By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

WEEKEND TO RELAX

Well, it's the All-Star break.

For me, the break means catching up on TV Land programming and going to the movies on Saturday night with my wonderful wife of three-and-a-half years, Carley.

In other words, the only thing that really interests me about All-Star weekend is the actual game. Then again, I have always been a closet fan of the dunk contest. But when it comes to rookies playing the second-year guys, or celebrities clanging jumpers off the back of the rim ... well, I'll take a pass.

If I ran All-Star weekend, it would be much more about the history of the league, and place the majority of its focus on the game's former stars. Remember when the NBA had its 50th Anniversary celebration at Cleveland's Gund Arena? That was my favorite All-Star moment. It gave us time to pause and reflect on the people who helped make the game great.

But that's just me, and I'm not trying to take away from your All-Star fun. As usual, I'm just mindlessly rambling. And goodness knows, the All-Star break gives us a good excuse to do exactly that.

So, on with the meaningless thoughts ...

SI AND THE MID-SEASON

Rather than write my own mid-season report, I decided just to read the one in Sports Illustrated. SI actually had some good stuff, unless you count how it chose Ben Wallace as mid-season MVP (more on that later).

Most interesting was a poll in which the magazine asked people how they felt about the league. According to SI, the responses came from 1,000 randomly selected Americans.

Some of the results are worthy of your attention.

For instance, one of the questions asked readers how interested they are in the NBA right now. A whopping 62.1 percent answered that they're not interested at all.

I say those people don't know what they're missing. I mean, while the NBA may not exactly be at its peak in terms of talent, the game is still played with a combination of speed, grace, and strength.

Just ask Carley. We attended a game between Cleveland and Portland last week, and all she could say was, "It's like watching a bunch of acrobats."

And just when I thought she was being suckered into appreciating only the high-flying dunks and alley-oop passes, Carley told me how much she enjoyed watching Arvydas Sabonis play. Believe me, I was happier than anybody to hear she still has a special place in her heart for the old and non-athletic.

Anyway, I'm not going to debate every part of the poll. Whether I like it or not, the following truth is obvious -- there are too many things about pro basketball that people don't like.

That includes the players.

Most of Sports Illustrated's study asked readers to agree or disagree with a particular statement. One of those statements was, "The emerging NBA stars are less charismatic or likable than the previous generation of stars." Only 26.7 percent of those polled disagreed.

Also, 51.6 percent disagreed when SI stated that NBA players' conduct on and off the court is better than those of athletes in other professional sports.

As for the issue of high school players coming directly into the league, 56.3 percent said they thought it was bad for the NBA. I'm with the people on that one.

Finally, SI had a story to go with its poll. Most disappointing was the fact that the league's average attendance through Feb. 1 was 16,535 -- its lowest average since 1993-94.

SO, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

At the end of the season, I plan to write a newsletter about how to bring back the fans. Or, more accurately, how I would go about creating interest in the league.

In the meantime, e-mail me your thoughts on what needs to be done to make the league better. I will print the best response each week under the heading, "Improving the NBA." You must include your full name to be considered.

Send those e-mails to amicoreport@hotmail.com.

WALLACE NO MVP

I love Ben Wallace. I love SI writer Jon Wertheim. But I don't love Wertheim's piece in the latest issue claiming that Detroit forward Ben Wallace is the league's Most Valuable Player at the midway point.

Actually, I take that back. The story itself is very well-written -- it's just that the argument is lame. Wallace is indeed the league's best rebounder and most frightening low-post defender, but he averages a meager 6.5 points per game. Trust me, there's a reason the man doesn't get to take many shots.

Plus, how can a guy be MVP when he's the last person in the world you'd want at the free-throw line with your team down a point and no time showing on the clock?

Ben Wallace is great. He's an All-Star. The Pistons have been phenomenal. But SI is going out on a limb just for the sake of going out on a limb. There are at least 10 players who I would pick before Wallace if I were starting a team.

OTHER RANDOM MADNESS

-- No doubt, the Los Angeles Lakers have been playing much better. That's especially true of role players like Rick Fox, Robert Horry and Derek Fisher. But let's not forget that the Lakers' win over Sacramento came without the Kings' top two scorers (Bobby Jackson and Chris Webber), and the win over Indiana came without Ron Artest. Still, at least the Lakers have stopped losing to teams like Miami and Atlanta.

-- If I had to pick one team to come out of the West right now, it would be the Portland Trail Blazers. And that's not just because they managed to avoid the Amico Report Jinx (see below). Instead, as Greg Anthony said on NBA2Night, the Blazers have been focusing on basketball, and nothing else. And if SI really wanted to reach for a not-so-popular choice for MVP, it should have picked Scottie Pippen. After all, Portland is 28-10 since Pippen took over at point guard.

-- Two weeks ago, I listed my five favorite players to watch. I left Orlando guard Tracy McGrady off the list, but he has since found a spot. I usually don't feel sorry for players when they say that they don't have any help. Usually, I think, "If you're so good, you shouldn't NEED any help." But McGrady is THAT good, with NO help. The league needs to pray for more superstars like T-Mac.

-- Reader Joe Herman took issue with me calling Cleveland swingman Darius Miles one of my favorite players. "I'm a Cavs fan and all I see in Miles is an athlete who has know idea how to play the game," Herman wrote. "He is an awful defender and a poor shooter, and seems to have no position." That may be true, but sometimes, fans like myself like to latch on to a player early in his career and watch him develop, hoping for something big. Miles is that guy for me. And remember, Scottie Pippen couldn't shoot when he came into the league, either. That's not meant to pick on Joe. He does have a point when he says Miles desperately needs to improve his defense.

-- Reader Dale Lolley wondered if we should just hand the coach of the year award to Rick Carlisle right now. I would have to say yes. I know the Pistons won the Central Division last season, but I still consider them to be the league's most surprising (and underrated) team. Frank Johnson has also been brilliant in Phoenix, and I think he should be considered too. But as Dale wrote, "Carlisle has done what he's done without any stars. Although Ben Wallace should be." Apparently, Dale subscribes to SI.

-- Speaking of the Pistons, I may be in the minority, but I think they got the better of the Richard Hamilton-Jerry Stackhouse deal. Hamilton is less selfish and, yes, more consistent. Stackhouse is a good guy and on the verge of being an All-Star, but no one has ever accused him of being a clutch performer (with the exception of his dunk earlier this year against the Lakers).

-- Speaking of the Washington Wizards, who among us expected Michael Jordan to be playing so many minutes, and so well, so far into the season. MJ seems to be getting healthier and more athletic with each game. Pretty cool, considering he turns 40 in a few weeks. I expect the Wizards to be much better during the second half of the season, as Coach Doug Collins finally seems to have settled on a regular rotation. Reader Leslie West e-mailed to ask if I still thought the Wizards could reach the Finals. The answer is, you betcha.

-- Remember how Magic Johnson called the Cavs "the team of the '90s?'' (If not, don't feel bad. Magic said that in 1989). Anyway, if I had to pick a team of the 2000s, it would be a toss-up between Golden State and Phoenix. I knew all along that the Warriors would show marked improvement as guys like Antawn Jamison, Troy Murphy, and Jason Richardson continued to develop. Those three are the type of players ANY team would want to build around. As for Phoenix, well, they have their own young trio of superb talent in Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, and my favorite, Stephon Marbury. All Marbury has done is lead the Suns to more wins while allowing his teammates and coach to get most of the credit.

-- I haven't mentioned New Jersey or San Antonio in some time, but let me just say this -- it's possible that they could meet in the Finals. And wouldn't that be fun? Kenyon Martin vs. Tim Duncan? Tony Parker vs. Jason Kidd? Danny Ferry vs. Brian Scalabrine? OK, forget that last one. Anyway, the Nets and Spurs would mostly be great because they are two teams who value passing the ball and buckling down and playing defense. It would be liking watching the 1971 NBA championship between Milwaukee and Baltimore.

-- Why doesn't the NBA just televise its lottery? I'm talking about showing the actual ping-pong balls bouncing around until a winner pops up, just like they do in the state lottery. This needs to be done and it needs to be done yesterday. That way, nobody will question the winner in the LeBron Sweepstakes.

AMICO REPORT JINX

I've written about the Amico Report jinx before, and unfortunately, the trend seems to be continuing. Consider:

-- After Seattle raced to eight wins in its first 10 games, I wrote that it wouldn't surprise me to see the SuperSonics reach the Finals. They collapsed within a week, and are now headed for the lottery.

-- The same day I featured Utah, the Jazz lost to the Los Angeles Clippers at home for the first time in something like 120 years.

-- Prior to the season, I said Chicago's Eddy Curry would be the NBA's second-best center. Turns out I'm only off by about, oh, 60. Of course, that's less of a jinx and more of me just being an idiot.

-- Last week, I featured LeBron James. The next day, he was declared ineligible for the rest of the season. LeBron, of course, has since been reinstated, but only because I promised to take some cash NOT to write about him anymore. Hey, everyone else is making money off the kid! (Just kidding. I didn't get any money, or even the promise of a quick spin in LeBron's Hummer).

-- As for the Blazers, well, for some reason, I wrote about them and they just kept on truckin'. I have a feeling its because some members of the organization actually read my newsletter, rather than just hit the delete key (are you listening, Denver Nuggets)?

MINOR LEAGUE QUICK HITS

-- Former Cavs owner Ted Stepien recently founded the United Pro Basketball League. It consists of four teams, three of which are in Kentucky, the other in Mansfield, Ohio. Kevin Mackey, he of Cleveland State fame, coaches the Mansfield team.

-- Corey Hightower of Great Lakes leads the CBA in scoring at 24.3 ppg. Oliver Miller (Gary) is first in rebounding at 13.1 rpg. Yes, THAT Oliver Miller.

-- Roanoke's Cory Alexander was named the NBDL player of the month for January. Alexander averaged 20.6 ppg and 7.9 apg for the month.

-- The United States Basketball League has added two new teams -- Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Westchester County, N.Y., which will play its home games in White Plains. Believe it or not, the USBL has been with us for nearly 20 years, and currently consists of 11 teams.

SIGN UP FOR THE AMICO REPORT

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MY BOOK IS STILL OUT THERE

If you are interested in buying a copy of my book, "A Basketball Summer: The Pro Game as it's Played in the Offseason," you can find it on the Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com Web sites.


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