By Sam Amico / The Amico Report

LOTS OF PLAYOFF STUFF

When it comes to the NBA playoffs, I can't scribble in my notebook fast enough. Here's what I came up with this week:

BY GEORGE, GET ON THE COURT

Los Angeles Lakers forward Devean George HAS to play, sprained ankle or not. If there's one glaring difference between the NBA of my youth and the NBA of today, it's some of the players' inability to play through pain.

George rolled his ankle in the Lakers' first game of their second-round series against San Antonio. It looked like it hurt -- a LOT. But a sprained ankle shouldn't be enough to keep a guy from wanting to play all 48 minutes in the playoffs, and I don't care how "severe" the injury is. I'm not trying to pick on George here -- in fact, just the opposite. I mean, George with a severely sprained ankle is still better than a healthy Mark Madsen or Samaki Walker, right?

In other words, with Rick Fox already out with a torn tendon in his foot, the Lakers need George more than ever.

I'm all for NBA players making millions of dollars, and this is where George needs to earn his money. X-rays on the ankle were negative, and even George himself said the swelling is "down." So, what's the problem? Tape up the ankle and get back on the court! This is the PLAYOFFS!

MORE ON LAKERS-SPURS

-- Do you ever wonder if Lakers coach and Zen dude Phil Jackson has finally become the victim of some bad karma? After the injuries to George and Fox, the Lakers are starting to get a good idea why nobody since the Boston Celtics of the 1960s has won more than three consecutive titles.

-- No matter how well the Spurs play, they aren't going anywhere if they don't start making their free throws. And that's an area that is often overlooked when it comes to Phil Jackson's teams -- they always seem to shoot well from the line. Most sportswriters don't mention that, because most sportswriters care more about their next sentence than what's actually taking place on the court. But the truth is, Jackson is a very good teacher of the fundamentals, and free throws are the biggest fundamental of them all.

-- Hold those "Shaq can't make free throws" e-mails. Shaq will be the first to tell you, "I make 'em when they count." And know what? He's usually right.

-- Last week I wrote that I thought the Lakers could still beat Sacramento in a seven-game series. Well, reader Joe Beck had this to say: "I write this as a Lakers fan -- please don't speculate about their chances versus Sacramento! Given your track record this postseason (particularly with the Detroit Pistons), I don't want you jinxing them."

Thanks for your confidence in me, Joe. I appreciate it.

-- Joe also wrote, "In all seriousness, how can you say the Lakers don't give up perimeter shots? I'm a fan, but stats are stats -- and the Lakers were at the absolute bottom of the league this season in three-point defense."

That may be true, but there's a big difference between the Lakers in the regular season and the Lakers in the playoffs. And in last season's playoffs, the Lakers were No. 1 in three-point defense.

-- Finally, if Tim Duncan just relaxes and allows the game to come to him, the Spurs should win this series. Duncan occasionally forced things in Game 1, and it almost seemed like he was trying to prove to Shaq and Kobe Bryant that he deserved to be the MVP. But the Lakers want nothing more than to disturb Duncan's rhythm, and he can't allow that to happen

KINGS FOR A DAY

I've received a lot of angry e-mails from Sacramento fans, some of whom claimed that I "don't care about small-market teams." That's not true, kids. In fact, NOBODY roots for the little guys like this little guy. It's just that I write about whatever comes to mind first -- I can't help it if it's occasionally the Lakers.

As for the Kings, well, no one is playing better in the playoffs. With their sharp ball movement, remarkable outside shooting, and quick defense, the Kings remind me very much of the Rick Adelman-coached Portland Trail Blazers of the early 1990s.

(Note to my mom who knows little about the NBA but reads this newsletter anyway: Adelman is now coach of the Kings, so it's no surprise that they play like the old Blazers).

And if you're a fan of the opponent, you cringe when you see Kings forward Peja Stojakovic. That's because it looks like there's no way in the world that Stojakovic can beat you ... but then he does. The guy just does not miss a perimeter shot, period.

Anyway, after the Kings dispatch of the non-defending Dallas Mavericks in four or five games, they need to make sure they're mentally ready for the Western Conference finals. I expect that series to go the distance -- whether it's Kings-Lakers or Kings-Spurs won't really matter.

AS FOR THE EAST

Since I've been rambling on about the West, I've left myself very little time to write about the Eastern Conference. Here are five quick thoughts:

-- Say what you will about the East, but I enjoy watching the New Jersey Nets as much as anyone. Jason Kidd has become a bona fide future Hall-of-Famer, as Kidd's passion and unselfishness have his teammates enjoying themselves more than college kids at a Saturday night frat party. Also, it's clear Nets coach Byron Scott is one of the brightest minds in the business.

-- Have you noticed the improvement in the attitude and overall play of Nets forward Kenyon Martin? Remember how Martin always seemed to be getting called for flagrant fouls last season? I barely do, as Martin has clearly matured, figuring out a way to be aggressive and intimidating without knocking someone's block off.

-- Again, I expect the Nets-Boston series to be one of the best of the playoffs (and the best one that no one living outside New Jersey or Boston watches). I've never witnessed Boston swingman Paul Pierce play with such determination, and as long as he continues at this pace, the Celtics will take every game in every series to the wire.

-- I'm not supposed to write about the Pistons, but I can't help but mention how, again, I wrote them off last week, then they came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat Orlando. The funny thing is, after I wrote them off, I said they WOULD beat Orlando. So was I finally right about Detroit? If you're a Pistons fan, you're probably just saying, "Don't know, don't care, and don't want you to say anything ELSE!"

-- Philadelphia must get more production from forwards Keith Van Horn and Kenny Thomas to stand a chance against Detroit. Allen Iverson shouldn't be expected to do it alone. After all, the man is barely 6-foot-0 and he rarely gets to take a breather. The 76ers know what they're getting from Derrick Coleman, Eric Snow and Aaron McKie. It's Van Horn and Thomas who have been tentative, and I bet that drives Sixers coach Larry Brown nuts. Meanwhile, Iverson continues to display why he's the best player in the NBA shorter than 6-5. But he shouldn't have to carry the entire team EVERY game.

JORDAN AND THE WIZARDS

Michael Jordan and the Washington Wizards officially parted ways May 7, and it looks as if Jordan will play a role in the new Charlotte team.

As for his 3 1/2-year stay in Washington ... well, I'm not sure what to think. Let's get this out of the way first: When Jordan was a player in Chicago, he was The Greatest Ever. Nobody today even compares, and Shaq never won a title until Michael left the Bulls.

But Jordan with the Wizards was sort of a less-athletic version of Jamal Mashburn. Jordan was good with the Wizards, but he allowed himself to get so unbelievably out of shape during his retirement that he didn't just look old -- he looked old and overweight. And as Shaq said, "Thirty-nine ain't 29." In other words, it's a lot harder to drop 30 pounds when your approaching 40 than it is when you're in your 20s -- and Jordan spent way too much of his time in Washington just trying to get back into playing condition. When he finally did (with about two months left in his second season), it was too late.

Still, he was one of the league's top 30 players, and there's something to be said for that.

A lot of people look at his stay in Washington as a negative, including one fan who e-mailed to say that not even the greatest player of all time could save the Wizards. That may be true, but there's plenty of good to come out Jordan's time in D.C.

For one, the Wizards drew more fans, sold more merchandise, and made more money during the last two seasons than at any time in team history -- even during their championship years of the 1970s. Also, as Wizards owner Abe Pollin said, "I firmly believe that Michael's time with us as a player will have a lasting impact on every player on the roster."

Pollin is right, but it's his team, and he wants to be in charge of it. And know what? I love Abe Pollin, as he's arguably the classiest owner in the history of people owning stuff. He cares deeply for his franchise, and looks at it as more than a quick way to make a buck. He LOVES basketball -- and I'm not really sure how many NBA owners can say that.

Anyway, my point is that Pollin wants to make sure his team is headed in the right direction at all times. It didn't look like it was with Jordan at the controls, so Pollin did the natural thing. He politely shook Michael's hand, said thanks, and told him he wants his team back. Nothing wrong with that.

Article continued - click here.


InsideHoops.com is the online leader in pro basketball coverage.