NEW YORK — When you're the Knicks and picking sixth in a top-heavy freshman draft, and your isolated asset (David Lee) and the slot weren't ample inducement (assuming another obscene contract was out of the question) to move up to harvest Derrick Rose, O. J. Mayo or Kevin Love, the inevitable conclusion is singling out an unfinished product.

Danilo Gallinari, we've since learned, is flawed (young, athletically and defensively challenged, stiff-legged making a move, will have trouble finishing at this level) in certain areas.

You don't say!

Well, guess what, the Italian Scallion also happens to be gifted (tough, mature far beyond his 19 years, a clever passer, with impressive feel for the flow, and a good — not great — 3-point shooter) in other areas.

Just as each and every player chosen afterward (before, too) is defective and accomplished one way or multiple others.

Otherwise, center Brook Lopez would have been gobbled up at No. 4 by the center-less Sonics, as projected by many experts, instead of falling to the (safety) Nets six stories below.

Otherwise, Jerryd Bayless would have been snatched from the Green Room by the Clippers, who crave a pure playmaker yet opted for shooting guard Eric Gordon at No. 7, instead of dropping four places to the Pacers.

Would Joe Alexander, elatedly embraced by the Bucks at No. 8, have been a more astute alternative?

Donnie Walsh was pulled in both directions. Had Gallinari been gone then the 203-cm marksman would have been targeted.

At this moment, is Alexander (or Bayless) any more prepared than Gallinari to help turn around the Knicks?

Alexander's encounters against stiff competition got a late start. Gallinari was bred by a pro to be a pro and carried a pro outfit in Milan.

I'm just wondering: would Knicks' fans be comforted to know his father played defiant defense as a Mike D'Antoni teammate and his mother was a 200-meter sprinter?

Yes, the whole, undiscovered package appears to be there. Gallinari simply needs time and sound coaching so he can grow into his genes.

Milan's coaching changes stunted that growth to some extent, I'm told. At the same time, it pushed him to improvisational heights. No plays were run for Gallinari, so he was forced to get shots on his own. Some were pretty objectionable.

Who says Gallinari doesn't fit in perfectly with the Knicks?

Sarcasm aside, it's unfair that a teenager from Italy must measure up to the expectations tied to being Walsh's first rebuilding block.

Please don't tell Gallinari about the many "certified" saviors the franchise imported over the years that went limp under that pressure.

The good news is, Walsh has four months to lessen that burden by upgrading the roster enough to get D'Antoni's feted run 'n stun system into second or third gear.

That's also the bad news; Walsh probably doesn't have enough time left on his 3-year contract to concoct a scheme to unload Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry. His one shot is to package Lee, whose inability to hit 3-pointers makes him expendable.

Clearly, Lee is useless to the Knicks; he does all the things that hardly matter to a bad team, but are the difference between winning and losing on a good team.

Stephon Marbury may be given one last chance to tiptoe that tightrope. Alas, it doesn't matter how well Gallinari shoots from afar if someone doesn't give him the ball.

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Karl had a hip replacement several weeks ago and was shuffling around Staples Center at a quicker pace than his team gets back on defense . . . Carmelo Anthony isn't going anywhere . . . Marcus Camby and Allen Iverson can be had, but relocating A.I. is almost impossible . . . J. R. Smith will be re-signed by the Nuggets unless he's tendered an absolutely unreasonable offer sheet . . . as committed as Denver is to keep Linas Kleiza, opposing teams figure to be even more aggressive in attempting to appropriate his services.

After listening to John Paxson's brief draft interview I'm convinced Kurt Hinrich will be starting alongside Derrick Rose next season and restricted free agent Ben Gordon will become an ex-Bull.

Who did better on draft day (trades included) than the Nets, who picked up five solid players and have become a totally different team?

I'm officially back on their bandwagon. In fact, Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe added so many positive pieces it's implausible to think Nenad Krstic and Bostjan Nachbar will be re-signed.

Krstic is no longer a good fit in New Jersey, but his pristine perimeter jumper and respectable rebounding make him an ideal complement to Tim Duncan, especially since the Spurs aren't likely to bring back Kurt Thomas or Robert Horry.

Brent Barry also is expected to bolt, probably to Houston where he'll be assured of playing 30 minutes a game.

Peter Vecsey covers the NBAfor the New York Post.