Observations from the first few days of NBA preseason play:

-- One thing that appears evident after watching Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards scrimmage -- MJ will still get all the calls. In other words, if you breathe on Jordan, it's a foul. But hey, get over it. He's Michael Jordan and you're not.

-- By the way, the man has hardly missed a beat. Isn't it amazing? As some observers have noted in recent weeks, "Jordan is at the top of his game." I think he could still afford to lose 5-10 pounds, which is exactly what those close to Jordan say he plans to do within the next month. Either way, he is great again. And hate to say I told you so ....

-- Jordan is also clearly as confident as ever. A good example that he still has his swagger could be seen during the scrimmage, when Jordan was on the bench, finished for the night. He joked with teammates and front office personnel, and most noteworthy, bopped his head to the theme from "Sanford and Son."

Jordan finished the scrimmage with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting. He played 18 minutes and had three steals and three rebounds. The Wizards open preseason play Thursday, Oct. 11 in Detroit.

-- You know it must be the preseason when Jerry Stackhouse leads the Pistons in assists (he had six in their win over Cleveland). And to Pistons fans who have accused me of being unfair to Stackhouse ... it's all in fun. Word is that Stackhouse worked extremely hard in the offseason and is truly dedicated to doing whatever it takes to win. Besides that, he is expected to announce that, while it won't be easy, he'll try to pass the ball once every other week.

-- Cleveland only scored 77 points in its loss to Detroit. That can't be good news when you consider the Cavs are still recruiting people to actually watch their games this season. But Cavs fans should keep in mind that this is the preseason, and the team is learning a new system under new coach John Lucas.

Also, small forward Jumaine Jones has been remarkable. Jones was recently acquired from Philadelphia (along with Tyrone Hill), and has lived up to his billing as an up-and-coming player with great athleticism. Then again, one of the men for whom Jones was traded, Matt Harpring, scored 21 points in the 76ers' preseason opener.

-- Bruce Bowen? Hitting three-pointers? Believe it.

Who is Bruce Bowen, you ask? The answer is a small forward and "defensive specialist" who played for Miami last season but was signed by San Antonio as a free agent. The Spurs weren't expecting Bowen to become Sean Elliot of yesteryear -- but that's exactly how Bowen looked in the Spurs' preseason win over New York.

That has to be music to the ears of coach Gregg Popovich, who could use another scorer now that Derek Anderson is in Portland. Bowen, who isn't even supposed to be able to make a layup, hit two threes during a 13-0 run by the Spurs.

-- Finally, yes it's true. Jason Kidd really went 0 for 9 from the field in his debut with New Jersey. But more than anything, that performance give us a complete understanding of the difference between Kidd and Stephon Marbury. The difference? Kidd stopped shooting. No way Marbury would have.

One final note on the Nets' preseason home opener against Charlotte: The announced crowd was 2,879. But the Associated Press reporter who covered the game wrote that it "looked much smaller." In other words, the Nets may be in for another year of poor attendance.

NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

The New York Knicks were booed -- booed! -- in their preseason opener at Madison Square Garden. It's hard to imagine anyone attending an exhibition game and actually expecting to go home satisfied.

But apparently Knicks fans have said, "We're not going to take it anymore!" after watching the home team sputter its way to 71 lousy points in a loss to the Spurs. And good for the fans. It's about time someone took a stand for real basketball -- as opposed to the kind the Knicks have played for the past few seasons.

This isn't to say that this team can't win, as key players remain from the conference championship season of 1999. One of those is Latrell Sprewell, who has not only continued to be one of the league's best, but has cleaned up his image so much that one general manager insists Sprewell has turned into "a modern day Richie Cunningham."

But at some point, Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy has to realize that this ugly, grind-it-out brand of basketball just isn't working. For the sake of Knicks fans everywhere, let's hope it's soon.

EARLY PASSION

Did anyone else notice that Philadelphia coach Larry Brown was thrown out of the preseason opening loss to Dallas?

Well, it's true. Brown got tossed with 4:41 left after Michael Smith was ejected for a flagrant foul on Shawn Bradley. Don't ask me who Michael Smith is, but apparently he's special enough for Brown to get all worked up over. Of course, all of this leads some to believe that there's no way Brown will survive the season without burning out.

But I think it's just Brown being Brown, and he'll be fine. Especially after the Sixers win the Atlantic Division again.

Other facts from that game ... Newly-acquired forward Robert Traylor scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Philadelphia, impressive for a guy who desperately needs to prove himself. Also, backup guard Speedy Claxton, a second-year player who missed all of last season with a knee injury, scored 13 points and passed for 10 assists. Philly's Allen Iverson, Aaron McKie and Eric Snow did not play.

Then there's the topic of Steve Nash's hair. Does this guy look like the lead singer of a bad 1980s hair band or what? (Were there actually any "good" 1980s hair bands?)

UNSUNG GUYS

Each week I will put together a list of NBA performances that caught my eye -- but may not have caught yours. I will call this feature, "Unsung Guys," simply because I'm not creative enough to come up with anything else.

This list will not include 50-point or 25-rebound games. Instead, it will include achievements that aren't being reported by each of the 2.7 million news sources that now exist. And you can bet your last dollar that each week some NBA player will strive to be named an "Unsung Guy." OK, maybe not. But I have to promote this nonsense somehow, right?

And, please, feel free to nominate your own. If I use your player, I'll include your name.

With that, I give you the first list of Unsung Guys for the 2001-02 season:

-- Shane Battier, Memphis rookie forward: 11 points, 4-of-5 shooting, six steals in preseason opening win over Portland. May as well give him the rookie of the year award right now.

-- Gerald Wallace, Sacramento rookie swingman: 17 points, 5-of-8 shooting in win over Utah. Also in that game, 39-year old Jazz guard John Stockton went 4-of-4 from the field in 15 minutes. He still has it, folks. Rusty LaRue, who's just trying to make the Jazz's roster, scored 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting.

-- Troy Murphy, Golden State rookie forward: Scored 13 points and was very active in preseason win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The knock on Murphy entering the draft? He's not aggressive enough. Trust me, he's plenty aggressive. Fellow rookie Jason Richardson has looked good, too.

-- Since this is the preseason, any great performance is unsung. That is why I don't feel bad including Shareef Abdur-Rahim's first performance as an Atlanta Hawk -- 19 points, 10 boards, 9-of-9 shooting in win over Indiana.

RIDICULOUS ROCKETS

It may be hard to believe, but I find few things wrong with the NBA. I've stressed time and time again that the league gets a bad rap, and have predicted that fans will be won back (and this was before Michael Jordan announced his return).

Then the Houston Rockets go and sign Moochie Norris to a six-year contract worth $22.7 million ... and I start to wonder. Moochie Norris? The man has only played 132 games in his career -- for three different teams! He's never averaged more than 6.1 points! He doesn't even start, for crying out loud!

Morris' fault? Certainly not. Stick that contract in front of me and I'm signing it faster than you can say, "Wait, this guy stinks!" And I've always thought of Rockets GM Carroll Dawson as one of the kinder and brighter men in the NBA -- and he is. Really.

But $22.7 million for six years? For Moochie (I'm No Mookie) Norris? Heaven help us.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FROM CHRIS C.

Q: Do you know what happened to former Oregon State star and Chicago Bulls backup forward Corey Benjamin?

A: Benjamin was released by Chicago and is now in camp with the 76ers. Benjamin remains one of the best college players I have ever seen -- but he left school after his sophomore season and it proved to be a mistake. He just wasn't ready.

Again, for all the stories we hear about the Kobe Bryants and Kevin Garnetts, there are as many, if not more, stories about guys like Benjamin. We just don't hear them because popular culture chews you up and spits you out if you're not an absolute success. But try selling that point to a 20-year old who has been told all his life that the world should genuflect at the mere mention of his name.

An even sadder example of this is William Avery, who simply cannot get off the bench in Minnesota. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told Avery he wasn't ready. Most pro scouts told Avery he wasn't ready. But Avery came out and the Timberwolves drafted him -- then proceeded to realize that, hey, this kid isn't ready. Now, he probably never will be.

FROM SHANE L.

Q: What's the latest on Omar Cook?

A: As you probably know, Cook was selected in the second round of the draft by Orlando and immediately traded to Denver. Cook is a New York City playground legend along the lines of Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson, etc. The only problem is, Cook can't shoot.

Anyway, he held out before training camp, demanding a guaranteed contract. The Nuggets stated the obvious by saying they weren't going to give a second-round pick who can't shoot a guaranteed contract -- especially since proven point men such as Nick Van Exel and Avery Johnson were already on the roster.

To further illustrate their point, the Nuggets traded for another second-round pick, Kenny Satterfield, who came from Dallas and who just happens to be a point guard. Well, Cook has finally signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract. He will now struggle just to make the team. Too bad, because I love watching the guy play.

SAM'S SLAMS

New Toronto Raptors center Hakeem Olajuwon admits he's still trying to get fit. Olajuwon told the Toronto Sun that on a scale of 1-10, "I'm a six condition-wise." ... The Knicks started Mark Jackson at point guard and brought Charlie Ward off the bench in their preseason opener, with newly-acquired Howard Eisley backing up both guard positions. A sign of things to come? ... Rookie guard Brandon Armstrong has been great for the Nets. Armstrong was part of the Eddie Griffen trade and scored 13 points in New Jersey's game against Charlotte. He has been compared to another Pepperdine product, Dennis Johnson. ... Does anyone know how to sign up for the NBA's audio package? I sure wish the league would promote the thing on its Web site. ... Don't forget to check out www.monterdraftnews.com and www.slamonline.com.

NBA PREVIEW

Just a reminder that my NBA preview is coming soon, and it will be delivered directly to your e-mail.

It all begins Monday, Oct. 22 with a look at each team in the Atlantic Division. The Central Division preview will be delivered Oct. 23, followed by the Midwest Division on the 24th and the Pacific Division on the 25th. It would be a great week to sign up some friends and help them kick off the 2001-02 season.

CONTACT AMICO

E-mail questions and comments to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. I will try to answer all questions in the newsletter.

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