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By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

RASHEED AND THE HAWKS

I know Rasheed Wallace is only supposed to be playing out his contract in Atlanta, but I can’t help it -- I’m a little excited about watching him play for the Hawks. Even if it is for just half of a season.

Actually, I probably should have started by saying there’s no doubt Portland got the best of the trade that sent Wallace and Wesley Person to Atlanta for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, and Dan Dickau.

With Abdur-Rahim and Ratliff, the Trail Blazers have suddenly gone from being NBA villains to fan favorites and playoff contenders.

But while Wallace isn’t exactly known as one of the league’s finest citizens (or anything close), at least his arrival has people talking about the Hawks. And when was the last time you could say that?

Granted, the Hawks are still the Hawks -- meaning they won’t make a playoff push and Wallace will probably be headed elsewhere after the season. But remember, he’ll spend the next 39 games playing for a new contract, and few things motivate a pro athlete like money.

So if nothing else, Atlanta’s Philips Arena should no longer resemble a morgue.

Again, the Hawks will most likely lose Wallace after the season -- with New York rumored to be his next stop. The good news for the Hawks is, if Wallace does leave, it will free all kinds of room under the salary cap. The bad news is, I don’t think they have a prayer at landing a big-time free agent (namely, Kobe Bryant).

For one, Bryant will re-sign with the Lakers. He’d be crazy to try to win a championship without Shaquille O’Neal or Phil Jackson, and he knows it. Players simply don’t reveal their future plans during seasons in which their contracts expire. It’s makes for bad bargaining -- which is the biggest reason Bryant has kept quiet. That, and there’s a 50-50 chance he could end up in jail.

Secondly, Atlanta’s current situation (no owner, deadbeat coach, lousy attendance) doesn’t exactly provide the franchise with a strong selling point.

Anyway, back to Wallace. Let there be no doubt, his lousy attitude and questionable work ethic were major hindrances to the Blazers on the court. In fact, the court is about the only place Wallace’s antics hurt the Blazers, as most of his teammates pretty much ignored him off of it.

But Atlanta is giving him the opportunity for a fresh start, a clean slate. And by season’s end, he just might become the big-name free agent the Hawks are looking for.

AND NOW, THE BLAZERS

It’s hard to picture the Trail Blazers having anything but an awful reputation, but it appears those days are finally over.

And Portland fans are extremely grateful.

“I had to work late and couldn’t make it to the Blazers’ first home game without Rasheed (Feb. 10 against Utah),” writes Deshaun Otter of Portland. “But I bought a ticket anyway, just to show my support for the trade.”

Dear Deshaun, e-mails like that are proof that the NBA’s best fans are back.

-- I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen much of the Blazers this season, despite the fact every one of their games seems to be available on NBA League Pass. And this is coming from a guy who would rather watch a Bulls-Wizards game than Duke-Carolina. But just two weeks ago, I opted to watch Spider-Man for a second time rather than take in another half-hearted effort by the Blazers. With Wallace, it just seemed like Portland had given up.

-- It’s true that Abdur-Rahim has never played for a team that’s even come close to making the playoffs, but way too much has been made of that. Abdur-Rahim is a pro’s pro who realizes that as talented as he is, he’s better suited to be a good team’s second option (as opposed to the first one on the Hawks). This won’t be a problem in Portland, where power forward Zach Randolph has earned his status as The Man.

-- Still, Abdur-Rahim will give the Blazers around 20 points and 10 rebounds each night, and while he’s not as good of a defender, perimeter shooter or passer as Wallace, he plays harder and will give other small forwards fits in the low post. Some skeptics have wondered about Abdur-Rahim’s ability to defend smaller, quicker wing players, and that could indeed be a problem from time to time. But remember, those small guys will have to try to stop Shareef, too.

-- Meanwhile, Ratliff suffered through numerous injuries in Atlanta, never returning to his All-Star form. But he can still block and alter shots with the best of them, and he still owns some underrated offensive skills. Picture him as a younger, springier version of Dale Davis. A lot of folks around the game believe the change of scenery will serve Ratliff well. One league source told me that Ratliff never really cared for Atlanta, and considering he attended the University of Wyoming, he’s looking forward to playing in a smaller NBA city such as Portland.

-- Person and Dickau are considered the throw-ins in this deal, although you have to think Person has a shot to start in Atlanta. He’ll never be confused with Joe Dumars on defense, but Person will provide the Hawks with the automatic perimeter touch they’ve sorely lacked. If Rasheed Wallace is the Hawks’ current version of Dominique Wilikins, Person is their Randy Wittman. When Atlanta coach Terry Stotts needs a stop, he can replace Person in the lineup with rookie Boris Diaw. The bottom line is the Hawks needed a shakeup in the backcourt, and Person could contribute more than a lot of folks expect.

-- As for Dickau, none of the players involved in this trade has been as openly excited. And with good reason. Dickau was just sort of rotting as a second-year point guard in Atlanta, having lost his spot as Jason Terry’s backup to journeyman Jacque Vaughn. Plus, Dickau is from the state of Washington, meaning the Northwest is where he feels he belongs. He’ll once again be battling for backup duties in Portland (behind Damon Stoudemire), this time with recent free-agent pickup and my main man, Omar Cook. Cook is a much better ballhandler and passer, although neither he nor Dickau have proven worthy of regular NBA minutes. Cook has no jump shot, and Dickau doesn’t handle the ball nearly well enough for someone who’s 6-foot-0 on his tippy toes. One thing working in Dicaku’s favor, though, is Abdur-Rahim, a big supporter of the little guy from Gonzaga.

NBA ABSURDITY

My latest pro basketball brain burp came when last week, when I wrote that the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant shouldn’t start in the All-Star Game because he’s been injured too much. Of course, I also insisted Seattle’s Ray Allen SHOULD be a starter.

As Clint Spencer (Marietta, Ohio) wrote: “You say Ray Allen should be the starting shooting guard for the Western Conference, but Kobe Bryant has been injured too much to start? Holy cow!”

Holy cow is right, and I should thank Clint for being so nice. I deserved a lot worse. After all, we all know Allen has spent much more time on the injured list than Bryant.

Meanwhile, in regard to the firing of Byron Scott, congrats to Jim Blake for being right on the money about Lawrence Frank being exactly what the Nets needed.

“And with as many times as you’ve been wrong, maybe you should start sending readers $5 with each column,” wrote David Bender (Wichita, Kan.).

David has a point, but one thing I do know is that will NEVER happen.

Anyway, All-Star weekend has finally arrived, and that’s probably a good thing. My scrambled basketball brain could probably use a break.

I’ll be honest, I have no plans to watch anything but the actual game. Hopefully, I won’t be forced to see Mariah Carey serenade another All-Star during player introductions, as she did last season with Michael Jordan.

I quit watching the 3-point shooting contest when Larry Bird and Craig Hodges retired, and gave up on the slam dunk competition when the NBA stopped inviting the game’s two best dunkers (Milwaukee’s Desmond Mason and Toronto’s Vince Carter).

And I can think of at least 782 reasons to avoid observing the first- and second-year players trying to show off in the Rookie-Sophomore game.

Finally, while my reasoning may have been way off, I still think Allen should start over Bryant. Allen has just been better during the season’s first half.

As for the Nets and the rest of my abundant blunders from last week … well, I’ve written it 1,000 times: There’s a reason this newsletter is free.

THE LINEUPS

Atlanta’s new lineup will look something like this: C Nazr Mohammed; F Wallace and Stephen Jackson; G Terry and either Person or Diaw. Off the bench: C/F Alan Henderson; G/F Dion Glover; F Lee Nailon; F Chris Crawford; G Vaughn; F Travis Hansen; and either Person or Diaw.

Portland’s lineup: C Ratliff; F Randolph and Abdur-Rahim; G Derek Anderson and Stoudemire. Off the bench: C Davis; G/F Ruben Patterson; F Darius Miles; F Vladimir Stepania; G/F Qyntel Woods; G/F Travis Outlaw; G Dickau; G Cook.

RE: STATE OF THE GAME

Last week I wrote about the negative perceptions surrounding the NBA, and received close to 100 responses.

-- Kohei Tsuji (Osaka, Japan) writes: “I was able to attend the San Antonio-Utah game during my trip to the U.S. last week. One of the biggest things I realized is that the only thing the Jazz don’t have that the Spurs do is Tim Duncan. If you put Duncan on the Jazz, they would be one of the favorites for a championship. My point is there are only a few difference-makers in the NBA. The rest of the so-called stars really don't make that much of a difference. Shaq and Duncan are the only difference-makers I can find when the idea is winning championships. All of the other ‘stars’ may win a game or two, or even a playoff series -- but they can't beat Duncan or Shaq (assuming they have the same level of role players). Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, etc., are great, great players but they cannot beat Duncan or Shaq for the title. Why don't NBA general managers realize this? Why do they overpay for a Kenny Thomas? Or a Jerome James? Or even Steve Francis, for that matter? Those type of players can be easily replaced. Put Utah’s Carlos Arroyo and his minimum-wage salary on the Rockets and they may suffer one or two more losses. Who knows? The Rockets might actually have a better record with Yao Ming getting more touches.”

Dear T.J., wonderful point. Hopefully, some general managers are reading your e-mail and saying, “Oh, yeah. Why DO we overpay for marginal talent?”

-- As for my thoughts on high schoolers in the NBA, Mike Unger (Chicago) offered this insightful scenario:

“The first round of the draft should be limited to those 20 years of age and older. The second round should be open to everyone. This would pass anti-trust laws because no one would be denied the opportunity to make a living. To make it even more anti-trust proof, it could be put into the collective bargaining agreement. I'm sure veterans would like this new rule because they hate seeing high schoolers get first-round money. The youngsters who are really good could still benefit, as they could become free agents after their initial two-year contracts expire (plus they can hold out if they don't like the contract they are offered). You may need another slight change -- teams could match any contract offers for second-rounders after their initial contract expires.”

Dear Mike, excellent idea. Your proposal would unquestionably solve a lot of negative views about the league.

FINAL RANDOM THOUGHTS

-- I’ve been meaning to write about the Indiana Pacers, but it seems like other stuff keeps coming up. Anyway, here’s my take: Indiana is my favorite to win the title. Not the Eastern Conference title, the NBA TITLE. And the biggest reason is Ron Artest. Say what you will about the physical small forward, but Artest is the NBA player who’s least concerned about making friends, having frustrated everyone from Michael Jordan to LeBron James. Last year at this time, I found Indiana to be terribly boring. Now I can’t get enough of watching the Pacers, who exhibit teamwork in its truest form on offense, and ultra-intensity on defense. Jermaine O’Neal could afford to look for the open man a little more, but is otherwise unstoppable in the low post, and forward Al Harrington continues to improve with each game. Mostly, Artest has become the defensive-stopping swingman that every championship team needs, a la Rick Fox with the Lakers, Bruce Bowen with the Spurs, and a young Scottie Pippen with the Bulls.

-- Speaking of winners, Denver rookie Carmelo Anthony still doesn’t get enough credit for his unselfishness and heady passing. He’s not the player LeBron James is, and I have a feeling he never will be. But Anthony will always be close, and like LeBron, the thing I like about Carmelo is winning is his top priority. Personal stats are second.

-- Isn’t it interesting that Denver’s Earl Boykins and Nene are on the same team? Boykins is the epitome of what countless of hours of practice can do for a guy, as the 5-5 point guard is as fundamentally-sound as anyone in the league. Nene, meanwhile, is in the NBA for no other reason than being tall and strong.

-- I’m watching the Nuggets play the Memphis Grizzlies as I write this, a game that went down to the wire in Denver’s 86-83 win. Watching this had me envisioning a Denver-Memphis Western Conference final in no more than three years. Both teams are young, well-coached, and very deep.

-- Tom Hill (Loveland, Colo.) writes, “Do you think Carmelo Anthony deserved to make the All-Star team?”

Dear Tom, probably not, but I do think Anthony is a better all-around player than Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, who’s on the team. Still, I would take the Clippers’ Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, and Memphis’ Pau Gasol, before Anthony.

-- That’s it for this week. Thanks for all the e-mails, as there were a lot I wanted to print but couldn’t find a way to squeeze them in. Enjoy the All-Star Game, and keep your thoughts coming. They tend to make my day.

CONTACT ME

You can e-mail your thoughts to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. You must include your full name to be considered for publication. Also, please include your hometown, as I love to see where the e-mails are coming from.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!