By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

A DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT

Reader Chris Hanson sent in this e-mail:

"You seem to like every player in the NBA. How about giving us a list of the ones you don't like and why?"

I have to admit, I spent 45 minutes trying to sugarcoat this. I admit that Chris is right, and when it comes to the NBA, I pretty much like EVERYONE. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it's just because I've never really lost the romance I've felt since childhood for watching the ball bounce off the hardwood, or listening to the players' sneakers squeak as they make sharp cuts to the basket.

I don't even really like calling this list, "Five NBA guys I don't like." Truth is, I DO like these guys -- just not as much as the other 350 or so players in the NBA. So I would rather refer to this compilation as, "My five least favorite players in the NBA."

Finally, I should add that making the list wasn't easy. I scoured every NBA roster -- twice. I crossed off the names of my favorite players. I eliminated the guys whose games could be considered boring. I went around and around and around. Heck, I spent an hour just trying to write this very introduction, making every effort to avoid sounding like an idiot.

I'm not sure I pulled it off.

(Editor's Note: This is Sam's list, not necessarily representative of all of InsideHoops. Off the court, we like all but one of these guys. On the court, we like all but one, and it's not the same one.)

Anyway, to the list (in descending order):

5. Rasheed Wallace, Portland. There are just too many nights when Rasheed gives the impression that he simply doesn't care about the outcome. Some nights, it seems like he doesn't even care how many points he gets or even how many shots he takes. He's too friendly with the opponent and too angry at the officials. Bottom line: There are just too many games in which Wallace acts like playing basketball is an inconvenience.

4. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas. Nowtizki is a decent citizen. But I'm not real impressed with 7-footers whose best weapon is the perimeter shot. Nowitzki has absolutely no post game, is a hindrance on defense, and refuses to mix it up underneath. Just once I would love to see the guy play with his back to the basket and shoot a baby hook. He's not exactly a crafty passer, either. Dirk is extremely good, no question. But a little bit overrated.

3. Pepe Sanchez, Detroit. Three years ago, when Sanchez was still playing at Temple, I had a conversation with a high school basketball referee. The ref said, "Sanchez is going to be an awesome NBA player." I told the guy he was nuts, that Sanchez was an average point guard who couldn't shoot. "Sanchez may make the NBA, but he won't do much," I predicted. The ref countered by spewing forth more insanity, saying that Sanchez would be The Next John Stockton, "who really can't shoot, either." John Stockton can't shoot?! Obviously, there's a reason this guy is an official and not a coach. Anyway, since the day of the conversation, I have rooted against Sanchez like no other player in the history of the game. Although, it's hard to blame Pepe for any of this. He's just an innocent benchwarmer. (Sorry. I just wanted to drive home the point that for one of the few times in my life, I'm right).

2. Paul Pierce, Boston. Pierce does nothing wrong, really. He's a fantastic player. I just have absolutely no appreciation for his game. It's funny, because I really liked the guy when he was at Kansas. I just think he's a little overrated, and a little too ... well, I'm not sure how to describe it. But for whatever reason, Pierce just doesn't do it for me. Maybe it's because he's in the Atlantic Division, surrounded by exciting players like Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Jason Kidd, and even his own teammate, Antoine Walker. Or maybe it's because I still don't believe the Celtics can reach the Finals -- and that Pierce is a good player who's really not going anywhere.

1. Michael Olowokandi, L.A. Clippers. As Bill Walton once pointed out, Olowokandi acts like he's punching a clock. He's an average center who's unmotivated -- a terrible combination. He plays for a paycheck and has never once expressed a desire to make the playoffs. In fact, The Kandi Man is pretty proud of the way he behaves, as he acts like playing in the NBA is his God-given right. Granted, playing for the Clippers seems to bring out the worst in guys, but anyone who signs Olowokandi to a free-agent contract this summer is making a 7-foot mistake. And how could you possibly doubt the same guy who said Pepe Sanchez wouldn't be any good?

IMPROVING THE NBA

This week's e-mail on how to improve the NBA comes from Joshua P. Hollingsworth of Indianapolis:

"The NBA would be better if it had a true minor-league system, where teams were encouraged to actually develop players. I think the college ranks are bad for player development -- just look at how good the Europeans have become. It's sad to see all the young talent wasting away on NBA benches.

"I think each of the league's 29 teams should field a 'junior varsity' squad of 10 players. The JV team could travel with the regular team, playing the same schedule to decrease costs. Fans could get in free to the JV game with their NBA tickets. Players would have to be 18 years old to play on the JV team, and the salaries would be very low.

"Some may say this would hurt the college game -- and it probably would. But the problem with college athletics is there are too many athletes who have no desire to be students. This would return college sports to the true student-athletes, and get basketball players more ready to play in the NBA."

GRIZZLY RESULTS

Did anyone else notice that the Memphis Grizzlies won three consecutive road games at the beginning of March? You have to wonder how well these guys would do if they were in the Eastern Conference, considering the road wins came at Cleveland, Toronto, and New York. I'm guessing the Grizzlies would be in the playoff race.

Credit Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown, the 69-year old disciplinarian who has the complete attention of his players. That's not always an easy thing to do in the NBA, but Brown has all the support he needs in the front office, which includes general manager Jerry West, the man who hired Brown.

West has made it known that the players either listen to Brown or take a seat on the bench -- regardless of how much money they make. And you know what? More NBA teams should be run this way. Winning means more to the fans than watching a spoiled superstar score 52 points in a loss, then complain about how he doesn't have any help.

I never thought I'd be writing this so soon, but the Grizzlies got it right.

And with players like Pau Gasol, Jason Williams, Mike Miller, Shane Battier and Lorenzen Wright, I've suddenly found that the Griz have become a joy to watch.

LOTS OF RANDOM THOUGHTS

-- Speaking of the Grizzlies, I'm pretty confident I could beat 7-foot-2 Memphis reserve center Cezary Trybanski in a game of one-on-one.

-- The NBA's draft lottery was a wonderful idea, but it's time to scrap it. That's all I can think when I watch Cleveland and Denver embarrass themselves on a nightly basis. The truth is, the league needs to go back to the coin flip method when the idea is determining the No. 1 pick in the draft. I'm serious about this. Trust me when I say the Cavaliers and Nuggets could not play any worse if they tried. And even if they did try, so what? There's no proof. The NBA either believes in conspiracy theories or it doesn't. (If you followed last season's playoffs, you know what I'm talking about).

-- I absolutely love watching how the Minnesota Timberwolves are coming together. They're playing more like a team than ever, and their unselfishness and ball movement is starting to remind me of the Sacramento Kings. A telling moment for me came in the Timberwolves' game against the Lakers on March 7. Wolves guard Wally Szczerbiak set a hard pick on Lakers guard Derek Fisher, who got upset and promptly shoved Szczerbiak. Rushing to Wally's defense was forward Kevin Garnett. If you know anything about the Timberwolves, you know there's reportedly been some strife between Szczerbiak and Garnett. Apparently, those reports are no longer true. It was as if Garnett was protecting his kid brother, making sure that everyone knows he's all about being a great teammate, all about refusing to back down, all about winning. That is why Garnett is my current choice for league MVP.

-- What's gotten into Chicago's Eddy Curry? All I know is you have to love it if you're a Bulls fan. Curry has looked a lot like the league's second-best center during the first part of March. Actually, he looked like its BEST center on March 11, when Curry outscored Shaquille O'Neal 20-13 in a Bulls win over the Lakers. I really like this kid, and think he has loads of potential.

-- I've received nearly 100 e-mails asking what I think of the NBA's proposed age-limit, which is expected to be approved next month. The new rule would prohibit players from entering the draft before their 20th birthday. Well, if you've read this newsletter in the past, you know I absolutely love the idea. No sense in paying an 18-year old huge sums of money to sit at the end of the bench and guard the team dentist. At the same time, I do think the NBA should expand the NBDL into a minor-league capable of developing even more kids who don't want to go to college. The NBDL currently has an age-limit of 20, which should be lowered to 18. I don't have a problem with youngsters turning pro before they're ready, as long as they're not playing in the NBA before they're ready. That's been the case too often in today's game.

-- Point guard Baron Davis has returned from an injury, which in my mind automatically makes New Orleans the Eastern Conference's darkhorse. A lot of folks seem to have forgotten about the Hornets, or have simply decided to ignore them altogether. But as usual, Coach Paul Silas has his team playing well when it means the most. It just goes to show that Silas is truly one of basketball's most underrated minds. So look for Davis, Jamal Mashburn, and the rest of the Hornets to be even better in March and April.

-- As I sit down to write this, Washington is 9-4 in games decided by three points or less. That's a big improvement from last season, when it seemed like the Wizards lost EVERY close game. Still, the most crucial part of the Wizards' season is approaching, as they'll soon embark on a six-game road swing, which includes a trip to the West Coast. If the Wizards win three of those games, I guarantee they'll make the playoffs (and that, my friends, is pretty much the kiss of death for poor Michael Jordan).

-- Thirty-seven-year-old Portland swingman Scottie Pippen played like he was 27 again prior to the All-Star break. Since then, he's looked a lot closer to 77. It's no secret why the Trail Blazers haven't played as well lately. They need Pippen to be almost as good as he was in the first half of the season if they hope to get anywhere. He is the absolute key to this team.

-- If anything makes me nervously bite my nails during March, it'll be the NBA. College basketball's March Madness is remarkable if you like basketball at any level, but this is also an extremely important month in the pros, as teams will be working extra hard for better a playoff position. It's almost as if the postseason has already started. There are simply tons of things that take place during March that a lot of basketball fans miss -- and that NBA players and coaches will remember as the difference in their seasons.

-- Having said that, I must admit I'm absolutely tickled that something called IUPUI has gained an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

-- One other college note: Veteran NBA guard Bimbo Coles is reportedly a strong candidate to become the new coach at Virginia Tech. Coles spent most of the year in Cleveland, and just recently signed with Boston. However, he's 34 years old with Jell-O for knees, so he'll probably retire from the NBA this summer. I'd actually like to see him get the Virginia Tech job, as Coles is probably the best player in the program's history. He's also a good guy who would make an excellent coach.

-- I'm not sure I like myself for admitting this, but I'm addicted to Bill Walton's reality show. Walton, the former NBA center and current analyst, spends the entire show traveling the country, talking about the NBA with NBA people. It airs on ESPN2, and also consists of some guy named Al, who acts as Bill's sidekick. I want Al's job. All he needs to do is hang out with Walton, talk about pro basketball, and annoy the heck out of everyone. See? I'm already qualified.

-- One memorable moment during Walton's show involved none other than Larry Bird. Walton and Bird were playing chess, talking about their days together with the Celtics. Walton asked Bird if he would ever get back into coaching. "Why not, Larry?" Walton asked. "If you get back into coaching, I'll get back into playing." Without looking up or missing a beat, Bird coolly replied, "Not on my team, Bill." Vintage stuff.

-- Did anyone notice that San Antonio forward Malik Rose, who's 6-7, played center against Milwaukee on March 11 -- and scored a career-high 34 points! I'm not sure if this means Rose is slowly becoming the next Wes Unseld, or if the Bucks' centers just stink. Perhaps a little of both?

-- A final question: Why is it that somebody gets tossed in every game that Steve Javie officiates? I try not to pay attention to the referees, but Javie always seems to make himself the center of attention. He's impossible to ignore. They always say a good official is one whose name you never learn. I think that says everything we need to know about Steve Javie.

-- These are not the same New York Knicks. Just as coach Don Chaney, who told reporters, "Last year, when our guys were down, they basically threw in the towel. This year, they still have fight. They may get knocked down a couple of times, but they get back up. Last-year, they stayed knocked out." Even swingman Latrell Sprewell is getting in on the positive mood. "There's a lot of time left. We just need to make good use of it," he said.

-- As always, thanks so much for reading and taking the time to e-mail. I'm glad to see there are people out there who love the NBA as much as I do, and are willing to share their own thoughts (even when they don't agree with mine).

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