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By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

NEW YORK STATE OF CONFUSION

My favorite thing about the New York Knicks is that everyone else is mad at them.

Regular readers of this newsletter know that's about all it takes for me to follow a team.

Regular readers of this newsletter are also probably rolling their eyes and saying, "Here goes Amico. Talkin' crazy again."

But seriously, this just might be a good season to be a Knicks fan. If nothing else, it'll be great if you like power forwards -- as the Knicks have at least four of them. A good idea might be to trade one for a point guard who can actually dribble and chew gum at the same time.

At any rate, when the topic is New York power forwards, you must begin with Antonio McDyess. If he's healthy and plays anything like the McDyess of old, the Knicks are in the playoffs. Period.

If he's the McDyess of the past two years, the guy who spent more time icing his knees on the bench than throwing elbows in the paint ... well, it could be back to the lottery for the Knicks.

But let's go back to the reason everyone is mad. His name is Latrell Sprewell, and he now resides in Minnesota. Sprewell was the most adored player in New York since Patrick Ewing's heyday. He's tough-yet-smooth, blue-collar-yet-classy on the court. He plays the game similar to the way most New Yorkers hope to conduct their lives.

And now he's gone, having been dealt to the Timberwolves in a four-team trade.

In Sprewell's place is Keith Van Horn, who pretty much conducts himself in a manner that folks in the big city despise. Van Horn appears to be aloof and afraid, the type of player who seems like he'd rather pass up the big shot than risk taking the blame for a loss. Not all of the labels are fair -- but there's no debating that Van Horn stunk it up in the playoffs during the past two seasons in New Jersey and Philadelphia, respectively.

There's also no doubt that Van Horn has All-Star potential. He's 6-foot-10, can really shoot from the perimeter, and is an underrated passer. He's also 28 years old, meaning it's time to get it together, and pronto.

Still, even at his worst, Van Horn will get you about 16 points and seven rebounds a night. Not bad for a guy who takes so much grief.

Then there's shooting guard Allan Houston. All he did was have a career year last season, averaging 22.5 points per game while hitting 45 percent of his shots and a whopping 92 percent of his free throws. Houston may be allergic to defense, but he did score 50 points on two occasions last season, and his performance is THE reason the Knicks felt confident to trade away Sprewell.

So you have Houston, arguably the game's best pure jump shooter. You have Van Horn, who only needs to be more intense. You have McDyess, one the league's premier power forwards when healthy. And you have Coach Don Chaney, a laid-back chap who's done an underrated job, especially when it comes to convincing the Knicks to play hard each night.

Add it all up and what do you get? Unfortunately, the answer is still one big question mark.

And that's probably why New Yorkers don't just say the name of Knicks general manager Scott Layden -- they grit their teeth and spit it.

Knicks fans see a roster that consists of eight forwards (nine if you count free-agent Mark Pope), and suddenly get the urge to smash something. You can't blame them.

But who do you get rid of? Certainly not Kurt Thomas, one the league's most intelligent and aggressive post players.

You also have to like the selection of Michael Sweetney in this summer's draft. Like Thomas, Sweetney is a bright guy who's not happy unless he's mixing it up underneath. Unlike Thomas, Sweetney is more than just a wide body who must power the ball into the basket -- he actually has a decent shooting touch.

If nothing else, the Knicks need Thomas and Sweetney as insurance in the event McDyess' knees don't hold up. Plus, Thomas is the Knicks' best option at center.

That leaves Clarence Weatherspoon, Othella Harrington, Shandon Anderson and Michael Doleac as the remaining forwards. Weatherspoon is a power forward in a small forward's body, and Doleac is a small forward in a center's body. Anderson is a turnover in disguise, and Harrington is, well, just sort of THERE.

That's not meant to trash those guys, as Weatherspoon led New York in rebounding last year, and Anderson is a solid scorer off the bench. But if the Knicks keep all of them, then fans will definitely have a good reason to feel disgusted.

I know I've just been rambling on here, basically thinking out loud without making a point. Just bare with me, because I still have to talk about the guards.

And besides Houston, there isn't a whole lot to talk about. The Knicks don't really have a backup shooting guard, and their three point guards -- Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, and second-year man Frank Williams -- are all better suited to come off the bench. Problem is, one of them will have to start.

That's one issue. Another is the fact the Knicks were 2-17 in the second of back-to-back games last season. Also, 11 of their losses came by three points or less.

Those are the kind of numbers that can cause a Knicks fan's stomach to churn -- but numbers that also make guys like me think the Knicks are close to very good things.

No matter, the bottom line is New York's season comes down to the status of McDyess. If he's in the lineup, I can promise you that the Knicks will see the postseason again. If not ... well, they're still gonna be competitive and worth watching.

And that's not just crazy talk.

IVERSON'S EXCLUSION

Oddly enough, I didn't get too many angry responses regarding my list of each NBA franchise's all-time greatest player, published last week.

Some readers agreed with my selections entirely, while I'm sure others were too ticked off to even bother e-mailing.

The one name that kept coming up in the responses I did receive was that of Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson, whom I didn't even list under the 76ers' "others considered" category.

Let me start by saying that Iverson may be my favorite current NBA player, and is undoubtedly in my top five. He's clearly one of the league's most exciting guys, as watching Iverson play for five minutes makes me feel like lacing up the sneakers and hitting the court myself. Whenever I'm bored during the season, I turn on a Sixers game. Then I get in a good mood.

Iverson has loads of ability, tons of heart, and is the sole reason Philly was the last team other than New Jersey to come out the Eastern Conference. I admit, I had my doubts as to how well he'd fare if someone else were the first option, and often wondered if he was truly a team player. But those questions were answered during his extremely unselfish performance at the Olympic qualifying tournament.

Having said all of that, Iverson has had four REALLY good years. But during the first three, he was still learning how to become a winner, as it took him time to evolve from a head case into the well-rounded and intelligent pro he is today. As much as it pained me, I had no choice but to take Iverson's early years into account.

And that's why he was left off the list. Three more seasons like his last one, though, and he'll be at the top.

MORE LIST STUFF

-- My favorite e-mail about the list also involved the Sixers. One reader simply asked, "Dolph Schayes?" In other words, the reader obviously had never heard of Schayes, who I placed under the "others considered" heading. Schayes played for the Syracuse Nationals before they moved to Philadelphia and became the Sixers. Other than George Mikan, he was the most dominant big man of his day -- and that's how I judge players, because there's no way to accurately compare different eras. At any rate, it amazes me how few people realize that, yes, there was an NBA before Michael Jordan.

-- Most of the other arguments came from Spurs fans, who said Tim Duncan is the best player in franchise history -- not David Robinson, my pick. Truth is, you can make a strong case for either or them.

-- Reader Jon Summerville sent in this e-mail regarding my pick of Mark Price as Cleveland's all-time best player: "Help me, I'm confused. I thought LeBron James has already been anointed the best player in Cavaliers history?" You're right, Jon. My mistake.

RANDOM NOTES/THOUGHTS

-- The New York Post reports that Indiana and Seattle have a deal in the works that would send Pacers swingman Ron Artest to the Supersonics for guard Brent Barry. The Post reports a lot of stuff like this that never happens, but even the Indianapolis Star said new Pacers boss Larry Bird is trying to move Artest. As Star writer Mark Montieth put it, "Artest's days as a Pacer are fading like the final whispers of summer."

-- Keep an eye out for Boston rookies Kendrick Perkins and Brandon Hunter. Both are athletic low-post players (which the Celtics could sure use), and I've only heard positive things about their chances of contributing right away. Perkins was drafted straight out of high school, and the Celtics think they may have found The Next Jermaine O'Neal. Hunter was selected in the second round out of Ohio U., and has already been signed to a guaranteed contract, mostly because of his strong play in Boston's summer league.

-- Reader Devin Strong had this to say about my mention of Puerto Rican center Jose Ortiz last week: "I had never even heard of Ortiz until you wrote about him. So I looked it up, and discovered he was the PAC-10 player of the year over Reggie Miller. Do you think Ortiz could still contribute in the NBA?" Dear Devin, sure. Especially when you consider the lack of quality backup centers.

-- Basketball Times shipped out its 25th anniversary edition last week, and I urge you to get a copy. As I told BT editor John Akers, reading it brought tears to my eyes. I'm not making that up, either. Before I started writing about the NBA, I'm proud to say I covered the mid-major college programs for the publication.

-- It's hard to believe I'm writing this, but signing point guard Jacque Vaughn was a good move by Atlanta. Vaughn will push Dan Dickau for the No. 2 spot, which will only make both of them better. Of course, the sole reason the Hawks signed Vaughn is because they're not entirely comfortable with Dickau being Jason Terry's lone backup.

-- Gilbert Arenas, the newest Washington guard, has guaranteed that the Wizards will make the playoffs. "I can prove it and I'm going to do it," he said at a press conference Sept. 10. "We're going to make the playoffs this year." Awesome stuff.

-- Finally, good guy and former streetballer Rafer Alston has signed on with Miami. Alston has been a journeyman point guard up until now, but I think playing for Pat Riley will do wonders for his career. He may have finally found a place where he can stay for a long time.

READER FEEDBACK

From Kelly Clark (Columbus, Ohio)

Q: You seem to be the only person outside of the state of Utah who will devote ANY ink to the Jazz. Even when they were in the Finals, nobody cared. I actually enjoy watching Matt Harpring and Andrei Kirilenko, and like the addition of Keon Clark. But I can honestly tell you the only reason I ever watch the Jazz is because they play every other team in the league.

A: Dear Kelly, that's OK. One of the big reasons I'll watch the Jazz this year is because I finally received my wonderful wife's blessing to purchase NBA League Pass. Actually, for as much as I'm paying, I'm gonna watch EVERYONE, a lot. (Of course, those of you who know me know I'll be watching for no other reason than I need a life).

From Jason Willis (Sanford, Fla.)

Q: I really enjoy the newsletter, but could you try to write more about Orlando? Hopefully, this will at least make it in there -- I was wondering what your thoughts are on Keith Bogans and Zaur Pachulia, and if you think they'll contribute to the Magic this season?

A: Dear Jason, each summer I pick a sleeper, a guy who I expect to come out of the second round and tear it up. Last year I picked Cleveland's Carlos Boozer, and for once in my life, I might have gotten something right. Anyway, this summer I picked Bogans. He may not play as much as Boozer did with the Cavaliers, but I expect Bogans to have a long, solid career. He's a hard worker who absolutely loves playing the game. He'll push Tracy McGrady in practice, and provide hustle off the bench when McGrady needs a breather. As for Pachulia ... I have no idea, as I've never seen the kid play.

From DeMarkus Abbott (Boise, Idaho)

Q: Are you ever going to write extensively about the Phoenix Suns?

A: Dear DeMarkus, glad you asked, as you just promoted my next newsletter. I promise to offer lots of thoughts about the Suns and their upcoming season then.

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