This summer couldn't have been much better for Kings fans. Sure, maybe Larry Bird could have come out of retirement to wear the Sactown colors, but short of that, only the Seattle Mariners have had more success. CWebb is back, the point guard can actually control himself and, in our minds (and plenty of other people's as well) only the Lakers are a better NBA team.

	Kings fans made their case obvious: They wanted Webber around.

So as we continue our 2001 Summer Spotlight Series, here's the deal with the Kings.

The good: Just think for a moment what would have happened if Chris Webber had left a town he whined didn't have soul food for say, New York. Wanna talk about soul? The Kings would have lost theirs. Sure, maybe they would have received players in return, but who can match Webber's production? Alas, due to whatever reason you choose -- the league's cap and luxury tax rules, lack of trading partners, loyalty? -- the king King returns.

By now it's pretty obvious that few players are more talented than Webber. He was an MVP candidate because of this: sixth in league in scoring, seventh in rebounding, top 40 in blocks, field goal, steals, and assists. And he's only 28. The guy's a monster, and the reason Kings basketball is on the map. This is a legit contender, a team which recorded the best mark in franchise history and three wins off the league's top mark. And Webber leads them.

If Webber is great, think how good the team will be now that there's actually a true point guard to dish and hit shots. Jason Williams is certainly entertaining, but 5.4 assists (despite an improved turnover rate), dreadful shooting (.407 field goal, .315 3-pointers) and poor decision making is a lot to overcome. Mike Bibby is a better player. Stolen from the Grizzlies, a team more concerned with drawing fans than winning, Bibby will flourish here. He can score, shoot, pass and doesn't have to watch from the bench in crunch time.

Unlike the Lakers, where there are two dominant guys and role players filling out the starting lineup and rotation, the Kings have five good starters. Vlade Divac is still productive at 33, able to grab the big rebounds and match up with centers. Doug Christie is one of the preeminent defenders of guards, big and small, and offers consistent enough offense as well.

And finally, Predrag Stojakovic was one of the league's breakout players last season. A big-time gunner with size, Peja was 23rd in the league in both scoring and 3-point shooting. And that was with no point guard. With the focus more on outside shooting this year, Stojakovic should be aided even more.

	THE FACTS
	2000-01 record: 55-27, 2nd in Pacific, 3rd in West Playoffs: lost in second round Team leaders: Webber 27.1 ppg; 11.1 rpg; Williams 5.7 apg Team stats (NBA rank): Points, 101.7 (1st); Rebs, 45 (3rd); FG %, .449 (10th) Current rotation: Divac C; Webber PF; Stojakovic SF; Christie SG; Bibby PG; Turkoglu 6th man Spot in Summer Power Rankings: No. 2

The bad: There's very little here not to like. The Kings tied the franchise mark for home wins, set the mark for road wins, scored the most points in the league, won nine overtime games and most of all, the hearts of Northern California hoops fans. We've gone over arguably the league's best starting lineup, but the bench is solid as well, with good players at each position. Bobby Jackson played down the stretch at the point last year, Jon Barry is underrated at shooting guard, Hidayet Turkoglu is considered a rising star and would be starting for about 20 other teams. Scot Pollard does the job in the middle when called on and has great hair. Lawrence Funderburke has often been a point-per-minute scorer in the past. What's not to like here?

But can the Kings get over the Laker hump? Last season's playoff sweep left major doubt in people's minds. On paper, the Kings do match up well. So maybe the worst thing that we can say about the Kings is that when it comes to the postseason, they don't know how to win. There's only so long that excuse will be valid.

The ugly: A few months back, you could say there were major concerns with the Kings, mainly with Webber's certain departure and Williams' sporadic-at-best play. But now, this is a very happy place to be. Even commish David Stern knows it. He came to Sacramento for Game 3 of the Laker series for his first visit in five years. He recalled his inaugural foray to the city when the original Arco Arena was little more than "a warehouse," then hailed the city's fan base and ownership as "a commissioner's dream. This is our smallest town, and it's our loudest building. This is just as exciting as anything I've ever seen in this league." Bottom line, you'll be seeing CWebb and the boys on TV a lot this year.

The future: How quickly things change. The doom and gloom in Sacramento after the Laker sweep is a distant memory. The team is not only intact, which was thought to be an impossible dream, but better now that Bibby is here. The Kings remain plenty young enough to be good for years, and other than a few question marks going forward (Bibby's contract after this year, Divac's age), the future looks pretty bright.

The Kings have made the playoffs for three straight seasons, but have little to show for the accomplishment. We rank them second in the Summer Power Rankings, and see no reason why they can't hold that number as the season goes on. It's about time this team does some playoff damage.

So we asked you this question about the Kings: Does this team have what it takes to beat the Lakers in a playoff series?

Check the file to the right for selected responses.

Eric Karabell is ESPN.com's NBA editor.