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By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

PROBING PORTLAND

I don’t hate the Portland Trail Blazers. Honest.

I don’t think they’re a bunch of overachieving convicts, I don’t think it’s funny or cute when they’re referred to as the Jail Blazers.

Heck, I don’t even subscribe to the theory that Rasheed Wallace is bad for team chemistry.

Do the Blazers have issues? No question.

Do they always seem to collapse when it matters most? Without a doubt.

Could they use some new faces, a few more guys with a winning attitude? You betcha. At the very least, the Blazers could use some ore players who know how to Just Say No once in a while.

But what often goes unnoticed about the Blazers is they are a team that rarely gets blown out. They are almost always competitive, and there‘s something to be said for that. Granted, the objective is to win -- but remember, Portland has been in the playoffs nearly every year since Bill Walton’s hair was still red. That‘s really saying something.

You’re probably wondering, “Is this another one of those newsletters where Amico rambles on without really making a point?”

Well, sort of.

I’m not about to try to dissect the Blazers. Neither of us has the time. Besides, there’s a reason this newsletter is free, and it’s mainly because it is written by a guy who’s not willing to stress over it.

I will tell you what I’ve seen this season, though -- or at least what I think I’ve seen. I will give you a few reasons why I think the Blazers are still hovering around .500:

-- As I’ve written before, Wallace is an exceptional one-on-one defender in the low post. But other than Wallace and swingman Ruben Patterson, Portland doesn’t have any great “position” defenders. The Blazers like to gamble, playing the passing lanes and going for steals as opposed to bending their knees, shuffling their feet, and staying between their man and the basket. They don’t help particularly well, either. And gambling without offering weak-side help typically means lots of easy baskets for the opposition.

-- On offense, I’m not sure the Blazers know who to turn to late in close games. They don’t have that one guy to keep feeding the ball in the most crucial moments. Power forward Zach Randolph has been phenomenal and is slowly becoming that guy, but he’s not there yet. Meanwhile, Wallace, Damon Stoudemire, and newcomer Wesley Person can all bury the 3-pointer, but none is a great clutch shooter (in a tight game against Phoenix Dec. 18, Stoudemire and Person weren’t even on the floor for the final five minutes, so there‘s a chance I‘m not too off base on that one).

-- Finally, the Blazers still commit too many fouls that cause coach Maurice Cheeks to raise his hands to the heavens and scream, “WHY?” They can also be turnover-prone, and while I refuse to say they are out-classed, they are usually out-passed -- as their opponent almost always compiles more assists.

Still, for all the talk about how the Blazers are a troubled bunch (some of it true, some of it not-so-true), and despite some statistics that support critics who call them a selfish team, they are often THIS close to winning each night.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a scary playoff team to me.

Just ask the Dallas Mavericks, who built a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series last season, only to see the Blazers come storming back to tie it before falling short in Game 7.

I’m one guy who doesn’t think that was an accident. I think the Blazers could have done that against any team in the playoffs, and I think they could do it again this season. This is a team with heart (albeit one that can seem like it’s ceased beating), and a team that is severely disappointed if it doesn’t win a championship. Hard to believe isn’t it? I mean, these ARE the Blazers we’re talking about.

But I am here to tell you that you don’t have to hate the Blazers. As people, they’re really not any more flawed than the rest of us. As basketball players, they’re much, much better.

And isn’t that why we watch them in the first place? I know it’s why I do.

MORE ON THE BLAZERS

-- Two guys who are doing an underrated job in Portland: Guard Jeff McInnis and center Dale Davis. At 6-foot-4, McInnis is sturdier than the 5-10 Stoudemire, which is why McInnis is usually the one running the point in crunch time. Davis, meanwhile, is remarkably strong and simply relentless underneath. He doesn’t get many shots and he doesn’t care, and it’s always nice to have a guy like that on the team. As an added bonus, we never see McInnis’ or Davis’ name showing up on the police blotter. In fact, Davis is a pro’s pro.

-- I’m not completely sold on either of Portland’s last two draft picks, Qyntel Woods or Travis Outlaw, respectively. Each has drawn comparisons to Boston swingman Ricky Davis, as each is extremely athletic and seems to have a blast playing the game. Still, the Blazers could have used those picks on older players who would provide more immediate help. It’s probably why undrafted rookie Matt Carroll is contributing more to the Blazers than Outlaw, and nearly as much as Woods.

-- A few weeks ago, I compared Randolph favorably to Indiana’s Jermaine O’Neal. After seeing both play a few more times since then, I would still say Randolph has become at least as good on offense. But O’Neal is a more fluid and simply better defender, as Randolph won’t block many shots and is barely average when his man has the ball and is facing the basket.

MORE ON RASHEED

-- Last week I was tough on Wallace for his comments in the Oregonian in which he took shots at the NBA, particularly commissioner David Stern. Without going into great detail, I will say I have softened my stance, largely because of an e-mail I received from Landon Powell (Brooklyn, N.Y., by way of Oakland). Landon didn’t care for Wallace’s comments, either, but he did take issue with me writing that NBA players shouldn’t complain when they aren’t really working, but just “putting a ball through a hoop.”

Landon responded, “I was absolutely shocked that you dismissed NBA players' profession and occupational demands as ‘two hours a day to put a ball through a hoop.’ I've never heard you sound more like one of those ignorant, jingoistic sports fans who resents the culture and attitude of the league and derides them for demanding the same basic respect and compensation that their employers do. They are what makes this league run.”

He continued later with, “I see what (Rasheed) did as a grasp, a cry out that something is rotten somewhere, he's just not sure exactly how to get his thumb on it. And most of us aren't either. We go around angry and irritated, knowing that things aren't quite right, that we don't feel free or respected, and sometimes really truly wondering if we have a right to want to feel that way. … wondering if we deserve to feel totally unbridled and supported. I believe we do. I believe EVERYBODY does. Rich, poor, black, white, I think we beat each other down, mostly because we are afraid of each other because somewhere, someone along the line told us to be. Knowing if we were, we could be manipulated. Because fear allows other people to think for you. Rasheed is trying not to be afraid. … Employees SHOULD be treated better than they are, they SHOULD get more, and the NBA is one of the few professions where employees can really put pressure on their employers. And so they should.”

As I told Landon, he really opened my eyes to some things, and I thanked him for it. I’m happy to say we’ve developed quite the cyber-friendship. And obviously, playing in the NBA is indeed a lot of work. As Landon said, “These guys aren’t just Sea World performers.” Mostly, Rasheed was just venting. Yes, he went too far -- but don’t all of us when we’re over-the-top frustrated? The difference is, when Wallace is frustrated, he usually has someone sticking a microphone in his face, asking him how he feels.

Again, that doesn’t make it right. It just gives us something more to think about.

-- Meanwhile, reader Jimmy Lloyd (Wheeling, W.Va.) wrote, “Rasheed Wallace is poison to a team just like Terrell Owens is in the NFL. Rasheed will never be a champion and neither will any team he plays for. He's an over-talented underachiever. The commissioner should make more than any player in the league (almost). He was almost as important to the rise of the NBA in the golden era of the past 20 years as Bird, Magic, and Jordan. Let's see if he can help the NBA rise again. I think that is what he's doing with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. He's not stupid. He looked at what worked for him before (a Magic-Bird rivalry) and is trying to duplicate it.”

-- Finally, here is what Akron Beacon Journal columnist and friend and mentor Terry Pluto wrote about Wallace in his newsletter, Direct from Pluto:

“Making $17 million, Portland’s Rasheed Wallace is complaining about the lack of respect that he and other players receive from the NBA. His words had racial overtones, because the league is nearly 80 percent black. He told the Oregonian, ‘They look at black athletes like we’re … it’s like we’ll just shut up, sign for the money and do what we’re told.’

“Guess what league has the highest average salary? That’s right, the NBA at more than $4 million annually. I’m tired of hearing about a lack of respect. For too many people, that simply means, ‘You won’t give me WHAT I want, WHEN I want it.’ Respect is parents taking care of their children, paying bills, changing diapers, going to a job they hate, or helping with their elderly relatives.

Real respect is sacrificing what we want for the good of someone else in need.”

Terry’s free newsletter is definitely good, and he writes a lot about the Cavaliers. That means he writes about LeBron James. You can sign up for Direct from Pluto by clicking the link below:

http://www.thebeaconjournal.com/newsletter/subscribe.html

RANDOM STUFF

-- Quick thought on the Celtics-Cavaliers trade: I think it was good for both teams. After dealing Antoine Walker to Dallas, Boston was desperate for another scorer to aid Paul Pierce, and getting Ricky Davis was worth the risk. Yes, Davis has gained a reputation for being selfish, and no, his passing, defense, and shot selection won’t ever ring up any memories of Dennis Johnson. But Davis can go on incredible scoring runs all by himself, and he IS passionate. It all depends on whether he’s willing to listen to the people in charge, something that’s been a problem in the past. As for the Cavaliers, they needed to surround LeBron James with pros who know something about winning (he can do the scoring), and landing Tony Battie and Eric Williams is a good start. Final note: Chris Mihm just might become the Ronald Murray of this trade, as Mihm was starting to come around in Cleveland.

-- Also, the (Willoughby, Ohio) News-Herald reports that “rumors are swirling” about a Cleveland-Dallas trade that would send Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskus to the Mavericks for power forward Antawn Jamison. I doubt there’s much too it, but I’m sure Jamison’s smooth floaters in the key would be a hit in Cleveland. He has a unique, effective game that you just have to love. I’m not nearly as confident about Ilgauskus fitting into Don Nelson’s sometimes wild gameplan, though.

-- Wouldn’t you just love to see how far the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies could go in the Eastern Conference? Remember at the beginning of the season, when I wrote those three will be the teams of 2008? It looks like I might be cashing in a little early on that one. The Warriors will still need to find someone to take Nick Van Exel’s place at the point in a few seasons, and the Grizzlies could use a Ben Wallace-like banger. As for the Nuggets, well, I think they are capable of very good things THIS season, thanks to Carmelo. This is a kid who has unquestionably lived up to they hype.

-- Speaking of kids, the best line in the NBA’s “I Love this Game” commercials comes from none other than Oscar the Grouch of Sesame Street fame. Why does Oscar love this game? Because of the “trash talk,” of course.

-- Basketball Digest just released it‘s 30th Anniversary issue, and let me be the first to say it contains all kinds of neat facts about the magazine. It also has a section on the NBA’s all-time best coaches, including a sidebar on the all-time worst. Among the really bad ones: Magic Johnson and Dick Vitale.

READER FEEDBACK

From Danny Tucker (Concord, N.H.)

Q: Am I correct in assuming LeBron James has an extremely low percentage of body fat, even by a professional athlete’s standards?

A: Dear Danny, actually LeBron reportedly has 7 percent body fat, which is about the average for NBA players (although that number may have gone up now that Oliver Miller was signed by Minnesota). Amazingly, Michael Jordan had only 4 percent body fat at the age of 35. The average body fat percentage for American males, by the way, is between 15 and 20.

From Ray King (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Q: Do you think Rick Fox, or Devean George, will start at small forward for the Lakers when Fox returns from his foot injury?

A: Dear Ray, if Fox is anything close to his old self, I think he will get the nod. The Lakers need his underrated defense more than George’s inconsistent offense.

NEWSLETTER NOTE

I’m taking a couple of weeks off for the holidays, and promise to get back to answering more of your questions next time. So keep those e-mails coming, as I read all of them and thoroughly enjoy doing so. The next newsletter will be sent out around Jan. 8, and will feature the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, and any other issues that make their way into my warped basketball mind. In the meantime, thanks for reading, enjoy the games, and have a safe and happy holiday.

SIGN UP FOR THE AMICO REPORT

To receive the Amico Report in your inbox, just send your name and e-mail address to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. Questions can also be e-mailed to the above address, although you must include your full name to be considered for publication. Please include your hometown too, as I love to see where the e-mails are coming from.