By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

RAY AND THE SONICS

When Ray Allen is healthy, he's one the best.

That is what pretty much what I've learned from the trade that sent Allen to Seattle and Gary Payton to Milwaukee.

When I first heard about the deal, I thought the SuperSonics gave up too much. I knew they had to part with Payton, whose contract is up at the end of the season. But I was shocked when I heard that the Sonics threw in Desmond Mason.

Mason is young, athletic, a first-rate citizen, and was absolutely adored in Seattle. He's the type of guy who I figured would be a Sonic for life. He's the type of player who I assumed would enable Sonic fans to get over the loss of Payton.

Instead, Mason will play that role with the Bucks -- and I have a hunch he'll do it well.

But back to Allen.

As I sit down to write this, the Sonics are again playing like they did at the beginning of the season. They're sharing the ball, taking only the best of shots, and simply displaying an all-around enjoyment for the game. They're looking a lot like a team that belongs in the playoffs. And believe it or not, they still have a shot to get there.

Allen is a huge reason why. He's been the rare combination of a team player who also leads the team in scoring. He's taking charge in a city that lost its most prized leader in Payton. Basically, Allen looks like the best thing to happen to the Sonics in 13 years -- which is how long Payton spent with the franchise.

Even better is the fact Allen is only 27. He's extremely athletic, and other than possibly New York's Allan Houston, is there a better pure shooter in the NBA?

Obviously, you have to like this deal for the Bucks. Payton has been his same old magnificent self, and it's great to see how his desire and work ethic have rubbed off on Bucks backcourt-mate Sam Cassell. Meanwhile, Desmond Mason is pumping some life into Anthony Mason, and Michael Redd is developing into one of the league's top contributors off the bench.

A week before the trade, I wrote that the Bucks wouldn't make the playoffs. Now I'm almost certain that they will.

I won't go as far as saying the Sonics will make the playoffs, mostly because they played too poorly for too long, and because teams like Phoenix, Houston, and the Lakers are in their way. But you do have to like the Sonics' big backcourt of Allen and Brent Barry. You have to like Kevin Ollie, another player in the trade, who any coach would want as his first guard off the bench.

And you especially have to like how the Sonics are playing with a purpose, how they've become confident and how they're showing the rest of the league they have nothing to lose.

Credit Ray Allen, who's become everything Seattle hoped for when it traded its favorite son.

FAN REACTION

I was a little surprised by the e-mails I received from Sonics fans after the deal. I figured they would be cursing the names of president Wally Walker, general manager Rick Sund, and especially, owner Howard Schultz. And a few Sonics fans did.

But most liked the deal, especially since they received Allen in return -- which was a lot better than losing Payton to free agency for nothing at the end of the season.

Reader Rich Stevens of Charleston, W.Va., is the biggest Sonics supporter I know. He wrote that Sonics coach Nate McMillan "was complaining to Howard Shultz that Gary wasn't trusting his teammates or being very sociable. McMillan was worried about team chemistry."

Rich added, "This is an exciting trade. The Sonics have not had a consistent outside shooter since ... Dale Ellis. Really! And Allen is an outgoing personality who will interact with teammates, and that will only help the chemistry problem."

So far, it looks like he's right.

Finally, like many Sonics fans, Rich is excited about the possibility of the Sonics signing a big-name free agent at the end of the season -- a possibility that exists now that Payton and his big contract are gone.

As for Bucks fans, well, I don't think I need to tell you how pleased they are. Their team is back in the playoff chase, and as reader Alan Binder of Gary, Ind., asked, "Who knows how far they'll go once there?''

KIDD FOR MARBURY

It's been nearly two years since New Jersey and Phoenix made the Jason Kidd-for-Stephon Marbury trade, and most followers feel the Nets got the better of the deal by landing Kidd.

So far, you have to agree, as the Nets are coming off their first ever appearance in the NBA Finals, and are a top contender this season. Meanwhile, Marbury's Suns missed the playoffs, and are currently fighting for the West's final spot.

But you also have to consider that Kidd is in a more stable situation (and believe me, I NEVER thought I'd write that about New Jersey). That's not to say the Suns are run by a bunch of whackos -- like New Jersey, Phoenix's front office clearly knows what it's doing.

The difference is Marbury ended up with a much younger, and much more injury-prone, supporting cast. Marbury has also played for two coaches in the past year-and-a-half, and this season, he's on a team that is turning to a lot of young players -- namely, rookies Amare Stoudamire and Casey Jacobsen, and second-year man Joe Johnson.

Still, the Suns are developing nicely and are already further along than most people predicted. So give Marbury lots of credit.

I won't go as far as to call this trade a draw, but I think in the near future, Marbury's Suns could have the type of success that Kidd's Nets are currently enjoying. Plus, how good would the Suns be if they were in the East?

MILLER FOR MILES

The most hyped trade of last summer was the deal that sent Andre Miller from Cleveland to the L.A. Clippers for Darius Miles.

What a dud.

I expected both players to bring enthusiasm and a few more wins to their respective clubs. Instead, Miller has come down with a bad case of Clipperitis, and Miles looks extremely confused on one of better days.

This is a trade that's flopped, and I don't expect either guy to ever have any success in their current situation. I hope I'm wrong, because I really like both players. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Miller and Miles in different cities next season.

MAGICAL IN ORLANDO

So, who do I feel made the best deal this season? Tracy McGrady isn't going to like it, but the answer is Orlando.

The Magic got rookies Drew Gooden and Gordon Giricek from Memphis in exchange for Mike Miller, McGrady's best friend. This had McGrady saying things like, "These two new guys had better be ready, because I'm gonna be VERY tough on 'em."

Well, no word on how T-Mac has treated his new teammates -- but Gooden and Giricek have treated T-Mac and the rest of the Magic very well.

Gooden has become the low-post presence Orlando so desperately wanted, and often tried to obtain by signing the over-the-hill-gang in recent years (namely, Patrick Ewing and Shawn Kemp).

Giricek has done a wonderful job of replacing Mike Miller, as Giricek has great range and is an underrated penetrator.

With McGrady, Gooden, and Giricek, the Magic have a young, talented nucleus that gives plenty of hope for the future. All Orlando needs now is a point guard and one more quality player off the bench.

IMPROVING THE NBA

This week's e-mail on how to improve the NBA comes from Tom Goodall of Stow, Ohio. Here is Tom's idea:

"Reduce ticket prices. Drastically reduce ticket prices. Put the game back in the hands of real basketball fans, and out of the hands of corporate season-ticket holders who really don't care about pro basketball, and worse, are often no-shows. The NBA's current ticket prices are currently at rock-concert levels -- but U2 or the Rolling Stones only come to town once every 3-to-5 years. Not 41 times each year, like an NBA team."

(Dear Tom, AMEN! With its current billion-dollar cable package, there's no reason the NBA needs to charge fans 75 bucks to watch the Miami Heat).

READER FEEDBACK

From Soren Voss, Denmark

Q: I think it's sad to see players like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Gary Payton change teams when they get older. I don't know if it's just me, but isn't it better when a player sticks with one team his entire career? What do you think?

A: Dear Soren, I agree -- but the reason players often finish with new teams is simply because they lose their effectiveness with age. They don't, however, lose their marketability. For instance, there was a rumor before the season that the Hawks were going to make a bid for Scottie Pippen. While I realize Pippen is not the same Pippen who played in Chicago, I was still excited, as Pippen's mere presence would have finally put fans in the seats in Atlanta -- at least for a while. Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers would have received a quality young player, such as Jason Terry or Shareef Abdur-Rahim, in return. (I should stress, though, all of this was just a baseless Internet rumor). Also, a lot of times, guys like Ewing think they still have enough left to be a contributor, even if their old teams disagree. That's why Ewing signed with Orlando two seasons ago.

From Leonard Rouse, Hollywood, Fla.

Q: I've heard forward Elton Brand won't re-sign with the Clippers, or will be traded. Any idea who he may end up playing for next season?

A: Dear Leonard, thanks to your e-mail, I asked one NBA general manager that very question. He said he expects Miami to aggressively pursue Brand during the offseason, and that Atlanta, Denver, and New York are also very interested. At any rate, I agree with ESPN analyst Tim Legler, who called Brand, "a mini-Moses Malone."

From Janice Steele, Wichita, Kan.

Q: I was wondering if you could tell me what's become of Danny Manning? Is he still in the NBA?

A: Dear Janice, glad you asked. Manning is 36 years old and sitting at the end of the Detroit Pistons' bench. Hard to believe, isn't it? Manning, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, had his career stifled by injuries and trades, and played in just six of the Pistons' first 60 games. He's averaging 1.0 points per game.

FINAL RANDOM THOUGHTS

-- As I write this, the Golden State Warriors are playing .500 basketball and just two games out of the Western Conference's final playoff spot. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging ... scratch that, I don't mind. Anyway, since I started this newsletter two years ago, I've done nothing but tell you that the Warriors are an up-and-coming team. I even wrote that they'll make the playoffs by the 2004-05 season. I'm pretty sure I'm right, and I just love this team. I especially like the Warriors because they are a team in the truest sense, as each night a new guy leads them in scoring -- Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, Troy Murphy, Jason Richardson, you name him. Some of you have accused me of being on new coach Eric Musselman's payroll, but as long as he's the NBA's best young coach, and the Warriors are the league's best young team, I'll keep writing about them. And could you imagine if these guys were in the East?

-- Did you notice that Tito Maddox is on the Houston Rockets' roster? Who is Tito Maddox, you ask? Well, he's a 6-foot-4 guard who left Fresno State two seasons ago, and then took a spin in the NBDL. He's now an NBA rookie, and one of only two players to have ever played in the NBA with the first name of Tito (former Milwaukee center and benchwarmer Tito Horford being the other). Of course, being called Tito is no big deal when you play next to guy a guy named Moochie.

-- Nothing against Alvin Gentry, who was fired as coach of the Clippers -- but I've always thought replacement Dennis Johnson has the demeanor to be a good head coach. DJ's personality kind of reminds me of Lenny Wilkens', as both are laid-back. Kind of weird when you consider Wilkens called Johnson "a cancer" during their time together in Seattle in the late 1970s. Johnson will be tested, that's for sure. And it just doesn't seem right for a man's first NBA coaching job to have to take place on the Clippers' bench.

-- In case you missed it, Chicago rookie point guard Jay Williams is whining again. This time, Williams' frustration is directed at the organization, as he said he's not sure the team is moving in the right direction. Williams sat out earlier this season because he was playing poorly, making this the second instance in his short career that he's annoyed the heck out of teammate Jalen Rose. Rose told reporters that, basically, it's time for Williams to grow up. I agree. Say what you will about Rose, but he's a wonderful player and turning into an effective leader. I've always liked him. I like Williams, too, but it just seems like he's the perfect example of the pampered and overrated product of today's amateur basketball world, which involves shady AAU coaches and perverse shoe companies. I love the NBA as much as ever, but if you want to find out what's wrong with the league, look no further than what's going on at the game's lower levels.

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