By Sam Amico

AN EASTERN JOURNEY

How does this sound for a starting lineup:

Guards -- Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes. Forwards -- Michael Jordan and Christian Laettner. C -- Brendan Haywood.

Yes, I know that Jordan is supposed to come off the bench for the Washington Wizards this season. I know even Wizards coach Doug Collins has said as much.

But I also know that when it comes to The Greatest Ever, what's supposed to happen doesn't always happen.

That's no knock on Jordan -- just the opposite. It's just that I have a hard time seeing ol' MJ sitting for the game's first eight minutes, especially for a team that could be this year's New Jersey Nets.

Allow me to repeat that.

I think the trade for Stackhouse could be the kind of deal that lifts the Wizards to 40 or even 50 wins -- and who knows what after that? Maybe they really will be this season's Nets.

Go ahead and call me nuts, but remember that the Wizards were 30-30 with Jordan in the lineup last season, and that was with a still learning Richard Hamilton and a completely confused Courtney Alexander.

Granted, a lot of Eastern Conference teams set out to improve themselves, and I have a hard time finding one that didn't succeed.

Boston added power forward Vin Baker to a roster that already includes Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker.

The Nets traded for Dikembe Mutombo and signed sharpshooting big man Rodney Rogers.

Philadelphia added Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch ... Atlanta landed Glenn Robinson ... and New York now has Antonio McDyess.

And let's not forget about the teams that made minor moves, or simply stood pat. New Orleans still has Baron Davis and Jamal Mashburn, Milwaukee still has Ray Allen, Toronto still has Vince Carter, Orlando still has Tracy McGrady (and perhaps a healthy Grant Hill and rejuvenated Shawn Kemp), and Indiana still has, well, everyone.

Then there's Detroit, the team that dealt Stackhouse to Washington for Hamilton. In case you've forgotten, the Pistons came within a series of reaching the Eastern finals last season -- and they did it by being a team in the truest sense.

Hamilton is a wonderful young player, and there is no reason to believe Detroit can't repeat its surprising success of 2001-02.

So while it was difficult to pick a winner to come out of the East last season, it's even tougher this year. The difference being that last season, no one in the conference seemed all that threatening. This year, it appears that everybody has talent -- and I mean everybody.

I think all of this is evidence that the NBA has survived the previous few "down" years (for which the league was due), and is getting back to the pre-MJ level of the 1980s, when there were lots of talented and deep teams.

And whoever thought a guy who blasted the U.S. basketball team just seven days ago would be saying that?

WHAT ABOUT WASHINGTON?

You're probably thinking, "Quit rambling and finishing telling me about the Wizards!"

Ah, yes. The Wizards.

Even if Jordan doesn't start -- trust me, if he's healthy, he eventually will -- the Wizards will still have a crafty veteran in the lineup in new signee Bryon Russell. And it's that type of mix of leadership, athleticism, and depth that has me favoring the Wizards.

Besides either Jordan or Russell, the bench will include Chris Whitney, Tyronn Lue, and rookie Juan Dixon in the backcourt, and Kwame Brown, Jahidi White, rookie Jared Jeffries, and either Laettner or Etan Thomas in the frontcourt.

Also, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Vardo, both of whom came over in the Detroit trade, could be underrated contributors.

I thought the Wizards had a darn good shot to make the playoffs before the Stackhouse deal. Now, I would be very surprised if they don't.

And with Jordan back, and reportedly a lot thinner and feeling a lot healthier, anything could happen in the postseason -- even in what is sure to be a much-improved East.

COMING TO CLEAVE-LAND

I thought Cleveland's acquisition of point guard Mateen Cleaves was an underrated move.

Hey, it can't hurt. After all, the man whom the Cavs traded to get Cleaves, forward Jumaine Jones, had no shot at getting any real playing time. And after trading Andre Miller to the Clippers, the Cavs desperately needed someone who could dribble with his head up and not be bothered by the concept of passing to top guns DeJuan Wagner, Ricky Davis, and Darius Miles.

Cleaves is that kind of guy, and anyone who saw him cheer on his teammates from the bench during Sacramento's playoff run knows he's not worried about becoming an all-star. Rather, he seems to know and appreciate his role.

Cleaves probably isn't ready to start, although that could change by midseason, especially if he works hard at improving his outside shot.

For now, Clevelanders should be happy knowing that Cleaves is a similar player to one-time Cavaliers backup point guard Darnell Valentine. Yes, only the die-hards will remember Valentine.

AS FOR SACRAMENTO ...

The Kings are undoubtedly deeper and much more athletic than last season, as you could do worse than having guys like Jones and free-agent pickup Keon Clark coming off the bench.

And don't forget, Hedo Turkoglu received some valuable playoff minutes when Peja Stojakovich was injured. Also, ultra-athletic second-year forward Gerald Wallace is reportedly ready to play a larger role.

When it comes to the Kings, only one question remains:

Golly, where does all of this leave Brent Price?

STRICKLY SPEAKING

The Cavs, Celtics and a few others are still trying to sign one of my all-time favorites, point guard Rod Strickland. I even like Strickland better now that he's old (36), which means I can actually relate to him in some way (goodness knows it has nothing to do with my basketball skills).

Anyway, I think Strickland would lift either of those teams to five-to-10 more wins. In fact, I might have to change my pick for East favorite to Boston should that be where Strickland finally lands.

E-MAIL ALONZO MOURNING

I will be putting together a list of well-wishes for Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, whose kidney disease has taken a turn for the worse. Mourning is expected to miss the season, and his brilliant career could be finished.

Anyway, e-mail your thoughts and prayers for Alonzo to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. I'll forward them to the Heat's public relations office, and hopefully, they'll pass them along to Alonzo.

One sidenote: The shorter your message, the better chance it has of making the list. Only e-mails that include your full name and hometown will be included.

QUICK SHOTS

-- I received plenty of feedback regarding my last newsletter, which pretty much bashed the United States basketball team for folding in the World Championships. But you should know that I wasn't intending to say Paul Pierce could NEVER make a big shot. I was strictly referring to his performance in the USA's loss to Argentina.

-- It should also be noted that Pierce didn't seem to make any friends on the U.S team. A few of the guys reportedly felt like he was hogging the ball and refusing to get back on defense. Pierce even had Andre Miller screaming at him on one sequence, and how often can you say you've witnessed Miller getting upset? For me, the answer is never.

-- Erick Strickland ain't Rod Strickland, but Erick still should be a nice fit with the Pacers. Strickland, a steadying force for the Celtics last season, is a humble veteran who won't mind coming off the bench and helping the development of young backcourt players such as Jamal Tinsley and rookie Fred Jones.

-- Hornets swingmen Jamal Mashburn and Courtney Alexander reportedly have already began working out at the Alario Center, where the team will play its home games. That's right, Mashburn and Alexander are back on the court. Hey, New Orleans, you're gonna love these guys!

-- I think the supposed Danny Fortson-Antwan Jamison feud has been blown out of proportion. If I'm new Golden State coach Eric Musselman, I'm thrilled that Fortson is telling anyone who will listen that Jamison is going to have to earn the starting power forward spot -- that Fortson isn't going to just give it away. It's that type of competitive mindset that all teams can only hope for heading into training camp.

-- In case I seem a little more lethargic than usual, it's not your computer screen or mouse. Hay fever has conquered me this week. But training camp starts in less than a month, and that thought alone is sure to make me feel better.

-- Thank you all for reading, and I promise to get to your questions and comments next week. As always, I read every last one of your e-mails (even the ones insisting that I've never really watched an NBA game), and I thoroughly enjoy receiving them. So keep them coming!

-- Finally, I will be printing regular reports from minor league basketball expert John Gary beginning next week. So stay tuned.

BUY MY SEASON PREVIEW!

There is still time to purchase my 2002-03 NBA Season Preview, a PDF-style magazine that will be delivered to your e-mail two weeks before the start of the season. The magazine will consist of previews and analysis of all 29 NBA teams, draft news, editorials, features, rosters, schedules, and yes, fantasy information.

It will also include a special section of reader thoughts on the upcoming season. I'll be sending out an e-mail asking for them soon.

The preview costs just $3.50, and you can order it by sending a check or money order to:

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CONTACT ME

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HAVE A GREAT DAY!