ORLANDO – Fran Fraschilla has a message for Knicks president Donnie Walsh: Take Danilo Gallinari at No. 6 in the NBA draft if O.J. Mayo isn’t there.
Fraschilla, the former St. John’s and Manhattan coach and now ESPN’s international draft expert, has seen Gallinari, the 19-year-old, 6-foot-10 small forward, play for three years and believes the Italian Stallion is worthy of a top-eight pick.
The Nets, meanwhile, are selecting 10th, and though GM Kiki Vandeweghe, a big international guy, scouted Gallinari last month in Italy, Jersey may not see him drop to its spot, unless it trades up.
Speaking at the pre-draft camp here, Fraschilla said he believes no point guard is worthy of a No. 6 pick after Memphis’ Derrick Rose – thus Gallinari should be the Knicks’ pick.
Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, former Italian League coach and player, played with Gallinari’s father, Vittorio, for eight seasons in Milan.
“If he’s sitting there at six, it’s almost great karma for the kid,” Fraschilla said.
However, Fraschilla thinks the Knicks should steal Mayo, projected as more a shooting guard who can play point guard, if he’s on the board.
In fact, Fraschilla is stunned the USC freshman isn’t lumped in the same stratosphere as the consensus top two, Rose and Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.
Fraschilla believes those three are sure-fire All-Stars. Still, scouts think Mayo could fall to the Knicks at six, with Minnesota, Seattle and Memphis passing.
The lottery hopefuls arrive in Orlando today for press conferences before undergoing tomorrow’s physical and strength tests and oncourt drills.
Gallinari is the lone absentee because his Milan team was eliminated from the Italian League semis.
Every important mock draft now has the Knicks taking Gallinari at six. But an ESPN report yesterday quoted a Suns executive saying D’Antoni watched a brief tape of Gallinari in midseason and became concerned he wasn’t NBA-tough.
But a source close to D’Antoni said, “Mike hasn’t gotten far into [the draft]. He’s not at a point where [Gallinari’s] it or isn’t it. And he knows Donnie’s calling the shots.”