KNICK NOTES

SEATTLE – Expect Knick backup center Michael Doleac to get his usual warm welcome at the Rose Garden tomorrow when his team faces the Blazers. Doleac played high-school ball in Portland, and his family still lives there.

But it’s not only the Portland fans who like Doleac. Blazer management does as well. Sources say the Blazers have tried to pry Doleac from the Knicks, who are looking for a backup shooting guard.

“Since July we’ve said we’re trying to improve the character of the team,” Blazer GM John Nash said yesterday.

Derek Anderson has some interest to Knick GM Scott Layden, but not for now. Anderson is in midst of a seven-year, $48 million contract, thus making it complicated to deal him. Anderson has been on the injured list for all but one game with a bulging disk, and isn’t expected back for another three weeks.

After another arrest to one of his players, Zach Randolph on a marijuana charge, Nash is ready to wheel and deal and did so yesterday by swapping shooting guards Bonzi Wells for Wesley Person and a draft pick from Memphis.

Nash declined to talk about any trade discussions with the Knicks, but a source familiar with Nash’s thinking said, “[Michael’s] a solid character guy, but being from Portland has nothing to do with it. He’s in the last year of his contract and the sense is New York doesn’t want to trade him.”

Indeed, Doleac, who has declined comment on the Blazers’ interest, is a hot commodity, with one year left on his contract at about $1.5 million in a climate in which all teams are cost-cutting. Layden keeps telling teams Doleac’s not available, shopping Othella Harrington instead.

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Keith Van Horn, a dreadful 2-for-18 in his two games back from an ankle sprain, admits he probably rushed his return.

Van Horn had missed six games.

“I don’t like sitting on the bench,” Van Horn said. “Maybe I came back too early, prematurely, not having practiced. But I haven’t hurt it any more. The day off [Tuesday] helped.”