KNICKS HAVE GALLINARI DOUBTS

By MARC BERMAN

The KnicksNew York Knicks ended the Las Vegas summer-league yesterday
the way they came in - unsure if 19-year-old rookie Danilo Gallinari
will contribute this season.

After suffering a back injury in Monday's opener against Cleveland,
the Italian Stallion missed the final four games, including
yesterday's 111-91 loss to Minnesota in the finale at UNLV's Cox
Pavilion to finish 2-3.

A team source said the Knicks are considering resting Gallinari the
remainder of the summer and request he not play for the Italian
national team that gets together in two weeks. The decision could be
out of Gallinari's hands as the Italian players are threatening a
strike.

In his lone game, Gallinari had an impressive seven minutes in the
second half when he scored 14 points after going scoreless in the
first 2½ quarters.

Gallinari's summer league raises questions on whether he'll be durable
enough to withstand the NBA's physical pounding, at 6-10, 227, as a
rookie. A European source said Gallinari had various hamstring and
knee problems in Italy, but a Knicks source said that was "growing
pains."

Still, there were intangibles Donnie Walsh loved in Vegas.

"The thing I really liked what I saw from Danilo, he looked to make
other players better," the Knicks president said during a guest stint
on the MSG Network telecast yesterday. "When he's out on the floor, he
has a sense of the game already to make his team better. I would've
liked to seen him play for the entire length but I saw enough to feel
good about."

New addition Anthony Roberson racked up 23 points yesterday. Roberson
gives the Knicks 16 guaranteed contracts, with Stephon MarburyStephon
Marbury in deep trouble. Walsh is exhausting all trade opportunities
with Marbury before deciding whether to eat $22 million. Walsh gave no
indication Marbury is part of the future.

"He's worked very hard," Walsh said. "I don't know why everyone's
talking about that right now. There's a certain pecking order how you
do things. You get a coach, the draft, then summer league, then
trading periods. Then you start looking at a team on what judgments
have to be made."

Walsh likely will make a trade before training camp begins in Saratoga
Sept. 29, with unloading Zach Randolph's contract a priority. Randolph
was a Vegas no-show. Turns out the Clippers tried to swipe a
first-round pick from the Knicks to take Randolph off their hands,
which is why Walsh declined.

"Every day I wake up to try to make the team better," Walsh said.
"That's how I'm going to conduct the rest of the summer. A lot of our
players have talent but their value in the league is down."

marc.berman.RemoveThis@nypost.com

Syfo-Dyas wrote:
> By MARC BERMAN

> Sept. 29, with unloading Zach Randolph's contract a priority. Randolph
> was a Vegas no-show.

Like he was expected to play summer league?


--
Laurel T
"I told him,'Son, what is it with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?'
He said, 'Coach, I don't know and I don't care."
Frank Layden