts feel Thabeet is as likely to become a stiff along the lines of Manute Bol as he is the next Mutombo because of his lack of an offensive game. Thabeet, 22, admits it needs improvement but said he feels ready right now to be a defensive force in the NBA. He averaged 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocks on a club that advanced to the Final Four.

“If I don’t score, you’re not coming to the other end and scoring,” Thabeet said in his deep baritone. “Defense is my game.”

Thabeet was raised as a soccer player in Tanzania and didn’t start playing baskeball until he was 16. Already 7-foot, he strolled to a playground, saw men playing, was asked to join in and first declined. Because he is so new to basketball, Thabeet said he will improve.

“The more I learn about basketball, the more I like the game,” Thabeet said.

Thabeet came to the U.S. at 16 without his parents and attended three high schools from California to Mississippi to Houston, living with random families, with the one goal of developing the 7-footer into the next Mutombo.

But he hasn’t gotten soccer out of his blood. Thabeet paused several seconds when asked if he would rather play in the World Cup or NBA Finals.

“I scrimmaged with the UConn soccer team a couple of summers,” Thabeet said. “I remember the coach [Jim Calhoun] one time saying when I kicked the ball in practice, ‘This is basketball.’ ”

Thabeet is training in California with a former Navy Seals officer and doing oncourt work with former NBA power forward, Scott Roth, who is now a D-League coach. Roth, a former Jazz assistant, taught him the finer points of NBA defense, including defensive 3-seconds where Thabeet will not be able to linger in the lane ready to swat shots.

“I’m learning to move from one side to the other, but I’m going to block a lot of shots next year,” he said.

Thabeet said he is aware of Mutombo’s trademark finger wag after a block.

“Maybe I’ll come up with my own thing,” Thabeet said jokingly.

marc.berman@nypost.com