NBA BASKETBALL
Around the NBA: The Amico Report
<December 7, 2001>

By Sam Amico

WALKING IN MEMPHIS

There are three reasons for what I'm about to write concerning the Memphis Grizzlies:

1). I'm a dork.

2). As my wife says, I'm a "foul-weathered fan." Basically, she means I have a soft spot for teams that lose a lot -- and she's right. If they stink, I automatically like them. (For instance, I've suddenly found myself rooting for the Miami Heat, and it has little to do with the fact they have one of my all-time favorite players, Rod Strickland).

3). Mostly, though, I really believe the Grizzlies are on the right path. In fact, with the proper developing and maneuvering, they could make a run at the playoffs by the end of next season.

Hey, why not? The Grizzlies have two of the top five rookies in Pau Gasol and Shane Battier. They have a couple of blossoming big men in Stromile Swift and Lorenzen Wright. And they have a shooting guard who has all-star potential in Michael Dickerson.

Plus, you must consider that the Grizzlies will have another lottery pick next summer.

But let's start with Gasol and Battier. Gasol is already starting to look a lot like Dirk Nowitzki -- and maybe even better in the long run, as Gasol doesn't seem repulsed by the idea of man-to-man defense. Battier was expected to be little more than a Rick Fox clone, but early signs show he'll be even better than that. Best of all, Gasol and Battier are team players in the truest sense.

Let's face it, for whatever reason, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Mike Bibby weren't going to get it done with the Grizzlies. Both are nice players, and both have been remarkable for their new teams. But for Abdur-Rahim and Bibby, it just wasn't going to happen here.

So the trade that sent Abdur-Rahim to Atlanta for the third pick -- which turned out to be Gasol -- can officially be considered a draw. Also, drafting Battier instead of a player out of high school looks like an equally educated move.

As for the Bibby-for-Jason Williams trade ... well, the Grizzlies needed to sell tickets in their new city. And as maddeningly inconsistent as Williams is, he puts teenage wannabes in the seats. Plus, the Grizzlies wanted to move Bibby, and nobody was willing to depart with anything close to equal value. So Williams it was.

Williams is fine for now, but Memphis will need another point guard if they hope to be taken seriously in the future (perhaps another Williams, such as Duke's Jason or Illinois' Frank).

Another problem? Unless there are some 20-point, 10-rebound players out there who are hoping to see the ghost of Elvis, the Grizzlies probably aren't going to draw any big-name free-agents to Memphis. They will have to build through the draft, and trades.

But that approach seems to be working so far -- and look no further than their recent win at Philadelphia for proof.

No question, if the Grizzlies keeping winning games like that, this foul-weathered fan will need to find someone else to root for. And possibly sooner than anyone expected.

COLOSSAL CAVALIER

It only took one game for me to start believing that Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is really that good. You still can't expect Ilgauskas' feet of mush to last very long, but if they do ... keep an eye on the Cavaliers.

I know they get picked on a lot, occasionally even in this space, but everyone knows that with a healthy Ilgauskas, the Cavs are very dangerous. Especially in the Eastern Conference, which is wide open. And I mean W-I-D-E open.

Throw in the fact Cavs point guard Andre Miller is the NBA's most underrated player, and Ricky Davis is becoming its biggest surprise, and maybe people will at least start going to Gund Arena again.

BY GEORGE, IT'S DEVEAN

Speaking of being underrated, another strong case could be made for Los Angeles Lakers forward Devean George.

George is a third-year player who attended a Division III Augsburg College, and who Kobe Bryant has made his pet project. Bryant reportedly has put in more work with George than the coaches have, and it appears to be paying off.

After scoring just three points per game on 30 percent shooting last season, George was averaging seven points on 40 percent shooting through the first week of December. Better yet, George has become the biggest spark off the Lakers bench.

TIMBERWOLVES TALK

Yours truly obviously underestimated the Minnesota Timberwolves at the beginning of the season (if you read my team-by-team previews, you know what I'm talking about).

But how was I to know Wally Szczerbiak would become a modern and taller version of Joe Dumars? Or that Kevin Garnett would become the league's most unselfish superstar?

Mostly, I love how the T-Wolves have used the zone defense to near-perfection. Also, like division foe Dallas, Minnesota is probably only a shade of what it will be late in the season.

FAN FAVORITE

The 1985-86 Boston Celtics were voted the greatest team ever in a recent USA Today poll. The Celtics received a whopping 42.4 percent of the votes. Being old enough to have watched that team regularly, I'd have a hard time arguing with the results.

I think a strong case could also be made for the 1986-87 Lakers, which only received 3.8 percent of the votes, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (8.4 percent), and the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers (7.8 percent). As for this season's Lakers ... they may not be the best of all time, but they very well could dominate their era like no one has before.

UN-FORTE-NATE VERDICT

Joseph Forte's decision to leave North Carolina early has proved to be unfortunate for both Forte and the Tar Heels.

Forte is now a guard for the Boston Celtics who had played in just two games through the first week of December (and averaged one point). And the Tar Heels, well, they're losing to the likes of Davidson and Hampton.

It's a shame because Forte probably could have been a fine pro with another year of college ball. Right now, he looks like nothing more than The Next Mark Macon. Forte reportedly left UNC because he didn't like coach Matt Doherty. Or perhaps more accurately, because Doherty didn't like him.

SLOW START

One reader wrote and asked what happened to DerMarr Johnson, the sixth pick of the 2000 draft who left Cincinnati after just one season. The answer: Johnson is sitting at the end of Atlanta's bench.

Here is how one NBA general manager described Johnson's game: "He's slow, he can't shoot, and he ain't exactly Bill Russell on defense." Johnson played in just 10 of the Hawks' first 18 games.

CLIPPER COUNTDOWN

Sometime soon, guard Eric Piatkowski will have joined Randy Smith and Loy Vaught as the only folks to have played at least 500 games for the Los Angeles Clippers. No one's sure whether to congratulate him or offer him a tissue.

By the way, Piatkowski is one of two players from South Dakota in the NBA. The other? Last season's rookie of the year, Mike Miller.

PISTON PASSION

A few fans of the Detroit Pistons wrote to say I failed to mention Corliss Williamson in my recent report on the team. An obvious oversight of an important player.

I also drew the ire of more than a few Piston supporters for referring to rookie forward Rodney White as "Randy" White. Oddly enough, I've never even liked the Dallas Cowboys, for whom the White I listed once starred.

INSIDE HOOPS

I am happy to announce that my newsletter is now being posted on Inside Hoops. You can check it out by going to www.insidehoops.com. Even better, take a look at the rest of the stuff on the site. Jeff Lenchiner does a fabulous job, particularly when it comes to getting exclusive interviews of NBA players.

Inside Hoops has even been mentioned in Sports Illustrated, which, I imagine, is every sports guy's dream.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FROM KYLE STADNYK
Q: Ever wonder why so many Toronto Raptors games are so close? Take a look at Vince Carter. What is wrong with this guy in the fourth? I don't think I've seen him hit a key shot all year. Any idea what Carter is averaging in fourth quarter, or what his field goal percentage is in the fourth?

A: Kyle, I cannot accurately answer your question, but I agree with its theme. Carter simply cannot hit a big shot, a trend that can be traced to Game 7 of last season's Eastern Conference semifinals. At the same time, if you like the Raptors, is there anyone besides Carter who should be shooting down the stretch? I hardly think so.

FROM TOM GOODALL
Q: Bob Ryan wrote in Basketball Times that control freaks like Miami Heat coach Pat Riley have choked the fun out of the NBA. I tend to agree. I'd rather watch the players play than to watch Pat (and most other NBA coaches) stand up and call a set every time down the floor. What do you think?

A: Tom, I know which column you're talking about, and I agree. It's almost as if coaches like Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, etc., don't trust their players. The NBA is a players game, period (as Riley is finding out). Therefore, coaches should just let the guys play.

Also, I should use this opportunity to plug Basketball Times, which carries a column of mine about college basketball. The magazine also consists of regular columns by experts such as Dick Vitale and Clark Francis, and top reporters like Ryan (Boston Globe) and Dick Weiss (New York Times). For a subscription, call 910-295-5559 or write to hoopgroup@aol.com.

FROM RODNEY JACKSON
Q: Which current or former NBA point guard do you think Jason Williams of Duke will be most like in the NBA?

A: Rodney, good question. Some scouts I've talked with have compared him to John Stockton. Others have said he'll be more like Rumeal Robinson (Remember him? Great at Michigan, but a bust in the pros). I think Williams will probably fall somewhere in between.

VONTEEGO WATCH

This is the regular segment of the newsletter in which I update the status of Philadelphia 76ers backup guard Vonteego Cummings.

Vonteego had a great first week of December. He scored nine points on four-of-four shooting against the Chicago Bulls, and scored 10 points in limited action in the Sixers' loss at Sacramento. He is currently averaging three points.

This week's Vonteego fact: Madison Square Garden is his favorite place to play.

SAM'S SLAMS

The Milwaukee Bucks score 71 points? At home? Against the New York Knicks? Heaven help us. ... Center Marc Jackson has become a forgotten man for Golden State. After a strong season last year, Jackson is averaging a paltry three points and making the rim cringe with fear by shooting 23 percent from the floor. Probably should have just let him go to Houston. ... And, boy, the Rockets could sure use a center about now. Especially after letting Chicago rookie Eddy Curry do his best Shaq imitation against them on Dec. 4. ... While on the topic of rookies, watch for them to start hitting that "wall" soon. The third month of the season has barely begun, and already the young guys have played as many games as they did in college. It's even worse for the kids who came straight out of high school. ... I am a little concerned about ESPN and ABC making an offer to televise NBA games. I love TNT's coverage, and my least favorite basketball phrases of all-time are "Three-mendous!" and "Dat good!" Both are heard regularly on ESPN, which used to be good until all those middle-aged anchors started trying to act hip.

CONTACT ME

E-mail questions and comments to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. I will try to answer all questions in the newsletter, but you must include your full name.

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