---

Having faith in D.C.

The Washington Wizards will finish second in the Southeast Division this season.

Granted, that’s not exactly as bold as predicting world peace within the next 24 hours -- but for Wizards fans, it is something.

Last year, point guard Gilbert Arenas signed with the Wizards and promised they would make the playoffs. That never happened.

Instead, Arenas missed close to 30 games with injuries and the young Wizards were out of postseason contention by January.

But, hey Gilbert, no need to say anything this year. Just play ball and let me do the talking. Just let me tell everyone Washington is about break its eight-year playoff hiatus. Because that’s what will happen -- at least, it will if everyone finally stays healthy.

Why am I so high on the Wizards, you ask?

A number of reasons:

1. Antawn Jamison. Longtime readers of this newsletter know Jamison is one of my favorite players, and how I feel the Wizards simply stole him from Dallas in a trade for Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner. I mostly like Jamison because he’s not really a power forward, not really a small forward. He’s just a basketball player, period. He’s just a guy who knows how to score via those wonderful floating shots near the basket, a great teammate who never once griped about coming off the bench last year in Dallas. Yes, Jamison could afford to improve his defense and passing -- but he is what he is, and Wizards fans are going to love him.

2. Coach Eddie Jordan. Jordan proved in his first year that he’s a player’s coach, that he’s relaxed, flexible, and willing to be patient with a young team that makes lots of mistakes. His style reminds me very much of Lenny Wilkens. No doubt, Jordan is the right coach for Washington.

3. Arenas. There are still too many times when he settles for the 3-pointer, but when Arenas is on, he’s among the league’s best at his position. He’s extremely quick, and good at pushing the ball up the floor and creating shots. All he needs to do now is look for his teammates on a few more occasions, something that should come with maturity.

4. Larry Hughes. Are you following a pattern here? If not, just know that the three players I’ve listed -- Jamison, Arenas, and Hughes -- were all members of Golden State back in the days when I kept telling everyone that the Warriors would make the playoffs. That’s not an indictment of the Warriors, who have also made some good moves this offseason. But Hughes was second on the Wizards in scoring last season (18.8 ppg.), taking over for the injured Stackhouse by using pure athleticism to effectively get to the basket -- and he just keeps getting better. The fact Hughes is already very familiar with Jamison and Arenas will only help.

5. Etan Thomas. Every team needs a power forward just like him, as Thomas is physical underneath and capable of scoring, but doesn’t mind if most of his points come off of everyone else’s missed shots. He’s truly becoming one of the league’s most underrated forces.

6. The Southeast Division. In case you forgot, the NBA has realigned from two to three divisions in each conference. Besides the Wizards, the Southeast consists of Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, and expansion Charlotte. Miami won 42 games and made the playoffs last season, and the addition of Shaquille O’Neal makes the Heaters the clear favorites. But as for the rest of the division … well, let’s just say it won’t ring up any memories of the awesome Atlantic Division of the 1980s, which featured names like Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing. Orlando went 21-61 last year, Atlanta was 28-54, and it would be a miracle if Charlotte loses anything less than 55 of its 82 games this season. So Washington is practically the obvious pick for second by default.

Still, I believe in the Wizards for more than just the fact the other teams will be bad. More of it has to do with me believing that the Wizards will just be good, that they have a strong nucleus and a crafty coach.

Yes, they’re still very young, with an average age of about 25. And yes, much of their lineup remains a mystery -- with center Brendan Haywood, forwards Kwame Brown and Jared Jeffries, and guards Juan Dixon, Jarvis Hayes, and Steve Blake all unproven and inconsistent commodities.

Can the Wizards win the NBA title this year? No.

Can they give us a glimpse of what is sure to be a bright future and sneak into the playoffs? Absolutely.

And this time, Gilbert Arenas won’t even have to make any predictions first.

Cavaliers Notes

1. Condolences go out to the Cleveland Cavaliers family, who lost a good man when assistant coach Mark Osowski died from complications of pancreatitis last month. He was 41. Osowski was like most assistant coaches -- a man who loved being around and teaching the game without ever getting any glory from the general public. “Mark lived life to the fullest and he worked passionately every day,” said Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson. “He will be missed very much.”

2. Cleveland fans will have to rub their eyes and read this twice, but it’s true: Each and every Cavaliers game will be televised this season. That’s right, all 82 of them will be on TV -- either nationally on ABC or ESPN, or locally on Fox Sports Ohio or WUAB-TV (Ch. 43). If you lived through the era in which Ted Stepien owned the team, you realize what a miracle this is.

3. By the way, those of you who get Fox Sports Ohio should watch the Cavaliers pregame show for home games. I say that because my best friend, Jeff Phelps, is the host. Jeff and I grew up on the same street, and he was always the big brother I needed, especially since I was the youngest and only boy in my immediate family. He’s played a huge role in my life, and I credit him for my career (not that he wants it) and even this newsletter (I KNOW he doesn’t want it). Mostly, he was a great coach when it came to helping me become the full-fledged dork I am today. He’s also an outstanding sportscaster.

4. Speaking of friends, I’m happy to announce the Cavaliers have hired Mark Warkentien as the new director of player personnel. Mark joins the team after spending 10 seasons with Portland, where he has served in several capacities, including director of player personnel, assistant general manager and director of scouting. And let me tell you, this guy is a flat-out basketball junkie who “works” around the clock.

5. Reader Jim Lench (Cambridge, Ohio) wrote, “I think once all the new Cavaliers get used to each other, they’ll win 45-50 games and be a force in the playoffs this season. With LeBron James, Jeff McInnis, Zydrunas Ilaguaskus, Eric Snow, and Drew Gooden, this is an awfully talented lineup that has a little bit of everything. I love Paul Silas as coach too. By mid-season, people will be saying, ‘Carlos who?’”

6. Jim makes a valid point, and he’s right when he says Cleveland has a nice mix of talented young players and veterans who know how to win. The only concerns for Cleveland are overall depth and outside shooting. Namely, is either good enough?

Random Stuff

1. Philadelphia has signed forwards Nate James and Kirk Haston for training camp, with the idea that each has a legitimate shot at making the team. James is an undrafted free agent from Duke, and Haston is entering his fourth season after spending a few unproductive years with the Hornets. Haston was considered a promising prospect after leaving Indiana after his junior season, but hasn’t panned out.

2. New coach Jim O’Brien and the 76ers will hold training camp at Duke, the direct result of GM Billy Knight have played for the Blue Devils. It’s actually kind of neat.

3. Two second-round picks I really like that will be in training camp this fall -- Luis Flores of Golden State and David Young of Seattle. Flores is a 6-foot-1 point guard out of Manhattan who reminds me a little bit of Speedy Claxton -- another Warriors point guard who played for a mid-major college (Hofstra). Of course, so did Warriors PG Derek Fisher, who went to Arkansas State. As for Young, he played one season at Division II North Carolina Central after spending two seasons at Xavier. He’s 6-2 and reminds me very much of Sonics guard Ronald “Flip” Murray, a talented swingman who came out of nowhere and can really light it up.

4. Word is Michael Jordan is playing ball again. ESPN.com reported that Jordan has been back at Hoops the Gym in Chicago, taking part in pick-up games involving Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, among other NBAers. Is another comeback (with Shaq and Miami) in the works? I hope so. I don’t care if he is 412 years old and injury prone -- the league needs him.

5. Phoenix has signed 5-8 point guard Yuta Tabuse, a free agent who went undrafted out of BYU-Hawaii and was among the final cuts in Denver last season. It appears the Suns are pretty high on him, and if he does end up making the team, he’ll be Japan’s first NBA player. I’m one guy who is really pulling for him.

6. NBA training camps begin in less than a month -- and after 20 years of practicing, I’m still not ready. But I’m as excited as ever, anyway. I can always tell when training camp is approaching because I start to have a hard time sleeping at night. I admit, I spend way too much time thinking about rosters, cuts, player matchups, etc. But what else am I supposed to do? Watch re-runs of Friends? NO thanks!

7. The new American Basketball Association has expanded by 30 teams this summer, and I‘ve always wondered if you have ever thought that it‘s worth following. E-mail me to let me know your thoughts: samamico22@netzero.com. Namely, do you think it has a prayer of surviving?

8. Finally, thanks as always for reading and sorry for taking a week off last week. I needed to rest up for what will surely be another disappointing season from the Cleveland Browns. Yes, I’m a Browns fan. As reader Justin Whorton (Euclid, Ohio) recently noted, “It’s only fitting that you like the Browns. After all, their colors are the same color as a basketball.” Amen, Justin. Amen.

Read Me in Basketball Times

If you enjoy this newsletter, you might want to check out my columns in Basketball Times. You can subscribe by calling 910-295-5559 or sending an e-mail to hoopgroup@aol.com.

Contact Me/Subscribe

E-mail your thoughts to me at samamico22@netzero.com. Please include your name and hometown in your e-mails. I will not publish unsigned letters, or letters from people who only use nicknames. I also like seeing where the e-mails are coming from.

You can get the Amico Report delivered directly to your inbox by sending an e-mail to samamico22@netzero.com. The newsletter is free.