If Isiah Thomas chooses another draft-pick stunner, this time it may not draw raging Garden boos.
Emboldened by last season’s Renaldo Balkman coup at No. 20, a selection that stunned the NBA universe, Thomas repeatedly has warned Knicks fans the past few weeks another shocker could occur at Thursday night’s NBA Draft at The Theatre of Madison Square Garden.
If anything, Thomas has proven an astute drafter and should receive the benefit of the doubt after Balkman, not even in the 2006 draft media guide, had a splendid rookie year and Mardy Collins, at No. 29, proved NBA-ready.
Thomas has said the Knicks need a pure outside shooter to add to the roster to take advantage of Eddy Curry’s double teams. But Thomas has given signals that Rice University 6-foot-6 shooting guard Morris Almond – considered the best outside gunner in the draft, with comparisons to Allan Houston – is not a sure thing.
“There’s no Allan Houston in this draft,” Thomas said recently. “No offense. There’s no shooters like him in the draft.”
It is why Thomas is considering taking a player with a bigger upside than Almond but not ready to play next season.
“He’ll have a tough time busting the roster getting playing time,” Thomas said of his potential pick. “But a year or two from now, he could turn out to be very good basketball player. We’re not looking for saviors in the draft.”
Not with the 23rd pick, not with the Bulls, who could take Joakim Noah, holding the Knicks’ ninth pick. At Orlando’s pre-draft camp in early July, Thomas said he’d be willing to take “a gamble” because he said he already has one rookie from the draft. After the NCAA tournament, Thomas signed Kentucky center Randolph Morris, whom he believes would’ve been a late lottery pick if eligible.
“Having one pick in this draft [Morris], I could be riskier with the second pick,” Thomas said.
“We can afford to draft a guy and maybe look at a two-year window and wait on him.”
That fits the description of DePaul sophomore small forward and sleeper candidate Wilson Chandler, who most mock drafts have going deep in the second round. The Post reported Tuesday he was on Thomas’ radar as a sleeper, with one coach likening 6-8, 230-pounder to “Trevor Ariza with a jump shot.”
Scouts say Chandler doesn’t have a “high motor,” and is a streaky outside shooter. “But when he’s on, look out,” one NBA scouting director said. “Next year he could be an early first-round pick.”
The Knicks appeared to lose interest in another sleeper, troubled Boston College center Sean Williams once the shot-blocking specialist cancelled all his workouts. Williams, suspended for smoking marijuana, held a workout in Houston last Monday, and the Knicks dispatched only their departing director of scouting Jeff Nix, who’s gone after the draft. However, they have invited Williams for a last-minute workout that he has yet to accept.
Other potential gambles are European power forward Tiago Splitter, who’ll only be available at No. 23 because of his complicated buyout, and LSU power forward Glen Davis, who has had weight problems. Another power forward, 6-10 Josh McRoberts out of Duke could be there.
But outside shooting is considered a bigger need to Thomas than a defensive banger inside. Thomas said the talent from No. 5 to No. 23 is so similar, it will be a “need” draft.
On Jan. 1, Thomas talked about needing a shooter. “You definitely have to change your way of thinking [because of Curry’s emergence],” Thomas said.
“Now you got to get a shooter. You got to get guys who can knock down shots. It’s in the way you look at the draft and everything else.”
Another solid candidate is Ohio State freshman guard Daquaen Cook whom Thomas said “is a very good scorer.” If Thomas passes on Cook and Almond, whom the Knicks and Nets worked out jointly, Thomas better not complain about the lack of outside shooting next season.
“Morris Almond is no question one of the best shooters in the draft,” Nets general manager Stefanski said.
“He is a very smart player who knows how to play. He’s not the greatest athlete but knows where to get his shot. He’s a thinking man’s type of player.”