By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

SINKING IN L.A.

As I write this, Western Conference teams are jostling for playoff position. The top seed in the East is up for grabs. The NBA playoff race is entering it's final week, and no doubt, it is as exciting as it's ever been.

And that is why I'm going to write about ... (drumroll please) ... the Los Angeles Clippers.

That's right, I'm here to tell you about the Clippers. I'm here to tell you about a team that had high hopes last summer, only to be on the verge of spending another offseason praying and lighting holy candles as it follows the bouncing ping-pong ball.

I admit, I was first in line when the idea was jumping on the Clippers bandwagon before the season. I saw a lineup that featured Elton Brand, Andre Miller, and Corey Maggette, and thought, "Hey, this team is gonna be GOOD."

But today, Brand, Miller and Maggette are the only three guys who I would keep. As for everyone else ... well, now would probably be a good time to gut the team.

Seriously, is there any reason to go into next season with Lamar Odom, Michael Olowokandi, or Quentin Richardson on the roster? Does anyone really believe Eric Piatkowski or Cherokee Parks can be key players in the Clippers' long-term plans? Has anyone heard from backup guard and former lottery pick Keyon Dooling?

This isn't intended to trash those players. I still think Odom is very good, I've always loved Richardson's passion, and I admire how Dooling has remained positive despite suffering injury after injury. I still think all three can become top-notch NBA players -- just not with the Clippers.

It's no bulletin that these guys simply are not a good mix. Sometimes, the Clippers take the floor and act like they've never even met, much less practiced together. Other times, they act like they can't stand each other. Most of the time, it's hard to know what they're thinking , or how they feel.

That is why if I'm Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor, I'm starting over. Again.

It's why I do everything under my power to re-sign Miller, and make sure Brand and Maggette know new deals are on the way. Everyone else gets a handshake and a one-way ticket to their favorite NBA city.

If I'm Baylor, I'm taking a long look at what went wrong, then getting rid of it. Olowokandi played for one thing this year -- a new contract. It's hard to get upset with The Kandi Man, as who among us can say that not getting a raise improved our job performance? It's only human nature to put less effort into your work when you don't feel appreciated.

But no team ever made a serious playoff run with one eye on the door.

As for Andre Miller, yes, he's had a disappointing season. He's not even close to the player he was in Cleveland, as his shooting and desire on defense have reached an all-time low. The normally-reserved Miller even took some shots at his teammates in the newspapers, indicating he has no desire to stay in L.A.

A new deal and some fresh faces should change all that.

Lost in this mess has been the play of Maggette. I'll be honest, when he came out of college I expected Maggette to be just another bust from Duke. Man, was I wrong.

Maggette has quietly battled his way through injuries to average nearly 17 points and shoot a sizzling 80 percent from the free-throw line. He's extremely athletic, can slash to the basket, and is becoming a better shooter from 15-feet and out. Maggette is also the team's best defender, and joins Brand as the Two Guys Least Likely to Complain. And when you play for the Clippers, that says a lot.

Meanwhile, Brand has been Brand -- a power forward in the truest sense, and player who will get you about 18 points and 11 rebounds no matter what the circumstances.

I know, I'm rambling here. And I know, I've written way too much about the Clippers already. And I really haven't said what's wrong with the team, or how to fix it.

But I can say this much: Keeping Brand, Miller and Maggette is a good place to start. Beyond that? Well, there's a reason I write a free newsletter and don't manage NBA teams.

Then again, we are talking about the Clippers.

ON THE WIZARDS

-- I found it interesting that Michael Jordan received a standing ovation during his final game in Boston. I just kept thinking that 15 years ago, nobody would have been cheering for Jordan in Boston Garden, last game or not. But even the intense and sometimes bitter Celtics fans can appreciate what MJ was trying to accomplish in his comeback stint with the Washington Wizards. Jordan's goal was to teach the young players about playing for the love of the game, about unselfishness, and about the fundamentals. Did it work? I doubt it, as too many of today's players have been brainwashed by shoe companies and the AAA circuit, neither of which are exactly towers of basketball integrity.

-- No question, second-year forward Kwame Brown has loads of talent. But he's one guy who was probably hindered by Jordan's presence. For whatever reason, Brown has spent his first two years in the league acting intimidated, almost terrified. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Brown now that Jordan is retiring for good.

-- One young player who has definitely benefited from having Jordan in uniform is second-year swingman Bobby Simmons. Simmons seems to have picked up Jordan's fearless winning mentality, and has played with tons of energy during the season's second half. Now if we could just convince Wizards coach Doug Collins to keep Simmons on the court.

-- I love Larry Hughes, but he's not the answer at point guard. Instead, Hughes is an athletic slasher who the Wizards should use to replace Jordan as the starting small forward/shooting guard next season.

-- Granted, forward Christian Laettner never became the player the Minnesota Timberwolves hoped for when they made him the third overall pick 11 years ago. And Laettner isn't close to the player he was in Atlanta in 1997, when he made the All-Star team. But he's played very well for the Wizards in the past month, and his big-game experience is a reason why the team is still in the playoff hunt.

ON THE CAVALIERS

-- Carlos Boozer has been a better rookie than Jay Williams. Think about that. Then think about how Boozer and Williams were teammates last season at Duke, and how Williams was drafted second by Chicago, and Boozer was drafted 35th by Cleveland. In fact, Boozer has been better than every rookie but Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, Houston's Yao Ming, and maybe Miami's Caron Butler. Out of all the young guys on the Cavs roster, Boozer is the one who the team definitely will NOT try to trade this offseason. As bad as things have been for Cleveland, Boozer has never stopped hitting the boards or taking only the best of shots. An absolute steal.

-- I still think Darius Miles has a great future. A lot of it will depend on what type of coach the Cavs hire this offseason. That's not to say it's Keith Smart's fault that Miles has appeared dazed and confused for most of the season , but somebody needs to convince Miles that great players play hard at all times. It probably wouldn't hurt to get Miles more involved in the offense, as he almost always takes less than 10 shots per game.

-- Reader Chris Hanson attended a Cavs practice this season and filed this report: "I was appalled at the team's lack of enthusiasm. The players didn't seem to take one minute of practice seriously. They goofed around, wasted time, and just generally aggravated the coaches. It was like being in the fourth grade all over again. We have a league of spoiled babies who get everything handed to them. So when guys like Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant or Jason Kidd come along with a strong work ethic, they automatically become stars."

IMPROVING THE NBA

Before we get started on this week's segment on how to improve the league, I wanted to say I'm happy to hear that you e-mailed USA Today writer David DuPree about the subject. One reader, Chris Wittkop, e-mailed his thoughts to both me and DuPree, and DuPree printed some of them. I'm going to follow DuPree's lead, and will let Chris take it from here.

"What's wrong with today's NBA? 1) The hip-hop attitude -- you must practice, you must be accountable, you must share the ball, you must be professional and expected to behave as such on and off the court. 2) If a teacher got arrested for something that you read about on the daily NBA rap sheet, they would be fired and have their teaching certificate revoked. Do the same thing in the NBA. If a guy gets arrested, throw him out of the league and let him go dominate at the local YMCA. 3) Dump the shot clock. Why do we need one when guys like (Cleveland's) Ricky Davis throw up a shot every 3.1 seconds? 4) Create a salary structure that rewards players for graduating from college, and keeps the non-grads paid at the average American wage for such workers. 5) Make everyone wear canvas Chuck Taylors. Respect the game and return it to how it used to be!"

WELCOME, SLAMONLINE READERS!

Just wanted to say hello to those of you who signed up for the newsletter after seeing my name mentioned in Lang Whitaker's links on Slamonline.

Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Lang and the guys at SLAM. I especially like how they make it clear that they're not setting out to win writing contests, or have any dreams of becoming The Next John Steinbeck. That's not to say they aren't good writers -- they're very good. Mostly, though, they are people who play the game, love the game, and love sharing their passion for the game. It's what I hope to show you about myself when I send out this very newsletter.

Other things you should know about The Amico Report:

-- I love the NBA. Yes, it has it's flaws, but you won't find me trashing players or coaches very often. One reader correctly labeled me as "The official unpaid mascot of the NBA." I was honored. Anyway, I'm not bothered by tattoos or hip-hop attitudes or the fact that the players are millionaires.

-- The newsletter is free, and always will be. And let me tell you, it's worth every penny. You can find out how to sign up your friends at the end.

-- I love receiving your e-mails and thoughts on the NBA, and read every last one. I'll even print them, no matter how crazy.

-- I write about who I want, whenever I want. If you don't like it, hit the delete key or start your own free newsletter.

-- Finally, no matter what Lang or I have to say, the only way we'll know if Pete Babcock is a good general manager is to see what the Atlanta Hawks are doing three-to-five years from now.

READER FEEDBACK

From John Clark

Q: In the previous newsletter, you gave the Denver Nuggets kudos for listening to you when you said to sign Jeff Trepagnier. I'd say that the Nuggets' 17-60 record is proof that they've been listening to you for some time.

A: Dear John, actually the Nuggets haven't been listening ENOUGH! Then again, I'm the same guy who praised them for acquiring Omar Cook in the draft two summers ago. Cook was one of my all-time favorite college players, but when you can't play for the Nuggets ... well, you get the idea. No matter, I still haven't lost faith in New York City point guards, and they'll always have a shameless fan in me.

From Jason Patton

Q: I agree with your thoughts on ABC's pre-game coverage, but unlike you, I found the network's show to be incredibly dry this past week. They need to spice things up, and I think the first thing ABC should do is hire you as an additional color commentator.

A: Dear John, will you be my agent?

From Trester Hammond

Q: Do you think the Atlanta Hawks will have any interest in Jerry Krause, now that he's resigned as general manager of the Chicago Bulls?

A: Dear Trester, I haven't heard anything, but you've got me thinking. Of course, SLAM's Lang Whitaker, a.k.a. The Lone Remaining Hawks Fan, probably just got a queasy stomach over the idea.

FINAL RANDOM THOUGHTS

-- You have to love Celtics forward Antoine Walker. There are few players left at any position with his combination of passing skills and constant desire to find the open man. Wouldn't it be great to see Walker play for a team that valued ball movement?

-- My other favorite Celtic is J.R. Bremer. Like me and Golden State's Earl Boykins, Bremer is shorter than 6-foot-0 and a native of Northeast Ohio. Unlike me (but not Earl Boykins), Bremer has a deadly outside shot and is one young player who has already learned how to make his teammates better.

-- I agree with ESPN analyst Sean Elliott, who said that it's true many of today's stars are putting up numbers similar to Michael Jordan when Jordan was in his prime -- but they don't come close to being the defensive player Jordan once was. (Yet another shining example of why Elliott is the best analyst in the business).

-- A couple of weeks ago I thought, "Golly, wouldn't it be neat if Lenny Wilkens returned to coach the Cavs?" Well, New York Daily News reporter Mitch Lawrence said it could happen, as Wilkens isn't expected to be back in Toronto next season. A lot of it probably has to do with how Cleveland fares in the upcoming lottery.

-- I'm no longer certain that you draft LeBron James before Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony in the draft. In fact, I've gathered that a lot of NBA types are beginning to feel the same way. It's the result of two things: 1) Anthony was superb all season and in the NCAA tournament; 2) We live in a hop-on-the-bandwagon society, and Anthony suddenly has the same mass marketing appeal that James had before the season.

-- Finally, I'll be sending out my NBA playoff preview next week, but will be on vacation the week after that. In other words, I'm just going to kick back, relax, and enjoy the playoffs. So don't be alarmed when there's no Amico Report during the final week of April.

SIGN UP FOR THE AMICO REPORT

If you or someone you know would like to have the Amico Report delivered directly to your inbox, just send an e-mail address to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. The newsletter is free, and always will be. Questions and comments can also be sent to that address.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!


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