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Sam Amico / The Amico Report

AROUND THE NBA

-- If you’re wondering about all the dissension in Chicago and Cleveland, look no further than both teams’ overall youth. How else can you explain the players’ lack of respect for men like Cavaliers coach Paul Silas or Bill Cartwright, who was fired from the Bulls earlier this week? I mean, these are two of the largest people ever to hold a clipboard, yet the kids in Chicago and Cleveland sometimes treated them like an annoying kid sister. But this is what happens when teams load their rosters with guys who jump directly to the league following three years of being coddled and gushed over in the summer league circuit.

-- Yes, I’ve found a way to blame AAU basketball and shoe-sponsored summer camps for the ills of the NBA once again. A couple of my friends keep telling me that there are plenty of good people involved in AAU, and I should “lay off” grassroots basketball. And I’m sure there are indeed plenty of well-meaning people at that level. I just haven’t met any of them.

-- Anyway, it doesn’t take a psychologist to figure out that a teen-ager who receives too much praise and too much money too soon will occasionally act like … well, a spoiled brat. That’s why guys like Cleveland’s Ira Newble and Ricky Davis, and Chicago’s Jamal Crawford and Jalen Rose are given to hissy fits. I love watching all four of those guys play -- LOVE it (OK, maybe not Newble so much). Davis, Crawford and Rose are three of the league’s most exciting offensive players, and Newble IS an extremely underrated defender. Heck, before today, I’ve never had anything but the highest of praise for Rose. But there aren’t too many truly great players who act immature on a regular basis. Truly great players know the proper way to vent their frustration. And as a member of the media, I can promise you that doing it in the newspapers isn’t the answer.

-- I know, I’m writing in circles. But it’s difficult to understand why the Bulls would get rid of Cartwright, especially when key players like Tyson Chandler, Eddy Curry and Crawford are so young. Did they really expect to be competing for the Eastern Conference championship already? Just as he has always done, Cartwright handled his termination with grace. He’s a good coach, and I hope he gets a shot someplace else. Mostly, he’s a bright man who is a good communicator with the right kind of players.

-- So, what will Scott Skiles do in Chicago that Cartwright couldn’t? I have no idea. It’s not like Cartwright was with the Bulls for 10 years, and the team just needed a different voice. Interestingly, Skiles experienced some player backlash of his own while in Phoenix, and you have to wonder why Bulls management believe it won’t happen again.

-- By the way, I loved Skiles as a player, especially during his days as Orlando’s feisty point guard in the early 1990s. Skiles receives my vote for the most unlikely NBA player of the past 25 years. I mean, the guy looked like he should have been making copies at Staples for a living. Instead, he once passed for 30 assists in a game, and helped ease Shaquille O’Neal’s transition to the NBA by averaging 15.4 points during Shaq’s rookie season (1992-93).

-- I know, I know. Player mutinies have existed as long professional sports, dating back to the days of Magic Johnson -- who pretty much forced Paul Westhead out as coach of the Lakers in the early 1980s. I understand that it’s only natural for professional athletes to occasionally grow disgruntled with their coach. And it’s not just limited to pro athletes, as disliking your boss is pretty much the American way. But I don’t ever remember seeing lousy player-coach relations being so prevalent in the NBA.

-- Obviously, I’m happy to report that situations like the ones in Chicago and Cleveland are NOT the norm, or anything even close. And they do tend to get blown out of proportion by bored sportswriters with tons of space and tight deadlines. (Actually, television is mostly to blame for the ruin of professional sports, but I’ll leave that one alone for now). Still, I think it’s time NBA owners and general managers stop looking for scapegoats and start treating the players like men, not children. Believe it or not, that’s what the players want.

-- On that note, it’s awesome to see that LeBron James acted as the voice of reason during the whole Cleveland ordeal. Just another reason the young man is destined for greatness.

-- See? And you thought I could NEVER be critical of the happenings in the NBA. Well, I can -- even if I really don’t like doing it. But anyone who cares deeply for league is bound to feel disappointed from time to time. That‘s what happens when you‘re passionate about something.

-- Will Keith McLeod become The Next Ronald Murray? Sometimes, I think he will. McLeod is a young, athletic guard with tons of skills who seemingly came out of nowhere to earn a roster spot with Minnesota. He’s been a victim of the numbers game, though, and is the fifth guard behind Sam Cassell, Troy Hudson, Latrell Sprewell, and Fred Hoiberg. And to a lesser degree, Trenton Hassell. Sounds like Murray in Milwaukee, doesn’t it?

-- Like LeBron James, McLeod is a native of Northeast Ohio (he attended Canton McKinley). Unlike James, there was absolutely no hype surrounding McLeod’s high school career, and unlike James, McLeod spent four years playing at Bowling Green of the mid-major Mid-American Conference. I used to write extensively about mid-major college basketball, and I too grew up in Northeast Ohio, yet I had barely heard of McLeod. I sure never considered him to be an NBA prospect. But after seeing him play for the Timberwolves a few times, I think he could become a regular contributor with a little time, and the right team.

-- Throughout the season, I will be predicting who I think will make up the roster of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats next season. The Bobcats will select unprotected veterans from other NBA teams, and most will be guys who are a missed jump shot away from playing professionally in Tibet. Anyway, below is my first offering. And since Bobcats owner Robert Johnson subscribes to this newsletter, I don’t think my asking for a scouting fee is out of line.

-- The Bobcats: C John Amaechi (Houston); C Dan Gadzuric (Milwaukee); C Greg Ostertag (Utah); F Rick Fox (L.A. Lakers); F/C Danny Fortson (Dallas); F John Salmons (Philadelphia); F Morris Peterson (Toronto); G Trenton Hassell (Minnesota); G Antonio Daniels (Seattle); G Dan Dickau (Atlanta); G Jiri Welsch (Boston); G Troy Bell (Memphis).

-- I’ve never been a big fan of Memphis’ Jason Williams, but even I have to admit he’s becoming a point guard in the truest sense. As hard as it is to believe, Williams is making smart passes, taking only the best of shots, and even hitting some big jumpers. All of a sudden, Williams is a leader, a guy you want on your side. He still couldn’t defend most NBA ballboys, but his attitude and all-around play on offense are big reasons why the Grizzlies just might compete for a playoff spot. Credit Hubie Brown, who once said, “I don’t have to worry about making Jason happy. He has to worry about making ME happy.”

-- Last season, I enjoyed watching the Washington Wizards because of Michael Jordan. This season, I enjoy watching them because of Eddie Jordan … and Gilbert Arenas … and Larry Hughes … and Jarvis Hayes … and even Etan Thomas. This is an entertaining, athletic bunch that’s learning how to play the right way under Jordan the coach, and amazingly, is doing it without injured swingman Jerry Stackhouse. No, the Wizards won’t make the playoffs, but I love their hustle and often unappreciated enthusiasm.

-- Having said that, I still am not sold on the idea of former No. 1 pick Kwame Brown ever being more than a serviceable big man for the Wizards. He’s big and unbelievably agile, but just can’t seem to put it all together in D.C. Look for Washington to finally trade him sometime before the All-Star break.

-- Finally, allow me to close this portion of the newsletter with this: Portland forward/center Zach Randolph is the Jermaine O’Neal of the West. In fact, Randolph will be more valuable than O’Neal by season’s end.

READER FEEDBACK

From Daniel Martin (Ashtabula, Ohio)

Q: Do you think LeBron James has lived up to all the hype?

A: Dear Daniel, absolutely not. In order for LeBron to have lived up to all the hype, he would have to be averaging 50 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Cavaliers would have to finish 82-0. THAT is how ridiculous the hype was. Now, if you had asked me whether or not LeBron has lived up to expectations, I would have said yes. In fact, he’s surpassed expectations in the eyes of most basketball people. And that’s who matters most -- basketball people. Always remember that hype is usually created by people who know nothing about the game.

From Thad Milner (Tacoma, Wash.)

Q: To what do you attribute the Utah Jazz’s overachieving this season?

A: Dear Thad, two words: Jerry, and Sloan. Coaching in the NBA has less to do with strategy and more with managing personalities, and running a pro team is almost like being a foreman on an assembly line. Nobody understands that better than Sloan, whose teams always play very scrappy and usually overachieve.

From Chris Salmond

Q: What is your number one source for basketball information on the Internet?

A: Dear Chris, this newsletter.

E-MAIL ALONZO

If you want to send a get-well message to retired New Jersey center Alonzo Mourning (kidney disease), send an e-mail to this address misreport@hotmail.com, and I promise to forward it to him. Hopefully, support from fans like us will help Alonzo through these trying times.

FINAL THOUGHT

The fact you take the time to read and e-mail is a reason I’ll be giving thanks this weekend. And I really mean that. It’s just a goofy newsletter about the NBA, and there are certainly more pressing issues in the world . But it brings a small amount of joy to my life, and I hope the same can be said for you -- even if it means just taking a 10-minute break from a tough workday, reading the newsletter, smiling for a minute or two, then going back to being grumpy. So, thank you. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!