Ken Berger

Allen Iverson in New York? There is legitimate interest percolating in Madison Square Garden, according to a high-level source familiar with the Knicks' front-office discussions. Before Iverson signed with the Grizzlies, the Knicks had flat-out zero interest in Iverson. So what's changed? That's the leading topic of this week's Post-Ups:

* Look at every box and put a check in it. The Knicks can't score (check), have a terrible point guard (Chris Duhon, check), are 1-9 (check), and have given their fans virtually no reason to be invested in the team before the roster is revamped next summer (check). The Knicks make as much sense as anybody. Besides, even at 34, Iverson would be the best offensive player on a roster that has been scaled down to the bare bones in preparation for the 2010 free-agent bonanza.

One caveat: Iverson's agent is Leon Rose, who also happens to represent a certain 2010 free agent who wears Yankees hats and loves to play in the Garden. Don't rule out the possibility that the Knicks are expressing interest in Iverson as a favor to Rose, who could use that interest as leverage.

More to the point, don't rule out an even more tantalizing possibility: With few, if any teams willing to take the plunge with Iverson given his recent history with the Pistons and Grizzlies, how indebted would Rose be to Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni if they opened the floor to the World's Most Famous Arena and let Iverson finish his career with some dignity? Very indebted, is all I'm saying.

* Don't be fooled by the Heat's 7-2 record to this point. Look at their schedule: The seven teams they've beaten have a combined winning percentage of .345 (19-36). Miami plays 21 of its first 33 games at home. The ugly flip side: 19 of its next 24 are on the road.

* After losing to the Hawks for the second time this season Monday night, the Trail Blazers are now 6-1 with a three-guard starting lineup that includes Brandon Roy and two point guards, Steve Blake and Andre Miller. The ball movement has improved with two point guards on the floor, and Miller no longer has to get exposed defensively because he can use his size to defend slower three-men instead of chasing quicker points. So the move by coach Nate McMillan has placated Miller -- for now.

But on Monday night, the Blazers closed the game with Miller on the bench, something Miller understands but isn't going to be pleased with long term. "As long as we're winning, that's all that really matters," Miller said." ... We're pretty much interchangeable."

But McMillan closed Monday night with Blake instead of Miller to improve the spacing and take advantage of Blake's shooting range. Look for two things to happen: The small starting lineup won't be a viable option when Portland begins a stretch of playing teams with more size, and Miller will want to close games, too.

"I don't really try to get too settled," Miller said. "Anything can happen. I was starting to get settled in Philadelphia, so you never know."

* The rookies who are commanding the most attention thus far aren't the top picks, but the ones from No. 10 on down, starting with Brandon Jennings, whose 55-point outburst against Golden State on Saturday night has become a YouTube sensation. But Jennings isn't alone. Denver's Ty Lawson (18th), Utah's Eric Maynor (20th), Sacramento's Omri Casspi (23rd), Dallas' Rodrigue Beaubois (25th), New York's Toney Douglas (29), and of course, San Antonio's DeJuan Blair (37th) have made big impacts. Among the next picks from the teens and beyond to start turning heads will be Indiana's Tyler Hansbrough (13th), who is off to an impressive start after missing time with a leg injury, and Portland's Dante Cunningham (33rd), who will see more time in the Blazers' deep rotation due to injuries suffered by Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw.

* Solid quote, by the way, from Dallas coach Rick Carlisle on Jennings: "Nobody had him in the top 10 of the draft. Nobody. And he was a guy that many people thought would slip to the lower first and maybe into the second. John Hammond and Scott Skiles deserve tons of credit for having the guts to take a chance on him."

* Greg Oden's sophomore season (if you remove his lost rookie season from the memory banks) has been an up-and-down experience. McMillan says Oden is experiencing the typically steep learning curve associated with all big men. At times, his defense at the basket -- and his enthusiasm, a rare sight last season -- have helped the Blazers become a more cohesive defensive team. But the big fella is still very much a work in progress. One scout on hand to watch the Blazers-Hawks on Monday night said Oden has a long way to go in two important categories: shot selection and basketball IQ.

* Sad news on Shaun Livingston, who is trying to come back from horrific knee injuries. He'll have his left knee scoped after experiencing swelling. The team says the knee is structurally sound, but it's a clear setback for a player everyone is rooting for to regain some semblance of his previous form.

* Since I don't do power rankings, I have no right to criticize those who do them. I'll just note how strange it is to see the Atlanta Hawks atop such rankings on ESPN.com and NBA.com.  Dave Del Grande of CBSSports.com has the Hawks second, behind the Cavs. I'm not so much skeptical of Atlanta's current placement in the rankings, but it's disarming, to say the least. Hawks fans apparently agreed: Philips Arena was barely half-full for the Blazers on Monday night. Unless you're a Hawks fan, you can't possibly understand how it's possible to sneeze at their résumé thus far. It includes impressive wins over Portland (twice), Boston, and Denver, and Atlanta is 4-2  on the road.

* Gilbert Arenas' comment this week that he's become a "thinker" instead of a "reactor" only underscores the difficulty of his adjustment to Flip Saunders' offense. No conclusions can be drawn about the Wizards until they're healthy, but Arenas' identity crisis is something to watch.