By Sam Amico

NEW JERSEY STATE OF MIND

I can't help it. I just love watching the New Jersey Nets.

I just love the way the Nets run the fastbreak to near perfection, and how point guard Jason Kidd always finds an open teammate. Always.

And I love how Kidd's teammates love to get open. Seriously, have you ever seen so many modern day NBA players move without the ball -- just knowing that they will eventually get it?

Don't know about you, but I haven't seen this type of effectiveness off the break since Magic Johnson, James Worthy and the Showtime L.A. Lakers of the 1980s.

Young point guards should keep a close eye on Kidd, and how he never looks down while dribbling. His head is always up, his eyes constantly scanning the court. They should also watch how he takes the ball to the basket, and how he knows that keeping your teammates happy is priceless.

Young players should also watch the Nets' shooting guards and forwards. New Jersey may be a fastbreaking team, but it runs an organized break -- with everybody sprinting, cutting, and working without the ball to find an open spot.

Then once guys like Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn or Lucious Harris receive a pass from Kidd, they make sure their shoulders are squared and their feet are set. Then boom, it's lights out for the opponent.

Another reason I love watching the Nets? Most of the time, they just run down the court after making a basket. I mean, how many times have you seen Kidd go into convulsions after making a nice play? For me, the answer is never.

Sure, Kenyon Martin gets overly excited from time to time, and I'm not saying the athletes should act like they're playing basketball in a library. But the Nets aren't usually ones to flex their muscles after dunking in your face -- and I like that.

With all that in mind, I think the Boston Celtics would give the Lakers a better run in the Finals. But as much as I enjoy watching the Celtics, and as much as I would be thrilled to see another Celtics-Lakers matchup ... well, I think a Nets-Lakers series would be more exciting. Simply because the Nets are there.

Funny thing is, who really believed in the Nets? Not this so-called expert, who picked the Hornets to win the East. Not most of my colleagues, who predicted that New Jersey would remember it is New Jersey -- and collapse early in the playoffs.

But the Nets are still around, still running the break, still turning every game into a real adventure. And to be completely honest, I just love that.

FIXING THE LOTTERY TEAMS

Here are a couple lines of advice for each team that failed to make the playoffs:

-- Washington. Hope that Michael Jordan comes back -- and that he is at least as good at 40 as he was at 39. Also, don't draft another high school player. Just like last season's Nets, the Wizards are just one veteran away from a nice playoff run.

-- Miami. Make good use of that lottery pick, because as long as Pat Riley is around, you won't be getting many. Rod Strickland is one of my all-time favorite players, but the Heat needs a point guard.

-- New York. Make the best with what you have. After all, you probably don't have many other options. The Knicks can win with the players currently on the roster -- they already proved as much. They'll get another chance, because the salary cap will most likely prevent any offseason moves.

-- Chicago. Just be patient. As much as I teased the Bulls, I believe Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler are going to turn into All-Stars, and soon. All this team is needs is a little time and another good young player -- which it will get with the second pick in the draft.

-- Atlanta. Again, just be patient. The Hawks could use a true point guard, as Emanual Davis was injured all season and Jason Terry is really a small shooting guard. Other than that, they'll be fine.

-- Cleveland. Don't trade Andre Miller. Don't even think about it (well, unless you can get an absolute steal). Sign Miller to the maximum contract. And more than anything, go back to the old uniforms/color scheme. Just look at what it did for the Detroit Pistons.

-- Milwaukee. Golly, it's tough to say what needs done here. My guess would be to dump Anthony Mason. After all, the Bucks always seemed to make the playoffs before he came along.

-- Denver. Finding a quality point guard would be a good place to start. Other than that, not much. Juwan Howard seems to have rediscovered his game, and hopefully, Antonio McDyess will have rediscovered his health. Might want to consider bringing back Mike D'Antoni as coach.

-- Memphis. Draft Mike Dunleavy. I would just love to see Shane Battier, Pau Gasol and Dunleavy (and maybe even a healthy Michael Dickerson) in the lineup together. They're long, strong and athletic, and I bet Memphis would make a run at the playoffs.

-- Houston. Repeat after me: Don't draft Yao Ming. Use the No. 1 pick on a player who can help right away, or trade it for a quality veteran. Drafting Ming doesn't look like it'll solve anything -- at least, not for a long, long time.

-- Golden State. Try to get Jeff Van Gundy out of the broadcast booth and on your bench. If not, keep your current coach (Brian Winters) and just give these players time to gel. Then remind us to run for cover once they do.

-- L.A. Clippers. See above.

-- Phoenix. If I could figure this one out, I would be an NBA general manager and not writing a free e-mail newsletter. But believe it or not, I think Stephon Marbury is a good player around whom to build. The Suns just need to find some big people.

TALKIN' TOLBERT

I hope the folks at Disney open a spot for Tom Tolbert next season. Tolbert has done a great job as the studio analyst on NBC, and has the type of personality that would fit in well at ESPN (which is owned by Disney and will carry NBA games next season).

My favorite Tolbert line?

When talking about the Celtics, Tolbert recently said, "Today, I always ask, 'Remember the good old days when Boston had Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale?' Well, I just hope that someday I'm not saying, 'Remember the good old days, when Boston had Tony Battie, Kenny Anderson and Rodney Rogers?'"

YOUR E-MAILS

FROM KURT FEDDERS

"In your May 7 report, you mentioned that the USBL had begun its 16th season. Then you asked 'what other minor league in any sport anywhere can say that?'

"A month ago, the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) completed its 56th season. Although Isiah Thomas shut the league down in February 2001, the CBA came back with its original idea of individually-owned teams, beginning the 2001-02 season with eight franchises.

"Just thought I would let you know."

Dear Kurt, thanks for the update. A few other readers e-mailed to say that I had better hope nobody from minor league baseball read my comments about the USBL. But my point was that not many basketball leagues have the type of lifespan of the USBL -- especially when you consider that the entire league is run by one person (Dan Meisenheimer) and plays during the summer. But what the CBA has accomplished is also very remarkable.

FROM LYN NISLY

"You mentioned the possibility of Minnesota trading Wally Szczerbiak. What's your assessment of his pro career to this point -- is he an overachiever or underachiever? I always thought he was a class act."

Dear Lyn, I think Wally has become exactly what I expected (which, believe me, is rare). He is a career backup on the All-Star team, perhaps a once-in-a-while starter -- and a guy who misses the game entirely on other occasions.

But for whatever reason, it just seems as if he and Kevin Garnett cannot co-exist. Szczerbiak would be much better on a team like Cleveland or Utah, where he could take the majority of the shots.

FROM MIKE TURNER

"In your previous newsletter you wrote that 'Utah's John Stockton is still among the top 10-15 point guards in the league, and has shown only minimal signs of slowing down.'

"Top 10-15? How about top five? I might even argue that he's No. 1, and I'm not even a Jazz fan. Stockton was tops among point guards in field-goal percentage, by far. Stockton was the only one who shot better than 50 percent (51.7). Jason Kidd, of course, was an abysmal 39.7.

"Or how about assists per 48 minutes? It went like this: Andre Miller, 14.0; Jamal Tinsley and Kidd, 12.7; and Stockton, 12.6.

"And while he's no Sam Cassell, Stockton's scoring per 48 minutes was 20.6. Compare that number to Baron Davis (21.5), Andre Miller (21.2), and Kidd (19.1). Stockton's stat in this category was also better than 'shooting' point guards like Chucky Atkins, Damon Stoudamire, and Darrell Armstrong.

"Yes, Stockton's minutes are down, but he's one of only 16 point guards to play all 82 games -- and his 2,566 minutes were 55th overall."

Dear Mike, you are a true stat machine. My lone argument? Stockton just ain't what he used to be on defense. But if I had just one season as an NBA owner and wanted to get my team to the championship, there are only three point guards in the league who I would choose over Stockton (in order): Gary Payton, Jason Kidd, and Andre Miller.

MAJOR E-MAIL ON THE MINOR LEAGUES

Pro basketball scout and Amico Report subscriber Ed Kozol recently sent this interesting e-mail:

"Just some notes on minor league basketball. Beginning with the NBDL, we should let some time pass before we pass judgment. I think the NBA and NBDL are trying to do it the right way, but like it will take a little time. Give it two-to-three years.

"My hope is that those in charge of the league will talk to some grassroots people and not make the same mistakes others have. But the NBDL should make it simply because of the NBA's money and marketing muscle.

"The CBA is a good league. The only thing those running it need is to make solid decisions on expansion. They need to find the right owners, who will put forth the money and stay with it for at least three years. People will come to the games if they know you're going to be around for a while.

"The new ABA has tried, but I believe the league needs to make a decision -- namely, is its goal to be a major league, or a minor one? Either way, the ABA does consist of some good talent and coaches.

"The USBL is in its 17 season, and it will continue to exist for some time. Again, the league just needs to keep a close eye on its owners and on expansion, and make sure it keeps getting quality people to be involved with it. There is also some very good talent in the USBL.

"The GBA is in a whole lotta trouble, period. The UBA and SWBL are weekend leagues and serve their purpose. The NABL, NRL, OBA and IBL have folded.

"I think the best thing would be for administrators of the NBDL, CBA, and ABA to put their heads together and form a Triple-A conference, using Major League Baseball as its example. The pay scale would be the same for everyone, and the league would be under one governing body, playing by the same set of rules.

"Then those other smaller leagues (IBA, IBL, etc.) could join together to form a Double-A league.

"All of these teams could be run by people who are screened by NBA owners -- who could make sure that the minor league affiliates are legitimate. This would also be a good way for fans to know that the franchise in their respective city aren't going to pack up and leave right away.

"Finally, leagues such as the USBL, UBA, SWBL and NRL could form one summer league that consisted of a couple of conferences.

"I just think that under this setup, everyone would make money, be happy, and provide a quality product."

Thanks, Ed. I've been saying the same thing for years.

NEWSLETTER UPDATE

Now that I've settled into my new job, you can expect to receive The Amico Report each Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. That's right, you'll get it on any one of three days. How's that for commitment?

In all seriousness, I hope you enjoy it no matter what day it arrives. And more than anything, I hope to hear from you.

SAM'S SLAMS

Let's make a push for the Hornets change their name before settling in New Orleans (please e-mail me suggestions for print). ... Jared Jeffries and Casey Jacobsen are two guys who certainly could be good NBA players someday. But they're definitely not ready now. When I hear players such as Jeffries and Jacobsen are entering the draft, it makes me wish more than ever that the NBA and the players' association would reach an agreement and just set an age limit. Until they do, the league will never be as good as it should be. ... I should apologize to Jamal Mashburn. Last week, I implied that the Hornets' forward was wimping out, that he needed to be on the court, virus or not. Well, it appears the virus Jamal has is a lot worse than originally thought. So, just get well soon, Jamal.

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!