NBA BASKETBALL
Around the NBA in the Amico Report
<December 19, 2001>

By Sam Amico

YOUR PICKS FOR SURPRISING PLAYER

Seattle guard Desmond Mason received the most votes (33) for this season's most surprising NBA non-rookie. My pick, Quentin Richardson was a close second with 28 votes. That, of course, included my vote, something I found completely permissible since this is my newsletter.

Anyway, here are some reader picks and comments. As always, they're much better than anything I have to say:

-- From Piccolo Ocampo: "Los Angeles Lakers forward Devean George has been impressive, even if his stats don't show it. George provides scoring and energy off the Laker bench, and has been key in the team's strong transition game. Also, let's not forget Mitch Richmond, who seems to have found his niche in L.A.'s offense and recently had four blocks in one game."

-- From Richard Stevens: "Seattle's Vin Baker is the most improved player thus far. Let me compare his stats from last season to this one: Scoring average last season, 12.2 ppg; this season, 17.1 ppg. Rebounds last season, 5.7 rpg; this season, 6.7 ppg. Field-goal percentage last season, .422; this season, .486. That's Baker's highest scoring average and field-goal percentage since 1997-98, his first year with the Sonics. Also, he's averaging more fouls per game than ever, a definite sign of hustle -- something Baker hasn't done much of over the past two seasons."

-- From Nick Andal: "Desmond Mason is making a serious run at best sixth man honors. He blew out his knee, but continued to play in the game in which it happened -- and had a terrific night."

-- From Ashley Kraft: "Second-year Milwaukee guard Michael Redd has been on fire, and should be considered as one of the NBA's most surprising players. Thanks to Redd, by the end of the season the Bucks will not miss Lindsey Hunter."

-- From Michael McDonough: "Dear Mr. Amico, I am 12 years old and I live in North Carolina. I think Atlanta's Dion Glover and Indiana's Al Harrington are two of the most surprising players. Also, my favorite player is Corey Maggette of the Los Angeles Clippers. Will you please mention him in your newsletter? Merry Christmas!"

(Dear Michael, wonderful choices for the most surprising players. I will mention anyone you want, just please stop calling me "Mr. Amico." I'm not that old. OK, I am, but you can call me Sam anyway. And Merry Christmas to you, too).

DOWN-HILL FROM HERE

Grant Hill is a nice fella and was once a remarkable NBA player ... but let there be no doubt, his career is over. That's not just my opinion, but the thoughts expressed by many readers as Hill will now miss another season in Orlando with a bum ankle.

Reader Jerome Marcus had this to say: "Grant Hill will never be a productive NBA player again. It's a shame that it had to end up this way, but it just goes to show you that maybe (Magic general manager) John Gabriel should tone down his out-of-control recruiting of free agents. The Magic aren't going anywhere now, and they can probably forget about luring San Antonio all-star Tim Duncan to Florida any time soon."

Still, I say Tracy McGrady and Mike Miller are two of the game's brightest young stars -- and dare I add that McGrady is good enough to lead Orlando to a magical playoff run?

ON GASOL AND GARNETT

Several readers took issue with my mention of Memphis' Paul Gasol and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett in the previous newsletter. I wrote that Garnett is a good example of the improving on-court behavior of most NBA players -- and I still believe that . I wrote that Garnett turned the other cheek after Gasol drove the baseline, dunked, and then let Garnett know about it.

I also hinted that Gasol displayed poor sportsmanship. But Pedro Sanchez wrote to say that I am "missing some points."

Sanchez added: "Gasol has always said that Garnett is his favorite player, but when he was compared to Garnett by NBA draft analysts, Garnett didn't seem to like it. Also, the first time they met this season, KG dunked on Gasol and applauded furiously in Gasol's face. So when Gasol dunked on Garnett, I think he was just showing the other players that he is to be respected. I don't think Garnett respected him until that happened."

Alejandro Arranz Stancel wrote in support of Sanchez's claim, saying, "Gasol must show that although he is a rookie, he does not fear any player in the league. Garnett is an example of that type of confidence."

Thanks for the correction, guys. I must have missed that first Memphis-Minnesota game.

THE RILEY RULES

By the time you read this, Jeff Van Gundy's brother Stan may be coaching the Miami Heat. Anyone who saw the Heat score a measly 56 points at home in a 39-point loss to the Utah Jazz (average age: 712), understands that current coach Pat Riley is running out of time.

But before you pick on Riley too much, remember this: Only two teams have won more games than Riley's Heat during the last three seasons (the Lakers and Jazz).

ROOKIE REPORT

Well, it's safe to say Boston's Kedrick Brown wasn't exactly the steal of the draft. Brown was chosen with the No. 11 pick, the highest ever for a junior college player. But he is averaging less than one point per game and got off the bench in just seven of the Celtics' first 21 outings. Fellow rookie and teammate Joseph Forte isn't faring any better.

Meanwhile, Golden State's Troy Murphy summed up how most rookies feel with this quote in USA Today: "I'm sick of traveling. I'm sick of getting on and off planes. Sometimes, it's hard to get up and go out and play. You want to do things, but your body won't let you. Your legs just aren't there."

Hate to break it to you, Troy, but you still have about six more months of this madness. In fact, Murphy will have played about as many NBA games by Valentine's Day as he did in two full seasons at Notre Dame. In fairness, Murphy did say that he's "still having fun and enjoying" his rookie experience.

Finally, DeSagana Diop, whom Cleveland selected with the No. 8 pick, scored his first basket in the second week of December. Hey, I'm saying that's positive -- he's getting better, right?

GAME OF YEAR

The Sacramento-Detroit game at Arco Arena is, in my estimation, this season's best game so far. You would never know that if you relied solely on ESPN's highlights, which consisted of nothing more than Jerry Stackhouse dunking.

But this was really a game between two teams who refused to lose, two teams who are still trying to prove that, yes, they are true contenders. The score went back and forth and the game included a lot of elbows-out-feet-on-the-floor rebounding, and diving for loose balls -- aspects of an NBA game that don't necessarily make for good TV.

The Kings won by four points after a few big shots from (you guessed it) Chris Webber. Stackhouse was simply amazing for the Pistons, and you couldn't have asked for anything more from two of the league's brightest stars.

OF MAVS AND CLIPPERS

Other games of note include Dallas' win at Minnesota, in which the Mavericks came back from a 22-point deficit thanks to some big three-pointers from old man Tim Hardaway. This is the type of win that makes you believe the Mavs could give the Lakers fits in the playoffs.

Also, the Los Angeles Clippers' win in Phoenix was evidence that, hey, these young Clips are coming around. Besides that, the Clippers are just a joy to watch. Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette, Elton Brand, Lamar Odom ... the list goes on and on.

Oh, and let's not forget Darius Miles. I watched a game recently where one fan sat behind the Clipper bench and made it obvious he went to the game for one reason and one reason only -- to watch Miles dunk. The fan sat on his hands the entire game, not saying a word. But every time Miles dunked (which was often), the fan stood up, raised his fist, then quietly sat back down.

JAZZY MALONE

Utah forward Karl Malone is playing better as the season progresses, as are the Jazz. This is an about-face from recent seasons, when the Jazz raced out of the gates early ... only to tank it in the playoffs.

Besides the still-effective combination of Malone and John Stockton, a big reason for the Jazz's resurgence is the play of younger guys such as DeShawn Stevenson and Andrei Kirilenko, a rookie from Russia.

Also, Donyell Marshall is making a strong case for team MVP. Finally, Utah could still use a productive center -- and how often have Jazz fans heard that one?

SLAM GETS IT RIGHT AGAIN

I couldn't agree more with SLAM magazine's online editor, Lang Whitaker, who recently wrote the following:

"ESPN and ABC are close to taking away (NBA) TV rights from NBC. Sure there's a downside -- half of the games will end up on ESPN2 or ESPN Classic or ESPN5. But there's also an amazing upside -- no more Ahmad Rashad!! Please, Lord, allow this to happen."

Amen to that.

One other note about SLAM online: You can pay for ESPN.com's NBA Insider (I'm not exactly sure what ESPN is charging these days), or you can get the same material -- and more -- for free on the SLAM links, which are compiled by Whitaker five days a week.

And one other note about ESPN/ABC: Should the Disney-owned stations land NBA TV rights, as expected, USA Today reports they will probably also steal away Bob Costas and Marv Albert from NBC.

HOUSTON'S D.C. UNITED

The Houston Rockets have four players from the Washington D.C.-area on their roster.

Steve Francis, Walt Williams and rookie Terrence Morris all went to college at Maryland, and Moochie Norris is a native of D.C. Morris, by the way, is making a lot of teams wish they hadn't passed him over in the draft with some fine play off the Rockets bench.

First-round pick Eddie Griffen has been forced to step up, too, thanks to Houston's onslaught of injuries. In fact, before Glen Rice was placed on the injured list Dec. 18, he was the lone Rocket to have started every game. And that little tidbit should tell you everything you need to know about the Rockets this season.

WATCH OUT FOR THE AR

A few readers have e-mailed to suggest that there's an Amico Report jinx.

One pointed out that immediately after I featured the Milwaukee Bucks, they lost six in a row (and also fell to the hapless Miami Heat). Another mentioned how the day after I lionized Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, he scored six points while teammate Andre Miller injured his shoulder.

Finally, how's this for a jinx ... after I wrote about the Memphis Grizzlies, well, they stayed the same.

CBA NEWS

Remember Leon Smith, the Chicago high schooler who was drafted in the first round by Dallas a couple of summers ago? As you probably know, Smith's bizarre personal problems were a big reason he never made it to the NBA.

But today, Smith just happens to lead the new Continental Basketball Association in scoring, and is among the top five in rebounding. And Smith is just one of a number of recognizable names in the revitalized CBA, which is no longer associated with the NBA but still has some real talent.

Former Syracuse star and Grizzlies swingman Lawrence Moten is also among the league's top scorers, as is George Gervin Jr. Among the CBA assist leaders: A young man by the name of Marvin Gay.

NBDL QUESTION

I'm about to sound like an idiot (it won't be the first time), but can anyone tell me what a Lowgator is? That's the nickname of the NBDL's North Charleston franchise. Whatever it is, North Charleston has been dominating the mini-NBA, having been in first place for most of the season.

By the way, anyone who has actually seen an NBDL game is welcome to write and let us know what you think. As usual, I'll use your thoughts in the newsletter.

WYOMING HAWKS

As a former Wyoming resident, I was overjoyed to see that the Atlanta Hawks signed former Cowboy Reggie Slater, who is now playing for 912th NBA team. The Hawks now have two former University of Wyoming players on their roster -- the only two in the league -- in Slater and Theo Ratliff. Ain't life great?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FROM RALPH MUCERINO
Q: I am a diehard New York Knicks fan and I was wondering what your take is on Latrell Sprewell. Personally, I think he is the greatest scoring forward since Bernard King. How long do you think Sprewell will survive now that Jeff Van Gundy is no longer coach? My biggest fear is that the Knicks will trade Sprewell rather than Allan Houston, whom I consider to be dead weight.

A: Ralph, I think Sprewell is a changed man since the incident involving P.J. Carlesimo in California. Sprewell is mature, driven, and a true winner. Age seems to be catching up with him a little, but he's still one of the league's top 20 players. I don't think the Knicks are going to trade him or Houston, especially with no real takers out there. And believe it or not, I think Sprewell will be even better under new coach Don Chaney, who allows the players more freedom than Van Gundy. But I also think the Knicks will be worse.

FROM JASON CHANG
Q: You mentioned in the previous newsletter how often Knicks point guard Mark Jackson has been dunked on. Funny, but I wonder if anyone's ever dunked on you?

A: Jason, no. I never got in the game.

VONTEEGO WATCH

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

Vonteego is averaging 4.7 points per game and shooting 42 percent from the floor. His playing time has been sporadic since his 28-point outburst at Memphis, but at least he's still playing.

This week's Vonteego fact: Vonteego left Pitt as the only player to rank among the Panthers' all-time top 10 in scoring (9th), and all-time top five in assists (4th) and steals (2nd).

SAM'S SLAMS

Reports out of Philadelphia have the 76ers sending Dikembe Mutombo, Speedy Claxton and Matt Harpring to Denver for Raef LaFrentz and Antonio McDyess. Not sure if it's true, but I do wonder if LaFrentz will ever be able to just play and not have to wonder where he'll be reportedly headed to next. ... Raef LeFrentz is reportedly headed to Houston for Kenny Thomas and a draft pick. ... Bad news for second-year Sacramento guard Mateen Cleaves: He's averaging less points than teammate Brent Price (2.2 ppg to 1.8 ppg). And who even knew that Price was still in the NBA? ... Right now, the Eastern Conference may just be the worst conference in any sport ever. See, I'm not always such a swell guy, as I often must prove to those who continuously accuse me of being on the NBA's payroll. ... Boston forward Antoine Walker went 0-of-11 on three-pointers versus Philadelphia on Dec. 17. Uh, Antoine, you may want to consider moving a little closer to the basket. ... Now that Grant Hill is out for the year, it appears Penny Hardaway won't be challenged for Comeback Player of the Year honors. Penny probably deserved it more anyway.

FINAL THOUGHT

"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." -- 2 Chronicles 7:14

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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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!