By Sam Amico

NETTING SOMETHING SPECIAL?

Well, this sure makes you forget all about the deal that sent Antonio Daniels to Portland.

I'm talking about the trade involving New Jersey and Philadelphia, the trade that sent Dikembe Mutombo from the 76ers to the Nets for Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch.

You're probably thinking, "Here we go." You're saying, "This is where Amico puts a positive spin on everything, tells us what a great trade it was for everyone involved, blah, blah, blah."

But that's not the case. In fact, I'm not sure what to make of this one.

The only thing we know for sure is that both of these teams HAD to make a move. That's especially true when you consider how each Boston and Atlanta has taken a big offseason step to improve itself.

In other words, winning the East ain't as easy as used to be.

Still, there are a lot of questions surrounding this trade, a lot of factors that could make it blow up in the face of both teams.

Will Van Horn finally start being aggressive and stop getting psyched out when it matters most? Will he finally become the player everyone thought he would be after being selected with the No. 2 overall draft pick? Or will he send Allen Iverson and coach Larry Brown into a collective meltdown?

I mean, if you can't play well with Jason Kidd in the lineup ... well, that's probably the biggest question surrounding Van Horn. Can he play at all?

Then there's MacCulloch. Will he continue to improve? Will Brown be able to keep him on the court for more than 15 minutes in the big games -- something Nets coach Byron Scott had trouble doing in the Finals?

And, finally, what about Mutombo? Will he prove to be the missing piece to a lineup that will now feature Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles? Or will Mutombo just get in the way?

So, yes, this all sounds very risky.

But in today's NBA, in order to get to the top -- and stay there -- you have to take these type of risks.

That is why I like what the Sixers and the Nets have done. That's why I believe this is a deal that could pay off for both teams.

Then again, even I am willing to admit that there are plenty of questions. And even I am willing to admit we won't really be able to rate this trade until the season has ended.

AS FOR THAT DANIELS DEAL ...

After hearing about the Sixers and Nets, it's to forget about how San Antonio shipped guards Antonio Daniels, Charles Smith, and some guy I never heard of (Amil McCaskill) to Portland. In return, the Spurs received guards Steve Kerr and Erick Barkley.

Let's start with the Spurs, who were shopping Daniels since the day the season ended. It must have been a case of a guy just not fitting in, as Daniels is a pretty good point guard, and an even nicer guy with a positive outlook on life.

Of course, so is Kerr, who I believe still has a year left of deadly outside shooting for a team in need (such as the Spurs). Also, Barkley is an underrated addition in that he'll push starting point guard Tony Parker in practice -- and not hurt the Spurs when he gets into the game himself.

Meanwhile, the player I like most in this deal is Smith. He plays hard and is a strong defender. A lot of people see Smith as a "throw-in" in a deal of throw-aways, but I see him as a 6-foot-4 guard with long arms who can actually help the talented Trail Blazers.

FINALLY, SOME HAWK TRADE TALK

You guessed it -- I like it.

Hey, why not like the trade that sent Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson from Milwaukee to Atlanta -- especially if you're the Hawks?

Granted, Robinson has a reputation of being a guy who is built like a power forward -- but who would much rather be Alex English than Charles Oakley. In other words, Robinson prefers soft mid-range jumpers to mixing it up underneath the basket, making him more of a little kitty cat than a big dog on the court.

But the Hawks already have Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Theo Ratliff (who is reportedly finally healthy) to do the dirty work. They need a guy like Robinson, a player who can extend the defense to open up room for Abdur-Rahim -- and a guy who can keep the defense honest when guard Jason Terry is hanging out on the perimeter.

A lot of people are saying, "Yeah, but the Hawks have guard problems. Terry isn't a point guard, and rookie Dan Dickau is not ready to start."

But did you know that the Hawks had a much better record when Terry played the point last season? And did you see the improvement made by shooting guard DerMarr Johnson after the all-star break?

One Atlanta-area reporter said that the Hawks "are giving up on Johnson," but I don't believe it. Even if the reporter is right, the Hawks can still patch together a solid backcourt with Terry, Dion Glover, Emanual Davis and Dickau.

Trust me on this -- if the Hawks stay healthy, they'll be in the playoffs.

The Bucks received Toni Kukoc and Leon Smith in return. Kukoc has been brilliant at times, but never consistent, and he'll be 35 by the end of the season. Smith's troubles have been well-documented ever since he entered the draft out of high school a few years ago. I've always openly rooted for Smith, but he may never be anything more than a CBA lifer.

So I'm not sure what the Bucks are doing, but my guess is they're not done making moves, and point guard Sam Cassell could be the next to go.

I just wish they would bring back those beautiful dark green uniforms of the 1980s.

THE EXPERT SPEAKS

Two weeks ago, I promised to print an e-mail from avid reader and Ohio State med student Craig Rudnick. Well, last week came and went, and I failed to live up to my word (my wife will tell you that's become an annoying habit with me, but we won't get into that).

Anyway, after numerous threats made on my life made by Craig and his one friend -- all in fun, guys -- I realized the importance of Mr. Rudnick's statements, and how they are valued by so many people (unlike my own written thoughts).

So, here are Craig's Comments:

"Mr. Amico, it seems that you feel every team that's in the crapper has a bright future. I agree with you about Houston, Golden State and Memphis coming up, but Cleveland is pathetic. The Cavs will get more productivity out of an unretired Brad Daugherty than they will ever get out of the Big Zzzzzzz (Zydrunas Ilgauskas). People got excited about Ilgauskas' per-minute stats last season, but that was when he was playing 12 minutes per game. The guy has peanut brittle for feet. He's not suddenly going to become an ironman.

"By the way, who did the Cavs get for Wesley Person again? The guy only had a career year."

Rudnick wasn't finished.

"The Wizards are impotent as well. Sure, they've done some commendable tinkering, but Richard Hamilton is one-dimensional and when I look at Brendan Haywood, I remember that Yogi Stewart blocked enough shots to get a nice contract and then left his game in Siberia. ... The Wizards will be the Denver Nuggets of this decade.

"As for the Nuggets, at least they have a plan. I can't wait to see how they spend their money once Juwan Howard's contract runs out.

"Finally, I think the Hawks might be cursed, talent or not. They should've hired Jerry West."

Dear Craig, thank you. You're right -- I do like every team that's "in the crapper." But, hey, what do you expect from a guy who writes a free e-mail newsletter?

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

FROM MANAV NAYYER

Q: Do you think the Memphis Grizzlies will trade Michael Dickerson now that they've acquired another shooting guard in Wesley Person?

A: Dear Manav, I think it's possible. But I also think there's a chance the Grizzlies will allow Dickerson to recover slowly from the knee injury that kept him out all of last season, and bring him off the bench. Also, there's no guarantee that Person will be the starting shooting guard. Memphis may opt to keep Shane Battier there, and go with a frontcourt of Pau Gasol and Drew Gooden.

FROM ED BLACK

Q: Have you heard what's become of Lenny Cooke, the 6-6 high schooler who didn't get drafted this summer?

A: Ed, every once in a while, someone like you comes along to make me look smart. Cooke will be in training camp with the Seattle SuperSonics this fall.

FROM RICK KOLOIAN

Q: I am a Detroit native who now lives in Washington D.C., and I'm a die-hard Pistons fan. I have two questions for you -- why did the team make a big push to sign free-agent point guard Chauncey Billups instead of Jeff McInnis, another free agent point guard? Also, the Detroit newspapers expressed a different view than you when it came to the summer league performances of young forwards Tayshaun Prince and Rodney White (they complimented Prince and were critical of White). Any thoughts?

A: Dear Rick, the Pistons aren't alone when the idea is shying away from McInnis. He has developed a reputation as a whiner, and someone who is bad for team morale. I'm not sure if that's true, but enough people have said they don't like being his teammate that you have to wonder. As for the second question, always believe the beat writers over me (or any other magazine writer).

SAM'S SLAMS

There are still plenty of talented free agents out there, waiting to be signed. Travis Best, Jeff McInnins, Rod Strickland, and Troy Hudson. ... All of those guys are point guards, and all are backups. But teams like Cleveland, Utah, and Boston are desperate. ... Need a reason to get excited? OK, how about this: the start of training camp is less than two months away (Oct. 1). ... A lot of you have e-mailed and asked if the NBA is still going through with plans to carry games on its TV station now that the AOL-NBA merger failed. The answer is, I think so. But no schedule has been released yet. (It would be great if someone from the NBA would fill us in with the details). ... Remember to log on to www.cavs.com to vote for the Cavaliers' new uniforms.... Finally, the Denver Nuggets have signed center Mark Blount.

GET READY FOR MY MAGAZINE!

You read that right, as I will be publishing the Amico Report 2002-03 Pro Basketball Preview this October.

The 40-page printer-friendly magazine will come directly to your e-mail inbox in PDF format -- and consist of NBA team-by-team previews, photos, trivia, draft information, a special report on the minor leagues, and my analysis of the upcoming season. There will also be a page on which readers will give their own thoughts and predictions.

The magazine is only $3.50 and will be delivered to you two weeks before the season begins. How's that for a bargain?

Ordering information is coming in a couple weeks!

SIGN UP A FRIEND

To sign up yourself or someone you know for the Amico Report, just send an e-mail address to amicoreport@hotmail.com. Why not? The Amico Report is free, and it always will be. Not bad for something that arrives in your inbox each week of the year -- even during the offseason. So sign up a friend today!

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!