By Sam Amico

DELIGHTFUL DALLAS

It's been a long time since I've seen a team play with the combination of shooting, rebounding and hustle that the Dallas Mavericks are showing.

Not since the days of Lakers Showtime has a team displayed such a strong desire to be unselfish and find the open man -- doing both while moving the ball quickly up and down the court.

Meet your current Mavericks. And I don't know about you, but I can't get enough.

Heck, the Mavericks are even bending their knees, shuffling their feet and blocking some shots. That's worth repeating. The Mavs are playing defense! It's a phase of the game Dallas pretty much ignored the past few seasons, but this year, the Mavericks are making a stand. And get this: It's a stand that's been led by (drumroll, please) Shawn Bradley.

As ESPN analyst Sean Elliott said of the 7-foot-5 Bradley, "He's finally learned how to play tall." I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds about right. Anyway, let there be no doubt, Bradley's improvement is a big reason the Mavs are unbeaten as I sit down to write this (they're also coming off a 26-point hammer job of the defending champs).

The real question is, are the Mavs good enough to beat the Lakers with a healthy Shaquille O'Neal? Or, more precisely, could they beat the Lakers, Kings or Sonics in a playoff series?

The answer is, if the Mavericks play like they have through the first three weeks, they could beat anybody, anywhere, anytime. They have been that good.

MORE ON THE MAVS

-- To me, Dallas is the perfect example of what can happen if you just leave a team alone and give it some time to gel. The Mavs seem so unbelievably comfortable on the floor together, creating cohesion, and a special kind of confidence in each other. That comes from knowing your teammates' tendencies. So, it's a good thing that coach/GM Don Nelson and owner Mark Cuban have settled for just minor tweaking to the lineup.

-- I know you are probably thinking, "All this talk about the Mavericks and no mention of Nowitzki, Finley or Nash?" But, again, it just goes to show you that Dallas has been a team in the truest sense.

-- As for Nowitzki, well, a lot of people have called him The Next Larry Bird. And when it comes to shooting and rebounding, Nowitzki is pretty close. He's also a little more athletic than Bird was, but let's not kid ourselves. Tim Hardaway, who played with Nowitzki last season and is currently an analyst for ESPN, said this: "Nowitzki is no Larry Bird. He's not even that close, as Nowitzki doesn't have the intangibles that made Bird a winner every time he put his foot on the floor." I agree with that assessment -- but there is still plenty of time for Dirk to learn that winning comes first and last, period. No matter, Nowitzki must be considered the early frontrunner for league MVP.

-- As for Nash and Finley, I think you're talking about the best backcourt in the league. Those two remind me a lot of what Cleveland fans once hoped would become of Ron Harper and Mark Price in the early 1990s (then the Cavs traded Harper for Danny Ferry and ruined everything). But Nash and Finley are wonderful complements for each other, as both are athletic and love to play the game. Finley, of course, isn't just athletic. He can jump out of the gym.

-- After watching the Mavs throughout November, the first thought that popped into my head was, "Golly. Maybe Don Nelson really does need 752 assistant coaches."

-- The second thought was, "Does anyone else notice how quiet Mark Cuban has been?" I mean, if there's one guy who I figured would gloat about Dallas' 11-0 start, it's Cuban. Instead, the man hasn't said a word. Good for him.

-- Finally, it's easy to forget that the Mavs' wonderful start happened without Raef LaFrentz and Nick Van Exel, as both are suffering from injuries. It'll be interesting to see what happens once those two get back.

MORE ON THE LAKERS

As for the Lakers, I have a bad feeling that Shaquille O'Neal is going to be injured on and off all season.

Shaq is just so big ... and his toe is in such bad shape ... well, it could mean a year of bouncing back and forth between the hardwood and the injured list. Welcome to 30, Shaq.

At any rate, what has surprised me about the Lakers isn't that they started so poorly without Shaq, it's how bad everyone besides Kobe Bryant looks. I mean, does anyone else on this team deserve to start in the NBA? It sure doesn't look like it.

And as Red Auerbach told USA Today, all that mystical nonsense sure doesn't seem as nifty now that Phil Jackson is losing all the time.

This isn't intended to trash the Lakers, though. We all know that Robert Horry and Derek Fisher make shots when it matters most (read: the playoffs). But it is important that L.A. avoids getting in too big of a hole to start the season.

And as much as I like to pick on Jackson, I'm willing to bet he'll be able to turn this thing around -- with or without Shaq. Say what you will, but Jackson can coach.

THE BOOK ON MJ

I was wondering when the first post-Chicago Bulls book about Michael Jordan would come out. You know, the one detailing his every move during his first season in Washington?

Well, it's out.

The book is called, "One Last Shot" and it's written by Mitchell Krugel, a sports editor in New Jersey. Krugel has written three other NBA books, although I've never heard of any of them -- and I collect NBA books. Anyway, two of those books were about Jordan, each being published in the 1980s.

I just started reading "One Last Shot," and will let you know more about it next week. So far, it's not bad -- and that's a ringing endorsement when you consider how much has already been written about Jordan.

THE NBA ON TV

ESPN's new show, "NBA Fastbreak," is quite possibly the best thing that's happened to modern television. I know, I'm starting to worry about myself, having praised ESPN twice in a month.

But if you haven't seen Fastbreak (on ESPN2 from 9-11 p.m. each Tuesday), then you're really missing out on some great stuff. Namely, the games. All of them. That's because Fastbreak gives you live look-ins at each game, with each look-in usually lasting about two to three minutes.

Of course, all of these games are being broadcast by their local affiliates, which in many areas, is the local Fox Sports Network station. So I couldn't help but laugh when Fox got a free ad for that annoying show featuring Tom Arnold and John Salley. Bet the brass at ESPN just loved that.

Two other thoughts about The Worldwide Leader:

-- Sean Elliott is the best thing that's happened to color commentary since John Madden. I really mean that, as Elliott is very calm, yet extremely insightful. The opposite, if you will, of Bill Walton.

-- Also, I have made the following vow: For every dunk highlight ESPN shows during its Fastbreak telecast, I will watch 10 minutes less of the station's daily programming. Got that? For every dunk highlight, I'll watch 10 minutes less of ESPN each day. Who's with me? (amicoreport@hotmail.com).

OTHER RANDOM THOUGHTS

-- Since we all know Hubie Brown is sitting in his office and saying, "Better wait to hear from Amico before I make my next move," here is some advice for the new Memphis coach: Get Shane Battier more shots! True, Gordon Giricek can score lots of points -- but so can 90 percent of the rest of the NBA. Battier is a winner, and the Grizzlies should be built around Battier, Drew Gooden and Stromile Swift. Get rid of everyone else.

-- I'm really starting to have my doubts about the Los Angeles Clippers. Maybe there's a reason Chicago and Cleveland lost all the time when they had Elton Brand and Andre Miller, respectively. Then again, Lamar Odom is out, Quentin Richardson has missed some time, and Brand in really banged up. But will there ever be a cure for Clipper-itis?

-- Did you know that Atlanta has defeated the Lakers in L.A. in each of the last two seasons? Shaq didn't play either time.

-- A lot of folks have given me grief for calling Gary Payton the league's best point guard, especially now that Jason Kidd appears to be even better than last season. Fine. How does this sound: Give me Kidd four nights a week, and Payton for three.

-- One of the best games I've seen in some time was the Houston-Phoenix matchup Nov. 15. I was particularly impressed by Stephon Marbury, who's making his teammates top priority. I've always liked Marbury, but I especially like how he's figured out that distributing the ball makes him that much better. He's still no Jason Kidd -- but believe me when I tell you that Marbury is on his way.

-- You really have to like what Ron Mercer is doing in Indiana. When the Bulls-Pacers deal went down last February, I thought Mercer would be the odd man out. Instead, he's making the most of his opportunities, and is a big reason why the Pacers have an excellent shot at winning the Central Division (and more). It'll be interesting to see how Mercer adjusts once Reggie Miller returns from an injury.

-- My early vote for Most Underrated Team goes to Orlando. The Magic have a nice combination of athleticism and intelligence -- and is it just me, or is Tracy McGrady even better than he was last season?! As long as McGrady is around, these guys gotta shot.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

From Matt Steiner

Q: How long before high school players start declaring for the WNBA draft?

A: Dear Matt, David Stern would be mad at you for even joking.

From Xavier Jahnssen

Q: What's your opinion of Houston Rockets guard Steve Francis?

A: Dear Xavier, I love watching Francis play, but I think he's still learning. Right now, he's a little bit selfish and, so far, injury-prone. But once he matures and figures out what it takes to win, watch out. While on the topic of the Rockets, I think they have two of the league's most underrated guys in Cuttino Mobley and Eddie Griffin.

From Jason Greene

Q: You seem to write about Cleveland a lot, and am I right in assuming the Cavaliers are your favorite team?

A: Jason, actually, the Cavaliers are tied for my favorite -- with the league's other 28 teams. I do follow the Cavs closely because I'm a native of nearby Akron, Ohio. But to quote Commissioner Stern, I like 'em all the same.

MINOR LEAGUE STUFF

-- Announcing your NBDL scoring leaders: 1. Bobby Simmons, Mobile, 24.0 ppg; Sedric Webber, N. Charleston, 24.0; 3. Jeff Trepagnier, Asheville, 22.3; 4. Lonnie Harrell, Huntsville, 20.5; 5. Cory Alexander, Roanoke, 20.0; Tang Hamilton, Columbus, 20.0.

-- CBA scoring leaders: 1. David Harrison, Rockford, 28.0 ppg; Ronnie Fields, Rockford, 28.0; 3. Bryant Notree, Gary, 25.5; 4. Andy Pank, Dakota, 25.3; 5. Jermaine Jackson, Great Lakes, 25.0.

SAM'S SLAMS

Lots of e-mails have poured answering the question about former NBA forward Mike Mitchell. Apparently, he stopped playing professionally in Italy four years ago at the age of 43. As one Italian scout said, "He was still pretty good." ... Anybody know what happened to former NBA2Night host Jason Jackson? ... Is it starting to sound like I watch too much TV? ... If not, how about this: I actually teared up while watching an episode of Family Ties on Nick at Night the other day. ... Orlando center Pat Burke is averaging more points than forward Shawn Kemp (8.2 to 6.6). This ain't the NBA we once knew and loved.

CONTACT ME

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

HAVE A GREAT DAY!