By Sam Amico

HIGH HOPES FOR EVERYONE

It's supposed to be the offseason. OK, it IS the offseason if you're a casual NBA fan. But if you are a fan like me -- one in need of professional counseling -- then you know there's still plenty to be excited about.

Rookie camps. Free-agent negotiations. Trades.

As Houston Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson recently told me, "This used to be a six-month job. Now it takes 13."

Mostly, though, the offseason is a time to dream. It's a time to believe that your favorite team has a chance to ... win the division ... make the playoffs ... and maybe, reach The Finals.

Hey, everyone is 0-0, right?

Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers are the favorites to win it all again. Yes, Sacramento will be right there with them. And yes, Denver will most likely miss the playoffs.

But other than that, who can possibly predict what will happen? I mean, who among us figured that New Jersey would be crowned Eastern Conference champion? Or how about Boston and Detroit? A lot of folks didn't think any of those three teams would even make the playoffs.

That is why I say fans of the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies and the like should feel good about their clubs today.

Today, they all have a chance. Today, your GM is hard at work, trying to put together a winning product -- or at the very least, one that is worthy of your attention.

Today, there's reason to have faith.

So go ahead, call it the offseason. But here's one guy who won't be taking any time off.

And now, to the real news ...

WINNING WIZARDS

I thought Jared Jeffries was a solid draft pick for Washington, but I was even more impressed with the Wizards' selection of Juan Dixon at No. 17.

Dixon is a great athlete, a hard worker, a homegrown talent, and as an added bonus, a proven winner. He also has overcome quite a few obstacles -- as both of Dixon's parents died from complications related to AIDS when he was a teenager in Baltimore.

I don't think it's an accident that Michael Jordan's club picked two guys who played for the NCAA championship last season. And I don't think it will take long for the Wizards to reap the benefits of this draft.

Also, Rod Grizzard could be a second-round steal. With or without MJ (hopefully with), I'm gonna say the Wizards have an excellent shot to make the playoffs.

RISING SUNS?

I'll admit, I still think high school kids are bad for the NBA, but Phoenix did well in landing Amare Stoudemire. (Besides that, it doesn't bother me to see ONE high-schooler get drafted, which was the case in this draft).

Anyway, Stoudemire reminds me a lot of Jermaine O'Neal, meaning Stoudemire could develop into a scary low-post threat in three or four years. And goodness knows, today's NBA sure could use more low-post threats.

Meanwhile, Casey Jacobsen was a nice pick at No. 22, and he just may turn into an Eddie Johnson-like shooter/scorer. That would be a good thing, as Johnson is, in my estimation, among the most underrated marksmen in league history.

But the biggest reason you have to like the Suns' chances is Stephon Marbury. Word is, Marbury is working harder than ever to prove Phoenix did the right thing by trading for him (I already believed it).

So, the bottom line on the Suns? They are a team that has the potential to turn things around quickly.

DRAFT RECAP

My rundown on how everybody did on draft night, starting with Atlantic Division teams and ending with Pacific:

Boston
Darius Songaila will struggle to make the Celtics, but he might stick somewhere else.

Miami
There's a reason why Caron Butler slipped to No. 10 (don't believe all those Paul Pierce comparisons). Love second-round pick Rasual Butler, though.

New Jersey
Needed next-to-nothing, and pretty much got it. Second-rounder Tamar Slay is a steal, but will end up playing for another team if he makes it.

New York
Dare I say the Knicks came out winners on draft night? If Antonio McDyess stays healthy and Frank Williams comes to play every night, New Yorkers will be singing Scott Layden's praises.

Orlando
Ryan Humphrey could be smaller version of Horace Grant.

Philadelphia
Sam Clancy is the steal of the draft, period. John Salmons and Randy Holcomb are NBDL-bound.

Washington
See above.

Atlanta
Jason Terry has already expressed excitement over the acquisition of Dan Dickau -- and that may be because Dan Dickau is a poor man's Jason Terry.

Chicago
Give the Bulls an A-plus. Everybody knows about Jay Williams, and how he is already a shoe-in for the all-rookie team. But Roger Mason and Lonny Baxter could contribute as well. Don't be shocked if these guys make the playoffs.

Cleveland
DaJuan Wagner won't be the next Allen Iverson anymore than Harold Miner was the next Michael Jordan. But Wagner is an exciting player in his own right, and the Cavs did the right thing by nabbing him at No. 6. Second-rounder Carlos Boozer should fit in well.

Detroit
If it weren't for GMs' infatuation with high-schoolers and Europeans, Tayshaun Prince would have been a top 10 pick. As it stands, the Pistons got someone who could contribute very soon. Nice job.

Indiana
Fred Jones is a phenomenal athlete who will have time to develop his fundamentals behind Reggie Miller. Not a bad pick here, either.

Milwaukee
Marcus Haislip has improved each season, and if nothing else, he's already better than Joel Przybilla.

New Orleans
Courtney Alexander will be much better next season than anybody the Hornets would have landed with the No. 17 pick.

Toronto
Again, Lindsey Hunter will do more for the Raptors next season than Kareem Rush and Tracy Murray would have.

Dallas
Don't ask me how to pronounce Mladen Sekularac's name, but everyone is saying the Mavericks got a keeper in the second round -- that is, when he actually decides to join the team (it may not be for a few years).

Denver
Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Nene Hilario are talented, but each is just 19 years old. After drafting those two and trading for Mark Jackson and Marcus Camby, well, let's just say the Nuggets haven't exactly given fans reason to care.

Houston
Out of all the Rockets' draft picks -- Yao Ming (No. 1), Bostjan Nachbar (No. 15), and Tito Maddox (No. 55) -- I think Maddox will turn out to be the best. And all he'll ever be is a guard off the bench, if that. Honestly, I hope Ming proves me wrong, because the NBA desperately needs another worthy center. I just don't think he will.

Memphis
Drew Gooden may struggle early, simply because he isn't strong enough to play power forward. But many feel he could develop into a Larry Nance-type later in his career. Regardless, the Grizzlies are going to be much-improved and a LOT of fun to watch. Chris Owens was a nice pick in the second-round.

Minnesota
Marcus Taylor is the second coming off William Avery. Don't feel bad if you're not excited.

San Antonio
Acquiring Speedy Claxton from Philadelphia was the Spurs' second-best offseason move. The first was losing the Miami Vice colors on their logo.

Utah
The Jazz needed a shooting guard, but went with a Greg Ostertag-clone (Curtis Borchardt) instead. I don't get it.

Golden State
If Mike Dunleavy is aggressive and vocal, the Warriors will have themselves a gem. Jiri Welsh will replace Larry Hughes, as Welsh will be a better fit. Steve Logan will prove to be a real find. Like Memphis, Golden State is much-improved and will be fun to watch.

Los Angeles Clippers
Word out of LA is the Clippers feel they don't have enough power forwards and are trying to sign Charles Oakley. Just kidding. If Chris Wilcox and Melvin Ely stay, they'll be the two best rookie benchwarmers in a long time.

Los Angeles Lakers
Given time, Kareem Rush will be everything the Lakers hoped they were getting when they signed Mitch Richmond.

Phoenix
See above.

Portland
Qyntel Woods will have the perfect mentor in Scottie Pippen. But I don't think the Trail Blazers are done making moves yet. They know they are only one small piece away from very good things.

Sacramento
Corsley Edwards would be a nice 12th man, and the Kings may stash him on the injured list. A good pick for the final one of the draft.

Seattle
The SuperSonics didn't get anything in the draft, as second-rounder Peter Fehse is expected to remain overseas. The real question here -- is Vin Baker on the move?

PARKER GETS SMUSHED

Prior to the draft, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Fordham point guard Smush Parker, who left after his sophomore year. But as Parker found out, there's a difference between the buzz generated by NBA scouts and the hype brought on by the media.

Here is what one scout told me: "Parker's stock rose only because his people told reporters, 'Smush is definitely ready for the NBA.' The reporters did what they do best, writing down every word -- then placing Parker in all of their mock drafts. But had they talked to some scouts or GMs, they would have known that Parker wasn't going to be drafted."

The scout compared Parker to Omar Cook, who came out after his freshman season at St. John's and wasn't ready for the NBA. But after a productive season in the NBDL, Cook is now a Boston Celtic (and yes, he's still one of my all-time favorite players).

Anyway, Parker is also probably headed for the NBDL, or some other minor league.

UNDRAFTED DIAMONDS

Players who didn't get drafted but could make an NBA roster before next season ends:

Preston Shumpert (Syracuse); Aaron McGhee (Oklahoma); Udonis Haslem (Florida); Luke Recker (Iowa); Predrag Savovic (Hawaii).

Obviously, these players are facing long odds. After all, the only guy who made it from my list of Undrafted Diamonds last summer was former Penn State guard Joe Crispin, who played for the Lakers and Suns.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FROM TERRELL WOODS

Q: I have a two part question about high school kids that did not get drafted: 1). Do you think this will serve as a wake-up call for those other high-schoolers who may be thinking about entering the draft next year?; 2). What options do those kids have, now that they have forfeited their NCAA eligibility?

A: Dear Terrell, great questions. Do I think it will serve as a wake-up call to other high-schoolers? Probably not -- not as long as they have people giving them (usually bad) advice. Most high-schoolers will simply look at this year's draft as a "down" year. That will especially be the case when you consider that LeBron James will be picked No. 1 overall next season -- straight out of St. Vincent-St. Mary High in my native Akron, Ohio.

As for your second question, the high school players who were not drafted this year can play overseas, in the CBA, or some other minor league of choice.

FROM CORRADO PIROVANO

Q: I am writing from Italy, where I watched Nikoloz ("Skita") Tskitishvili play for Italian League champion Bennetton Treviso -- only Skita didn't really play. In fact, he only played about five minutes per game! He has a lot of talent, but I'm not so sure he could become a star, especially in the NBA. So why did the Nuggets draft him fifth overall?

A: Dear Corrado, because they're the Nuggets? Just kidding. One thing I think we as fans need to assume -- that the guys who are running NBA teams know more than us. They have a lot more time to evaluate players, seeing as how it's their full-time job. So the Nuggets must see something in Tskitishvili that you and I don't. And as you suggested, maybe we never will.

CBA NOTES

Former NBA forward Stacey King has been named coach of the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce. ... Ruben Nembhard of Fargo-Moorhead was far and away the CBA's leading scorer, averaging 28.0 ppg. ... In fact, each of the league's top three scorers played for Fargo (Rico Hill and Billy Keys were the others). Still, the Dakota Wizards, led by Miles Simon, won the CBA title. ... Remember Chris Porter of Auburn fame? Well, he finished the season sixth in the CBA in scoring (18.8 ppg).

USBL NOTES

The USBL concluded its 17th season last weekend, and the Oklahoma Storm won the title. The Storm is coached by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. ... Fittingly, Oklahoma won the USBL's single-elimination tournament at Mark Price Arena in Price's hometown of Enid. ... Some USBL players who are liked by NBA scouts: Kwan Johnson; Greg Jones; Corey Hightower; Gary Williams; Johnny Jackson; Justin Love. ... I am planning on trying out for the USBL next summer, and every summer until I'm 44. In other words, get ready for a good laugh.

CORRECTION TIME

Last week, reader Tom Goodall cited Robert Horry (Houston) and Stacey King (Chicago) as the only lottery picks who won a title with the team that originally drafted them. Numerous other readers accurately pointed out that San Antonio's Tim Duncan and David Robinson also did.

BUY MY BOOK

My book, "A Basketball Summer," is now available on Barnes & Noble's Web site (www.barnesandnoble.com). All you need to do to find it is perform a search for my name on the site.

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!