NEW YORK — "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.'' — Albert Einstein

After spending the last 24 hours alone at home with his head coaching thoughts, Knicks president Donnie Walsh choose Mike D'Antoni over Mark Jackson.

I'm mortified and bewildered by the decision.

"Not only are the Knicks known to shoot themselves in the foot, they often crouch down to get a better aim," zaps column contributor Brian McGunigle.

No disrespect, of course, to D'Antoni's success in Phoenix, basketball expertise, communication skills and outgoing personality, but he's clearly not the lid for this pot of incompatible, undisciplined, slow-footed players.

Eddy Curry's cardiologist has already organized a protest stroll.

If not Jackson, who Walsh told me was definitely his backup choice had D'Antoni preferred to coach the Bulls, Cesar Milan would have made perfect sense.

More than anything the Knicks need a strong pack leader. By all accounts emanating from Phoenix, D'Antoni made very few demands, thus the consequences were almost non-existent when details were ignored and defense wasn't employed.

Walsh is well aware of D'Antoni's incapacity to extract so much as a consistently pedestrian defensive effort from Amare Stoudemire. That discredits both the player and the coach.

Walsh brushes off such criticism. He has always held D'Antoni in high esteem and his opinion remained unchanged after flying to Scottsdale, Ariz., last week on James Dolan's private plane and meeting with D'Antoni at his home for several hours.

Obviously, Walsh is convinced D'Antoni is capable of becoming more of a disciplinarian and will radically alter (eliminating altogether?) his run-and-stun style to match the Knicks' currently unmovable misfits.

That's good; because D'Antoni's system is predicated on putting the ball in the care of Steve Nash.

Let's get real. Yeah, I know he's an easy mark defensively, but the two-time NBA MVP was D'Antoni's system in Phoenix (abetted by Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and a host of lethal 3-point snipers), same as Tim Duncan has been the Spurs' system for 11 seasons.

Last time I had the stomach to sneak a peek, the Knicks' makers of plays (mostly for themselves) comprised of the surgically rehabilitating Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson.

It's well documented how D'Antoni felt about Marbury after coaching him briefly in 2003-04; the Suns were better off without him.

The Knicks are still hung over from Marbury's intoxicating acquisition, whereas the Suns, given the cap flexibility and first-round draft picks that their go-away package provided, continue to prosper (in comparison) thanks to Nash's free-agent signing that summer.

How utterly ironic that one of the prime wheelers behind that deal (Jerry and Bryan Colangelo coordinated the swindle) that helped sabotage the Knicks is reunited with Marbury (next season, anyway) for the franchise's next attempted reconstruction.

When it became obvious Jackson was a legit candidate to fill the Knicks' coaching cavity, sources say Marbury reached out to him and pledged allegiance to his unraised flag.

Determined to resurrect his career and upgrade his reputation, he promised to do whatever was asked and vowed to show up in camp in great physical and mental shape.

Despite what went on in Phoenix, I fully expect Marbury to restate that vow to D'Antoni. Bottom line, he owes loyalty to the Knicks who, in turn, owe him $20,840,525.

Still, in the opinion of every league person I regularly consult in such situations — exempting Walsh, the only mind that matters — Jackson was the ideal fresh voice to reach Marbury, Curry, Zach Randolph, Crawford, Quentin Richardson (another D'Antoni reject), Jerome James and Jared Jeffries.

How many of them do you think rolled their eyes upon hearing Walsh played it safe rather than make a bold move?

Most New Yorkers, I'm sure, will be fooled by D'Antoni's resume, just as they were fooled by Larry Brown's resume and Dolan continues to be fooled by Isiah Thomas' flashy smile.

Reached in Cleveland where he was working Game 3 of the Celtics-Cavaliers series as an ABC commentator, Jackson was disappointed yet remained upbeat, falling back on his devout beliefs.

"In the bible, God says, 'I will not withhold any good things from those who serve me,' "Jackson said. "Therefore, following that equation, if I don't get something I want, something I think will be really great, then it isn't good for me.

"That's the way I view it. He's looking out for me. He knows what's best."

Peter Vecsey covers the NBA for the New York Post.