I realize he wasn’t the first name on a lot of lists for obvious reasons, but I cannot believe some of the comments about Mike D’Antoni on the blogs.

How can anybody argue he’s not a winner?

Check the standings. I believe D’Antoni averaged 58 wins in Phoenix over the last four seasons. Lenny Wilkens, Herb Williams, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas averaged 28 wins here over the last four seasons. There was a talent differential, but it’s hard to argue with that kind of success.

It seems our standards might be unduly inflated.

To quote a former Knicks coach, you haven’t won a championship here since 1973.

A 26-25 postseason record with the Suns is undoubtedly the hangup, but it’s not realistic to come down on D’Antoni because he’s never made it past the Western Conference finals. It’s been mentioned here before, but I’ll bring it up again. Michael Jordan was a roadblock Patrick Ewing never got around.

Did that issue make Pat Riley or Jeff Van Gundy any less of a coach?

Tim Duncan has similarly made a habit of holding back Phoenix, and Robert Horry should probably get a big assist.

I’m not saying this was the best hire. There are several very important questions that need to be answered in the coming days and months. I’m guessing a number of high-profile roster moves will follow. D’Antoni will probably have to adjust his style of play in the mean time.

And as many of you have noticed, we have a 13-year-old who thinks racist comments are funny. I apologize for his behavior. We are working to put an end to such nonsense, so hang in there.

I know what a lot of you are thinking.

There is probably a lot of head scratching as fans attempt to figure out why Donnie Walsh settled on Mike D’Antoni, whose formula seems contrary to what many were hoping for. He’s not known to possess any fire and brimstone. And the lack of commitment on the defensive end might be alarming.

Still, he’s a pretty darn good coach.

It’s worth remembering D’Antoni isn’t going to be coaching last year’s roster. And there will have to be adjustments to the system he used successfully in Phoenix unless Steve Nash comes riding into town on a white horse. Don’t even start that rumor, please.

Walsh is making the personnel decisions.

The players he acquires to help speed this latest rebuild will determine the style of play. I’m thinking defense will become more important. Heck, if nothing else, the scores will come down simply because the Knicks will be forced to pass the ball a little more on the other end.

Yes, that’s a joke.

Walsh might be wise to stipulate D’Antoni hire a hardcore defensive assistant. Who got much of the credit when the Pacers used to be a playoff fixture? It was Dick Harter. His job was to make sure the defense was tuned up.

Tom Thibodeau is doing the same thing for the Celtics right now.

No matter how this falls into place, the entire roster better crack open those offseason workout guides right now, because D’Antoni will not tolerate anyone slowing down the offense

Anyway, get in on the conversation. I apologize for the late start, there was a full slate of soccer and Little League games to attend.

Do you like the move? Do you believe D’Antoni will adjust his style of play to fit the Knicks?

I’m starting to wonder if Donnie Walsh isn’t suitably impressed by Mark Jackson or Mike D’Antoni.

He’s conducted enough interviews made enough hires over the years to recognize a good candidate. There has to be a reason why the Knicks don’t have a coach at this point. Maybe they are waiting for a chance to speak with Tom Thibodeau, but there’s no chance of that happening until at least next week. And the Celtics would likely have to win twice in Cleveland over the next three days to open a window.

I think it’s funny to see reports that Jackson would be able to reach Stephon Marbury. There is no way that’s a consideration. Walsh isn’t hiring a guy to coach a contoversial playmaker who’s in the final year of his contract.

So we’ll sit around, waiting.

Chicago might be able to help speed up the process by making a reasonable offer to D’Antoni, who risks sitting out a season or two if he doesn’t get a deal in place soon.

You know those late night phone calls that inspire a shot of who died adrenaline? I get that same feeling whenever a text message from the Knicks buzzes in after hours.

Usually, it turns out to be nothing of concern.

After the vibrations subsided tonight, I read a message stating that Donnie Walsh officially wanted us to know the Knicks have not offered a coaching contract to anyone, contrary to a report. Of course, it did not refute a report about the organization preparing a staggering offer to Mike D’Antoni or anyone else for that matter.

So rest easy. There’s nothing to see. Go back to bed.

Why do I get the feeling something is going on behind the scenes? 

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

Mark Jackson is scheduled to be in town on Monday to play in the 2008 Lou Carnesecca Golf Classic at North Hempstead Country Club along with a host of former St. John’s players and basketball dignitaries. I don’t know whether even Donnie Walsh plays golf.

All of the funds raised at the outing and banquet goes toward a $30 million renovation of Carnesecca Arena.

I know three former St. John’s coaches who firmly believe Jackson will accept should Walsh offer the job. That probably isn’t enough to end speculation that he might be hesitant to uproot the family and move back East.

So we’ll sit and wait. And clean up the golf clubs.

Unless there are some wild cards, Donnie Walsh has gotten to just about everyone on the list.

It sounds like Avery Johnson will get a meeting this week.

And if Walsh comes away impressed, he’s going to have to move in a hurry because it sounds like Phoenix will be very interested.

There just are not many known candidates out there clamoring to jump into the game. Mark Jackson remains the favorite, although he can’t be thrilled about Walsh traveling about the country to speak with competitors if he stated a desire to coach in New York and presented a thoughtful game plan.

Mike D’Antoni  is apparently sold on Chicago.

What does that say about the situation here? The roster is such a mess he’d rather pin his future to Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni.

Mike D’Antoni probably isn’t the kind of coach a lot of disgruntled fans want to see taking over the Knicks.

Still, he’s won enough games to merit an interview, and Donnie Walsh is happy to oblige. He jetted off to Phoenix for another meaningful discussion. So did Chicago general manager John Paxson.

D’Antoni still isn’t on the open market.

Not officially. Phoenix did grant him permission to speak with other teams, which is a sign they are hoping somebody will bite. That relieves them of having to pay the $8.5 million he’s got coming.

“We value Mike D’Antoni as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns and would like him to continue leading this basketball team,” Suns general manager Steve Kerr said this afternoon in a statement. “Because he has requested to speak to other teams about their head coaching vacancies, we have granted him permission.”

D’Antoni hardly seems a good fit here, not with the players currently on the roster. David Lee and Jamal Crawford might be the only players that would benefit from that up-and-down style of play.

Since there is nothing else to do right now I’m wondering, is there really a major difference between Avery Johnson and Mark Jackson? I’m not taking sides. They just seem to be cut from the same fabric.

There is an experience differential.

Johnson, though, is still early in the game. He was afforded the luxury of taking over a very good team.  We don’t know whether he’ll motivate a team that has piled up more losses than wins for the last seven years.

Both are big on accountability.

Jackson wasn’t real popular in the locker room when he came back to the Knicks in 2000 because he spoke out when teammates were not playing the right way. Johnson was also the voice of reason when he played and talked every time something needed to be aired out.

Both want a committed defense.

After seeing the Knicks play soft each of the last four seasons, that’s very important. Walsh needs the Knicks to be competitive immediately so fans will believe things are indeed going to change. Getting after opponents shows the Knicks are making a legitimate attempt.

Both can talk and talk and talk.

They can definitely handle themselves behind a microphone. Restraint seems to be more of an issue. They will have to be open and honest with New Yorkers to help sell the latest rebuilding efforts so communication skills have to factor in.

Both know the league.

They understand the logistics of an 82-game schedule. They know what players do and where players go on the road. They know the importance of practice and when a break is needed.

Both know what hard work is.

Grab an NBA Register and look at the career numbers. Neither of them are gifted athletes. They were forced to put in extra time in order to achieve great things.

So all things being equal, do you want a little experience or do you want a fresh start?

There aren’t many proven winners on the interview circuit at the moment, so I’m guessing Avery Johnson will be able to pick his next destination.

Could he land in New York?

The possibility exists, but it’s likely Johnson will first decide where he’s got the best chance to succeed long term. Right now, the Bulls might be in a better situation with a nucleus of talented players in need of direction.

He is the kind of defense-and-rebounding head coach a lot of you have been clamoring for.

What do you think?  

On your mark, get set …

I’m guessing there are several executives in the league getting ready to go after Mike D’Antoni should SI.com be right about his impending dismissal in Phoenix, and it’s worth noting that Jack McCallum knows that organization better than anyone out there.

The carousel is about to spin a little faster.

With somebody like D’Antoni on the market, teams like Denver and Toronto could explore their options even deeper and join Chicago and New York in the race for coaching talent. The hiring process could jump to light speed once Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr makes a public announcement. 

And if Donnie Walsh isn’t hustling for an interview, we can assume he’s committed to Mark Jackson.

What do you think about D’Antoni in New York?

There was a lot of suspicision early on about the style of play he implemented, but within a season of his arrival, every team in the NBA was exploring ways to play more like Phoenix.

It’s fun to watch.

While the Suns piled up wins, they never did win a championship. Was it the lack of committment on defense? Was it the constant presence of Tim Duncan? I can go either way in that argument.