By Sam Amico

THINNING AIR

Is it just me, or did Michael Jordan look as healthy as ever during his SportsCenter conversation on Aug. 18?

I watched the interview and thought, "Wow. Michael looks like he lost five pounds off his face alone." And the puffy bags that were under his eyes all of last season? Gone.

It turns out that I wasn't just seeing things, as Jordan has reportedly lost 10 pounds since June. Plus, Washington coach Doug Collins told the Washington Post that Jordan is "as lean as I've seen."

Collins added: "He really looks good. It was the first time I had seen him since the draft."

All of this can only mean one thing -- that MJ is planning on suiting up for the Wizards one more time (something else Collins admitted in the Post). It means that Jordan appears to be quietly getting back into shape, creating little fuss as he goes about his exercise routine.

And it doesn't take a medical expert figure out that this summer's apparent plan is much better than last summer, when Jordan attempted to shed three years worth of flab in the span of about six weeks. He also suffered some broken ribs in the process -- an injury that had close friend and trainer Tim Grover saying Jordan would not be able to complete his comeback.

But come back Jordan did, and while he was arguably the best 39-year-old to ever take the court, he seemed to fade in the second half of most games, and never really appeared to get into top shape. Too many nights ended with Jordan bent over, clutching at his shorts and panting as he hopelessly looked up at the game clock.

Then came the knee problems, the surgery, and as a close friend of mine predicted, "the pulling of the muscles he didn't even know he had."

My friend makes sure to remind me that he made those comments prior to last season. He relishes the idea of saying, "I told you so," rubbing in the fact that I predicted Jordan would be the Jordan of old.

Well, here I go again.

I'm not going to offer any disclaimers, such as, "If Jordan stays healthy ..."

I'm just going to say it.

I'm just going to tell you that I think Jordan will remain healthy enough to play in all 82 games. I'm going to predict that a 40-year-old Jordan will be much better than the version we had last season -- which was still pretty good.

And yes, I'll even declare for the second straight August that Jordan will lead the otherwise young Wizards into the playoffs.

Last summer, I offered support for my point. I talked about how Jordan is too great to be bothered by age. That his comeback will be much better than those attempted by Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, or Bob Cousy -- simply because he's Michael Jordan and they are not.

Obviously, I learned my lesson. Age is a real curse for all athletes, even The Greatest Basketball Player Ever.

But I also know Jordan's history of redeeming himself after he's failed. I also know the drive that always gave him the edge, the mindset that resulted in six championships.

And when I see how Jordan has dropped 10 pounds ... how he's systematically and secretly getting into playing shape ... how he's not predicting great things for himself ... well, I believe.

Again.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON MJ

Do you think Michael Jordan should come back? If so, how do you think he will fare? Will his presence as a player hurt or help the Wizards' development? Or could you care less, having grown tired of all the Jordan talk?

Send your thoughts to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com, and I'll use them in next week's newsletter.

MORE ON THE WIZARDS

Even if Jordan moves back into the front office, I still think the Wizards have a good shot at the playoffs.

Remember, shooting guard Richard Hamilton has improved with each season, and is on the brink of becoming an All-Star. The Wizards also did a nice job this offseason of adding veteran talent -- such as guard Larry Hughes -- and drafting rookies who can contribute immediately in forward Jared Jeffries and guard Juan Dixon.

Then there's second-year big men Brendan Haywood and former No. 1 draft pick Kwame Brown. Each has reportedly made big strides during summer workouts.

Also, I'm not sure what this means, but New Orleans forward George Lynch recently told reporters that he wants to be traded to Washington. The Hornets are supposedly trying to accommodate him.

Either way, it seems as if the only thing the Wizards lack is a deadly outside shooter. Yes, Hubert Davis fits that description, but his game begins and ends with the jump shot.

Finally, you have to like the coaching of Collins. While he can drive veterans to the brink of insanity with his brash style, Collins is an exceptional teacher of the pro game, and he cares deeply for each of his players.

So with or without Jordan, I say the Wizards improve on last season's mark and win somewhere between 40-43 games.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

This interesting e-mail comes from reader Kelly Clark:

"I watched a Lakers-Celtics Finals the other night on ESPN Classic, and a few things jumped out at me regarding the style of play during the 1980s and early '90s.

"Namely, everybody could shoot. I was amazed at how well guys like Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, James Worthy and Magic Johnson, EVERYONE, could shoot the basketball. And the guys who couldn't shoot ... didn't!

"Everyone hit their foul shots -- even the guys who couldn't make a layup made their foul shots. Also, it seems like defenses could foul hard and not be called for a flagrant foul.

"Don't get me wrong. I love the NBA and today's style of play, but it was amazing to watch how efficient those teams of the late '80s were on offense and defense."

TODAY'S GAME

Kelly is right, as anybody who witnessed the NBA of 10-15 years ago realizes that there's been a dramatic decline in the fundamentals. And like Kelly, myself, and anyone else who is passionate about pro basketball, all you can do is shake your head and wonder, "Will we ever see more than one or two good shooters per team again?"

Most of this can be blamed on what Atlanta Hawks general manager Pete Babcock called "our basketball society." In other words, as long as we have shoe companies and agents telling 15-year old kids that they are ready for the NBA, well, 15-year old kids won't have much motivation to develop their skills.

Plus, with high school players and college freshmen entering the draft each season, you have an NBA filled with guys who aren't ready for the NBA -- and who can't shoot.

It's great that so many of these kids can come from nothing to make millions of dollars while making a positive contribution to society. Honest.

But just don't tell me that they can shoot, pass, or do ANYTHING half as well as those L.A. Laker, Boston Celtic or Detroit Piston teams of the late 1980s. They can't, and you're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

At the same time, most of today's top players are likable and enjoyable to watch in their own way. And that is I why I know I'll always love the NBA.

QUICK NEWS, NOTES & THOUGHTS

Seeing as how I've rambled on so much this week, I've barely left myself enough space for the good stuff. Here goes:

* The hot rumor out of Detroit has Pistons guard Jerry Stackhouse headed to Portland for Trail Blazers guard Bonzi Wells.

* A few of you have e-mailed to ask my take on the World Championships. My response: Wake me up when the U.S. plays Yugoslavia -- which I think has a good shot with the likes of Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovich and Vladimir Radmanovic on the roster. It'll also be interesting to see how Yao Ming fares with China.

* It won't be easy for Shawn Kemp to rebuild his career after the weight -- and drug -- problems he dealt with while in Cleveland and Portland. But I'm definitely one guy who's rooting for him. And if I were a GM, I'd give him a chance if he agreed to come at a discount.

* Seattle coach and Kemp's former teammate with the SuperSonics, Nate McMillan, made these comments in the Seattle Times after learning Kemp had been waived by Portland: "I haven't seen the Shawn Kemp that I played with in quite a long time. For the past few seasons, he's been a different player."

* McMillan also predicted that Kemp would simply retire. "Obviously, I can't speak for Shawn, but I think for him to make this decision to forgo this last year of his contract and leave $25 million on the table, then that tells me he doesn't want to play for anyone else. He must have decided this was it." Actually, though, Kemp indicated he wants to play in a statement released by his agent.

* Cleveland did the right thing by matching Minnesota's offer for swingman Ricky Davis. It proves that the Cavaliers really are building for the future, and didn't just trade Andre Miller for the sole purpose of dumping what is sure to become a big contract. With Davis and Darius Miles in uniform, the Cavs' slogan for next season should be "Look Out Below!"

* Hey, Hornets, you get an A-plus for the new uniforms and logo. You managed to change the team's look without going hog-wild and overdoing it. Nice job, guys. Your new city should be proud.

* It looks as if Utah rookie point guard Raul Lopez's knee injury is pretty serious. But fear not, Jazz fans. You have one of the wisest and most underrated front office-types in the league in vice president Kevin O'Connor. He'll figure something out.

* Unless something drastic happens between now and next week, I plan to feature the NBA team that I believe has the brightest future -- the Chicago Bulls.

* Somebody famous once said, "Newspapers are a lecture; the Internet is a conversation." And that is why I promise to print e-mails from Derek McKay, Randy Doster, and everyone else in the Question & Answer segment next week. So keep those e-mails coming, and most of all, enjoy what's left of summer. Training camp is just around the corner.

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 next week!

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CONTACT ME

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!