By SAM AMICO

Note: Sam is a contributor, and his picks are not those of the Inside Hoops staff.

SURE I'M NOT SURE

From time to time, my wife utters the following fragments to me:

"Don't be wishy-washy. Stand firm. Don't be a wimp. Make a decision. Feel confident about it. Say it."

I will not deny that these are things I often need to hear. And when it comes to predicting the winners in this year's NBA playoffs ... well, let's just say I'll do my best to act certain.

After all, I studied the bracket for hours, lost way too much sleep, then studied the bracket again ... and again ... and again.

Then I gave up on the Eastern Conference and tried to make some sense out of the West. Eventually, I had every team from both conferences reaching the Finals.

Then I finally decided to just write down my picks and be done with it.

Not to sound wishy-washy, but I have no idea how accurate they'll be. Part of that has to do with me "always trying to be nice." In other words, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not picking their favorite team. Isn't that just sad?

Of course, more of it has to do with the fact that anything can happen between now and the middle of June -- and I've never been more positive about anything in my life.

Here goes:

FIRST ROUND - Best of five

Eastern Conference

(1) New Jersey vs. (8) Indiana

All I know is I never would have believed that I'd be writing about the playoffs, and New Jersey would be the team with the little "No. 1" in front of its name. And that is why I'm picking the Nets. No one believes in them and no one probably should -- after all, they're the Nets.

But they also have Jason Kidd, and I'll take him over Pacers rookie point guard Jamal Tinsley in a five-game series. And say what you will about Nets forward Kenyon Martin, but he displayed playoff intensity in the heart of the regular season. He'll be the key. Pick: Nets in four.

(4) Charlotte vs. (5) Orlando

The Hornets played better than anyone in the East during the second half -- and are this year's only top four seed to have been in a meaningful playoff series last season. Baron Davis, Jamal Mashburn and a deep bench will be too much for the Magic. That's especially true now that Tracy McGrady has been slowed by a sore back. Pick: Hornets in four.

(3) Boston vs. (6) Philadelphia

This is the series over which I lost the most sleep. The Celtics have two of the league's most reliable all-stars in Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. The 76ers made the Finals last season, but are without injured leader Allen Iverson. What to do?

Well, what I do is flip a coin -- then decide to pick the team that went to the Finals last season over the one that didn't even make the playoffs. It doesn't hurt that I've heard whispers saying Iverson might play. Pick: Sixers in five.

(2) Detroit vs. (7) Toronto

Here are two teams that made remarkable and surprising runs. Most people figured the Raptors would be the team that owned the No. 2 seed. And the Pistons? Most people figured they wouldn't even sniff the postseason.

After a disappointing start, Toronto found its rhythm without injured star Vince Carter, who is out for the playoffs. This isn't what Raptors management and fans expected, but it turned out to be a nice year anyway -- and a year that everyone should feel good about. But the Pistons are no fairy tale. There's Jerry Stackhouse, Ben Wallace, and the Jon Barry-led bench. In other words, no contest. Pick: Pistons in three.

Western Conference

(1) Sacramento vs. (8) Utah

I'm proud to say that I'm old enough to have seen the Kings in the playoffs when their uniforms were powder blue and their names were underneath the numbers on their jerseys. Like the Nets, I never imagined that Sacramento would be a top seed someday.

But the Kings are, thanks mostly to a system that stresses ball movement and good outside shooting. No question, the Kings look like strong candidates to win the whole thing. But the Jazz ... they know the playoffs. Like me, they're old. Unlike me, they're not going to be intimidated. Not when they have two future Hall of Famers in John Stockton and Karl Malone, two men who have been in the playoffs 18 straight seasons. Stockton may be 40 and Malone may be 38 ... but this is going to be a series, folks. Perhaps the best of the first round. My guess? It'll come down to a final shot. Pick: Kings in five.

(4) Dallas vs. (5) Minnesota

The Mavericks have struggled with team chemistry ever since the trade that brought them Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz. That's not to say they're not still very good, or that they can't get to the Finals -- I believe they do have an outside shot. But they also have yet to really gel. Fortunately for the Mavs, Minnesota is a mess. If you think Dallas has struggled a little bit lately, just wait. The T-Wolves may want to consider dealing Wally Szczerbiak or (gulp) Kevin Garnett after the season -- yes, I expect this series to be that lopsided. Pick: Mavericks in three.

(3) L.A. Lakers vs. (6) Portland

Just like any repeat champions of the past, the Lakers are a little more banged up than usual. Throw in the fact that their competition is more determined than ever ... and you just might have the ingredients for an upset. Especially when you consider Portland only needs to beat the Lakers three times (rather than the four wins required in the second round), and that the Blazers beat them twice during the regular season.

Shaquille O'Neal has said he'll play through the pain of his injured toe, which is good. That's because without O'Neal, the Blazers win. But picking against Shaq is like saying your idea of a good time is getting a root canal. Still, the Blazers will make this very interesting. Pick: Lakers in five.

(2) San Antonio vs. (7) Seattle

The more I watch Tim Duncan, the more I'm convinced that he's the second best player in the NBA (next to Shaq). And the more I watched the Spurs and their dominant play after the All-Star break ... well, the more I still wasn't convinced that they're a championship team. To me, it looks like poor Duncan just doesn't have enough help.

As for the SuperSonics, hey, they have point guard Gary Payton and bunch of young athletic types. All they've done is overachieve all season, as nobody expected the Sonics to finish anywhere but last in the Pacific Division. The surprises won't end there. Pick: Sonics in four.

SECOND ROUND - Best of seven

Eastern Conference

New Jersey vs. Charlotte

I have a feeling the Nets are going to be worn out after the first round, that they'll be asking, "You mean we have to do this AGAIN?" In other words, their youth and lack of playoff experience will haunt them in Round Two. Meanwhile, the Hornets will just be getting started.

Given the meager home attendance for both teams, you shouldn't have a tough time get a ticket for this one. Pick: Hornets in six.

Detroit vs. Philadelphia

Philly will be coming off an exhausting series against Boston -- and all of the Sixers' bumps and bruises are bound to take a toll. As for the Pistons, they'll be well-rested and relaxed after handling the Raptors.

This is where people will finally realize how good of an all-around player Jerry Stackhouse has become. Pick: Pistons in seven.

Western Conference

Sacramento vs. Dallas

Don't get off the couch, because every game will be worth watching. This will be playoff basketball at its finest, as every possession will be very telling.

The biggest difference in this series? Home-court advantage. That, and the fact that the Mavericks still aren't strong enough defensively to slow down the likes of Sacramento's Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovich. Pick: Kings in six.

L.A. Lakers vs. Seattle

Aside from Payton, the Sonics just don't have enough postseason training. I'm predicting they'll get past San Antonio by using lots of energy. That won't be nearly enough against the two-time defending World Champions.

I suspect that many of the games in this series will be close -- but nearly all will fall in the Lakers' favor. Pick: Lakers in five.

CONFERENCE FINALS - Best of seven

Eastern Conference

Detroit vs. Charlotte

For whatever reason, Charlotte plays better on the road than at home. I have a feeling that's something the Pistons will learn very quickly. Namely, the first game of the series in Auburn Hills, Mich. This is where the Hornets felt they belonged last season -- playing for the conference championship.

The Pistons will just be happy to be there. Pick: Hornets in six.

Western Conference

Sacramento vs. L.A. Lakers

Remember Rick Adelman's Portland teams of the early 1990s? Well, just know that they played the same style as Adelman's Kings do today -- and that they had the same amount of success.

But for whatever reason, those Blazers were never able to win The Big One. They did manage to appear in two Finals (1990 and 1992), but lost both. My point: These are the two best teams in the NBA, and this series should actually be the Finals.

And just like those old Blazers, Adelman's Kings are just not quite ready to win a championship. But it's going to be a good one, the best playoff series since those Laker-Celtic clashes of the mid-80s. Pick: Lakers in seven.

THE FINALS - Best of seven

L.A. Lakers vs. Charlotte

Once again, the Hornets will have the away-court advantage. They also are comfortable hanging out in Los Angeles, as Baron Davis went to UCLA and center Elden Campbell is a former Laker.

And one thing the Lakers are sure to learn -- never stand in the way of a team that's trying to move to New Orleans. OK, I fooled you for a second. You actually thought I was going to pick Charlotte, right? But ... me? Stand firm? Not a chance. Pick: Lakers in seven.

COMING UP

The newsletter will return to its normal format next week. I'll even act like an NBA general manager (with the emphasis on "act"), and tell the teams that missed the playoffs what to do to improve.

In the meantime, thanks for reading, keep e-mailing me your thoughts (I read every last one of them), and enjoy the playoffs!

DRAFT SPECIAL REMINDER

Don't forget, the three-part special series on the NBA draft will be arriving in your inboxes in early June. The series will show what transpires in the weeks leading up to the draft, as well as what goes down on draft day. This will be told by the men who do the drafting, including Atlanta's Pete Babcock and Boston's Chris Wallace.

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.

SIGN UP A FRIEND

If you have friends who are interested in pro basketball, why not sign them up for The Amico Report? It's free and it always will be. Just send their names and e-mail addresses to amicoreport@hotmail.com.