Dallas ? George Karl absolutely loved the lanky Boise State guard who worked out for the Denver Nuggets.

Actually, he’s admired this kid for 22 years.

Karl’s only son, Coby, worked out for the Nuggets on Wednesday – just three weeks after undergoing a second round of chemotherapy for thyroid cancer.

George Karl acknowledged he watched the prospect wearing the No. 1 jersey more as a proud papa than a critical coach.

“My opinion of him as a player is tainted,” Karl said. “I think he’s pretty good, as all fathers think their kid’s probably better than he really is, always wants the best for him, wants the best situation, wants the coach to run every play for him.”

Still, the coach was impressed enough by the workout to recommend the Nuggets select his son with the 49th pick in the NBA Draft on June 28 should Coby Karl decide not to go back to school for his senior season.

“I would take him, but I’m not (the one) pulling the trigger,” the coach said.

That would be player personnel director Mark Warkentien, who is steering the franchise through the draft in the absence of a general manager following the recent dismissal of Kiki Vandeweghe.

As a father, George Karl actually prefers his son stay in school, however.

He’s telling his son to enjoy the process – Coby Karl also has workouts scheduled for the Clippers, SuperSonics and Wizards and has been invited to the league’s pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla.

“My gut says, ‘You know I would probably like him to go back because I think the system is messed up,”‘ George Karl said. “I think we should have a system where kids go to college. And I think Coby knows that. Coby knows I lean probably for him to be a student-athlete.”

Yet, George Karl also longs to coach Coby in the NBA.

“You know, I’ve stayed away from coaching him most of the time. I’ve always felt I’d be too hard on him or too rough on him. I’d like to do it now, though,” George Karl said. “I think he’s ready for pro level basketball. Now, I don’t know if that means NBA basketball. It might mean European basketball. It might mean China basketball.”

Coby Karl, who averaged 17.2 points last season, would love to play for his dad in Denver.

“I think he could do wonders with me,” Coby Karl said. “He knows me probably better than anyone so that would be an advantage, but that’s in a dream world.”

“He’s a great dad as it is,” Coby Karl added. “But as a basketball coach, he’s even better.”

Coby Karl would settle for hearing his name called on draft night. While he knows playing for another coach in another city might be easier on him, “I’m not sure it would be better,” Coby Karl said.

The Karls decided to have Coby test the NBA waters after his second cancer scare a month ago, when he had to undergo another round of iodine and isolation as doctors tried to kill off any cancer cells left in his body following surgery to remove his thyroid.