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| Tuesday, October 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last year: 27-23, tie-third place in Pacific (lost to Jazz in first round) Coach: Rick Adelman Arena: ARCO Arena (17,317) Last NBA title: 1951 (Rochester) Record the last 5 years/NBA rank: 166-212 (17th)
Outlook By Jeffrey Weidel Basketball News After barely having a pulse for well over a decade, the Sacramento Kings stormed out of nowhere to become a league treasure last season. The Kings quickly rose from obscurity, providing excitement in a year when the lockout seriously threatened to bring down the multimillionaire boys club. A roster overhaul and the emergence of Jason Williams energized the Kings immediately, with the team displaying the kind of showtime moves normally reserved for the Globetrotters. But Sacramento was more than just style. A 10-1 run over their last 11 games put the Kings at 27-23 for the shortened season-the first winning record for a Kings team since the Kansas City Kings went 45-37 in 1982-83-and earned them the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. It was all great stuff. But can the club keep winning? It ought to, thanks to more maturity and some key acquisitions that have strengthened what was already a solid playoff team. Not only do the Kings boast a formidable starting lineup, they are also deep off the bench. Only an off-target hook shot at the buzzer by Vlade Divac in Game 5 prevented Sacramento from pulling off one of the most stunning upsets in NBA history over Utah in the opening round of the playoffs. This year a return to the postseason isn't just a goal -- it's expected. Anything less than a trip to the second round of the postseason in 1999-2000 will be viewed as a failure. And with all the rules changes clearly favoring a more offensive game this season, guess who should become even more exciting? "You're going to see us play the way we did last year," Kings coach Rick Adelman says. "We're going to push the ball, and we are going to have a lot of movement on offense." A note of caution about the Kings: After being an NBA footnote for so many years, Sacramento lines up for 20 prime-time television appearances and opens the season in Tokyo. A stronger commitment to defense and fewer impossible passes on offense will be the keys to getting to the next level. If the team gets too enamored of its image, problems will mount, as will the losses.
Point guard For an untested player with a shaky college past and more questions than an episode of "Jeopardy!", Williams exceeded everyone's expectations with his performance in '99. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.0 assists, and at times showed amazing range from three-point land. His creativity was spectacular, but his propensity for turnovers (2.9 a game) was a frustration all season. Coach Rick Adelman will expect more maturity from his young point guard and won't take kindly to Williams' ill-timed 3-point attempts and haphazard management of the ball at crunch time. He'll get help in that area from veteran Darrick Martin, a free-agent pickup from the Clippers who has been a Kings killer in the past. Martin also loves to run, but he understands when to pull it back. His presence should do wonders for Williams' education.
Shooting guard Backup Jon Barry finally emerged last year after six mostly forgettable seasons as a hard-nosed defender who runs the floor and can spot up for threes. He's also savvy, like his famous Hall of Fame dad, Rick. Tony Delk, another free agent, could help out as well. He's another deep threat, but he's been hobbled with a sore foot and is still a question mark. Small forward Predrag Stojakovic could also see some time here.
Small forward Williamson is a physical player who needs to develop a consistent outside shot and hit the boards harder. He has made huge personal sacrifices for the team in terms of statistics and dollars, and the Kings will do all they can to reward him in the future. As a rookie, Stojakovic played better than most expected. He impressed by playing much better defense than was expected of a 21-year-old Serbian. If Stojakovic finds his shooting touch this year, Williamson might slip to sixth-man status.
Power forward Not only did Webber put up MVP-type numbers (20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocks a game) last season, but he actually seems to be enjoying his stay in Sacramento. He also showed leadership, stayed free of trouble and became a fan favorite, an important facet for a guy trying to rebuild a broken image. He does still have his weaknesses, such as shooting an anemic .454 from the free throw line last season. But Webber is willing to work to improve. He hired a shooting coach in the offseason and -- is it a sign? -- made all five attempts in the team's first preseason game. The 6-9 Lawrence Funderburke, a surprise last season, provides instant offense. He's a good outside shooter and also rebounds well. For defense and muscle, Scot Pollard produces in both departments.
Center Pollard will be Divac's primary backup. More of a power forward than a center, the 6-11 Pollard can bang inside effectively for short spells and will help extend opponents with his range. Free-agent pickup Bill Wennington, a 12-year veteran, is a solid pro who brings valuable playoff experience after appearing in 70 playoff games while winning three rings with the Bulls.
Coaching A player's coach if ever there was one, Adelman will again let the Kings run the floor and be creative, but he has to keep the team under more control than last season. The big question is defense: Can he get the Kings to take it seriously? Material from Basketball News.Visit their web site at http://www.basketballnews.com |