By Sam Amico

RANDY MAKES A LIVING

Long before the basketball world began to genuflect at high schooler LeBron James' every move, there was Randy Livingston.

In case you never heard of him, Livingston was once called the best high school player in the country. In fact, he was supposed to be the best high school player to come along in a long, long time -- maybe ever.

And Livingston really was good. He was 6-foot-4, extremely quick, and had the type of point guard skills that made some people start calling him things like The Next Magic Johnson.

One problem: Randy Livingston had scrambled eggs for knees. Of course, nobody knew this until Livingston went on to play for LSU (this was back in the early 1990s, when not every high school player just assumed the NBA was a league full of sissies).

Anyway, Livingston suffered a shredded knee. When that knee healed, he ripped up the other. Next thing you knew, this intelligent kid with a promising NBA future ... well, it looked as if he might have to pay his own way through school.

Eventually, Livingston became at least a shade of what the experts said he would. In other words, he turned into a good college player on a decent team.

Livingston turned into a second-round pick, spending a few uneventful seasons coming off the Phoenix Suns' bench. Mostly, he became a pretty good starter in the bush leagues.

That is why it's so nice to see that Livingston has resurfaced in Seattle. Thanks to the shoddy knees, he's much slower than anyone ever expected. But he makes up for it with experience and grit, and has replaced Shammond Williams as the Sonics' top swing guard off the bench.

The Sonics recently signed Livingston for the rest of the season, and his steady play has probably earned him a spot on the playoff roster.

Livingston says he's just happy to contribute, to finally feel wanted by the NBA. It's actually a pretty inspiring story, and I encourage youngsters who are still learning how to play to turn off the SportsCenter dunkfests and study players like Livingston.

He's as fundamentally-sound as they come -- and that's something we probably wouldn't be saying about Livingston had he skipped college for the pros. Actually, had Livingston jumped to the NBA straight out of high school, there's a good chance the league would have given up on him by now.

BAD TRADE TALK

Don't believe the rumors that say Cleveland will trade point guard Andre Miller to Utah for DeShawn Stevenson and Donyell Marshall this offseason. If you ask me, Miller is the one Cav who is untouchable.

Marshall is a nice player, but Stevenson has had every chance to start and simply has not been capable. No way do the Cavs make this deal.

What they really need to do is focus on the draft, and as Cavs pregame host Mike Snyder says, "Choose the best player, regardless of position." Once you do that, then you can start talking trades -- ones that are more than just Internet rumors like the supposed Miller deal.

BUZZING HORNETS

Perhaps the Charlotte Hornets should stop playing so well (they won eight of nine through April 1) and just tank it a little. That way, they could land the eighth and final playoff spot.

Hey, why not? After all, the Hornets are the only team that have a winning record on the road and a losing one at home. With the No. 8 seed, they would hold the away-court advantage throughout the entire postseason -- making them a virtual lock to reach the Finals.

But no matter where the Hornets place, you have to like their playoff chances with Jamal Mashburn at forward at Baron Davis running the point. And I mean really like them.

HAWK TALK

It would have been extremely interesting to see what would have happened had the Atlanta Hawks been able to keep key players healthy. Regulars such as Toni Kukoc, Alan Henderson and Emanual Davis were all out for an extended period with various injuries.

But the Hawks shouldn't complain. They will now have another high draft pick to join budding young stars such as Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jason Terry, DerMarr Johnson and even Nazr Mohammed.

This is team I will thoroughly enjoy watching as early as next season.

NBDL THOUGHTS

Many of you sent e-mails criticizing the NBA's new developmental league, the NBDL. But I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoyed the few games I had the opportunity to watch.

Everyone from the players to the coaches to the referees displayed great passion, and it was nice to finally see professional athletes smile and act cordial on a regular basis during interviews.

On the other hand, I'm betting that NBDL officials cringe every time someone asks for attendance figures.

PISTON POWER

This isn't meant to pick on Orlando, but isn't it odd that the Magic signed Grant Hill away from Detroit two seasons ago ... and now the Pistons are one of the top two or three teams in the Eastern Conference?

No question, the Pistons are this season's biggest surprise, with Rick Carlisle the shoe-in for coach of the year and Corliss Williamson a true candidate for the NBA's sixth man award.

Again, I'm not trying to minimize Orlando's mostly successful season -- as the Magic also have a legitimate shot to win the East.

Heck, who doesn't? If everyone qualified for the playoffs, I might just pick Atlanta to win it all. That's just the kind of crazy season it's been in this conference.

CORRECTION TIME

I'll admit it and get it out of the way: When it came to information regarding Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Ricky Davis, I blew it. I said Davis signed with the Cavs "after being waived by Miami before the season."

Hey, if you're not sure, just make it up. Right? Kidding aside, Bob Finnan wrote in with this correction:

"Ricky Davis left Iowa after freshman year and was drafted by Charlotte. Miami didn't waive him this year, he was traded to Cleveland in the Chris Gatling sign-and-trade."

It's no wonder Finnan covers the Cavs for the Lake County News-Herald in Willoughby, Ohio.

Nor is it surprising that the Davis comment is one of two I got wrong, as I also stated that Kevin Willis was unemployed. Truth is, Willis was just tucked safely away on the Houston Rockets' injured list for much of the season.

He was activated about two days following my blunder -- and I wouldn't blame Willis and the Rockets if they made the move just to rub it in.

RULE UNCERTAINTY

This e-mail arrived from Dmitri Dziensuwski of San Diego:

"Dear Sam, thanks for the newsletter and for recommending the Slam links. I have a rules-related question for you. When an NBA defensive player in standing in the area of the U-shaped line underneath the basket, more often than not it is called a block on contact (rather than a charge). And it doesn't seem to matter if the defensive player is in good position.

"I think it should be a no-call regardless of the contact. Do you know what the official ruling is supposed to be in that situation?"

Dmitri, I have an idea, but I'm not positive. Anyone who is, please take the time to educate Dmitri and I.

SHAQ AND THE MAGIC

This e-mail comes from Doug Cameron of Alesund, Norway:

"In your last newsletter, reader Matt Segel wrote that Orlando's allowing Shaquille O'Neal to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers was 'the worst personnel move ever.' You followed with, 'I tend to agree.'

"Sam, Sam, Sam. Do you really think the Magic 'allowed' Shaq to do this? Fact is, they did everything possible to keep him. What was the organization supposed to do? Put a gun to his head and demand that he remain in Orlando?"

Doug, certainly not. But the Magic could have started by cutting everyone else on the team, replacing them with a bunch of scrubs who would play for the league minimum -- and therefore, use every last penny to keep Shaq.

On serious note, you make a good point. O'Neal was determined to go to Hollywood to work on his alleged rap and acting careers. Orlando didn't really stand a chance.

JASON WILLIAMS AND THE DRAFT

Duke alum Judy Canlon had this to say about me comparing Duke guard Jason Williams with former Michigan State and NBA guard Scott Skiles.

"Jason Williams may be overrated, but he is a heck of a lot better than Scott Skiles ever hoped to be.

"Skiles was a tough-as-nails collegian with decent playmaking skills and a deadly outside shot. He was also slow by NBA standards and a questionable defender, even at Michigan State.

"Williams is cat-quick, an excellent defensive player, and an incredibly streaky shooter. Williams may not have a point guard mentality (not yet, anyway), but is smart enough and eager enough to make it work.

"I would probably draft Kansas forward Drew Gooden and maybe a few others ahead of Williams. But he should be in the top 10 picks no matter what."

Judy, thanks for thoughts. As for Williams being "cat-quick," well, if you've ever seen my cat ... he's extremely overweight and even more slow. Doesn't seem to care much, either.

MORE DRAFT TALK

Meanwhile, reader Daniel Goldberg had this to say:

"I'm not sold on Jason Williams as a No. 1 draft pick. But if you were an NBA general manager this June, who would you take instead? In fact, who do you think are the top eight prospects?"

Daniel, since I don't follow the college game nearly as closely as the NBA, I have a hard time playing GM. Especially when you consider nobody is certain which underclassmen will declare for the draft.

Chris Monter is the real expert on this topic, and according to the latest issue of Monter Draft News, here are the top prospects at each of the five positions:

Center: Yao Ming, 7-foot-6, China; Power forward: Amara Stoudemire, 6-10, Cypress Creek HS; Small forward: Drew Gooden, 6-10, Kansas; Shooting guard: Kareem Rush, 6-6, Missouri; Point guard: Williams, 6-2, Duke.

After Williams, Monter lists Memphis freshman Dujuan Wagner and Illinois junior Frank Williams (already declared) as top point men.

COLOR IT RED

Boston sports junkie and ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons recently sat down with legendary Celtics coach/general manager Red Auerbach -- and turned the interview into a must-read for any real fan of the NBA.

Most of Simmons' columns are unbelievably long and a little on the bizarre side, but he took this one seriously and was able to get Auerbach to open up. Not surprisingly, ol' Red had some very interesting things to say.

Auerbach, 84, told Simmons that the worst thing to happen to the NBA is expansion. "Diluted the talent," Auerbach said. Thank you, Red. Thank you very much.

Other interesting comments from Simmons' conversation with Auerbach:

-- "(David Stern) is one helluva commissioner. He knows the game, he's a fan of the game ... he understands the players. He's a great TV and marketing guy. There couldn't be a better commissioner no matter how you cut the mustard."

-- "After a certain amount of money, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference. A player makes a million dollars, anything after that, it's just numbers. So you have to appeal to his pride, his wanting to win, and you disregard the money. The only thing I did years ago was tell them, 'Your salary is dependent solely on what I see. Statistics don't matter, contributions matter. Winning matters.' Today, you can't do that -- it's all about stats and who's getting theirs."

OLD PEOPLE RULE

When you're my age, reports like the one written by USA Today's David DuPree will put a smile on your face.

Basically, DuPree's recent research -- printed in the April 2 edition -- offers evidence that old guys can still get it done.

DuPree wrote that the 10 youngest players in the NBA have an average age of 19.5, and of those 10, none average double figures in points, and none play at least 30 minutes a game.

And for the old folks?

"When 10 of the oldest players in the league this season (who have an average age of 38.6) were rookies, they averaged 22.3 years," DuPree wrote. "Four of them averaged double figures in scoring, and five played at least 30 minutes a game."

DuPree continues, "Among the 10 oldest players, five -- John Stockton, Terry Porter, Karl Malone, Johnny Newman and Charles Oakley -- play more minutes now than they did as rookies."

Here is USA Today's breakdown of the 10 oldest NBA players:

John Stockton, Utah, 40 years (13 ppg); Patrick Ewing, Orlando, 39 (6 ppg); Kevin Willis, Houston, 39 (5.9 ppg); Hakeem Olajuwon, Toronto, 39 (7.2 ppg); Michael Jordan, Washington, 39 (23.3 pgg); Terry Porter, San Antonio, 38 (5.7 ppg); Karl Malone, Utah, 38 (22.8 ppg); Sam Mitchell, Minnesota, 38 (3.2 ppg); Johnny Newman, Dallas, 38 (4.2 ppg); Charles Oakley, Chicago, 38 (3.9 ppg).

CHANGE OF FORMAT

Longtime readers may notice some subtle changes to this week's report. The "subject" line in your e-mail now reads, "Pro basketball newsletter." The Amico Report will arrive in your inbox this way from now on (don't be alarmed, as this does not mean I'll be writing about the same topic every week).

The content has also been slightly altered, and anyone who's been receiving the newsletter in recent months probably has a good grasp of what I'm talking about. Hopefully, it's all for the better. Feedback is welcome at amicoreport@hotmail.com.

Finally, when responding to the newsletter, I ask that you no longer just hit the "reply" button. Instead, please e-mail all correspondence to the above address.

DRAFT SPECIAL COMING

One final reminder: A number of NBA general managers recently took to time to explain how they prepared for the draft. Atlanta's Pete Babcock, Phoenix's Dick Van Arsdale, Houston's Carroll Dawson and Boston's Chris Wallace are among them, and I will be sending out their insights when the draft nears in mid-June.

The three-part series will show what transpires in the weeks leading up to the draft, as well as what goes down on draft day -- all of which will be told by the men who do the drafting.

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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