Team page/schedule | Stats: Preseason | Roster
Last year: 55-27, second in Pacific, third in conference
Coach/GM: Rick Adelman/Geoff Petrie
Arena, first game: ARCO Arena (17,317); Nov. 8, 1988
All-time franchise record/NBA titles: 1,918-2,237/1
Notable: Led NBA in scoring for third straight year

THE ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Mike Bibby	8.4 apg	Difference in him and JWill is startling
SG	Doug Christie	2.26 spg	Big-time thief contributes on offense
SF	Predrag Stojakovic	20.4 ppg	Gets the big scoring load with Webber out
PF	Scot Pollard	97 blocks	Don't worry, Webber's not out long
C	Vlade Divac	.482 FG	Fewer rebs and blocks than normal
6th	Hidayet Turkoglu	5.3 ppg	Should steal Christie's time, play with Peja
7th	Bobby Jackson	7.2 ppg	Will play less now that JWill has gone
8th	L. Funderburke	.496 FG	He and Pollard are lone bench big men

		The Kings are the third-best team in the Western Conference behind the Lakers and the Spurs. After the Kings, there is a dropoff to the rest of the conference. It will be hard for Sacramento to take the next step and become the best in the West because Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard, who do a workman-like job, can't contain Shaq. And I'm not sure they can handle San Antonio. However, the Kings have a quality lineup, led by All-Star Chris Webber, who should be back from his ankle sprain earlier than expected, and Predrag Stojakovic. Mike Bibby helps them to be a more stable team at the point. In back of him, they still have Bobby Jackson and newcomer Mateen Cleaves. Hidayet Turkoglu is all-purpose off the bench -- a 6-foot-8 player with good range, vision and defensive ability. In the interim, the Kings will miss Webber. If he's out for an extended period, it will hurt them until he's back and regains the rhythm of his game.

By Scott Howard-Cooper
Special to ESPN.com

The Kings came to Sacramento in 1985, but this is the year they finally arrive. The breakthrough in 2000-01 could become something better still, with a trip to the West finals, at least, a realistic expectation. Going beyond that is also a possibility, but they have to be the best team in the state before they can be the best team in the conference.

Who's Who
Mike Bibby finished fourth in the league in assists on a Grizzlies team that averaged just 91.7 points a game and goes to the open-court offense that has been No. 1 in scoring three years in a row. You think he's happy? Try being the Kings, who are talking about how they will be "smarter" this season, code for how they will love the stability of Bibby after years with Jason Williams.

Bibby won't make "SportsCenter" as often with his passes and he and Williams are contradictions in their on-court personalities -- off the court, they are low key -- but Sacramento will be a better team because of the move. While neither are good defenders, Bibby is a better shooter and delivers a dimension of stability that will help the Kings, especially in light of the way they struggled with some end-of-game execution last season. The blame for that didn't always fall to Williams, but they're hoping the change at the point will help focus everyone. "Steady," said Jason Kidd, the Nets star and a Bibby friend. "He's not going to be flashy. Sometimes, he might make it look easy. He'll make the easy pass. He's fundamentally sound." The biggest change, of course, is for Bibby himself. He goes from lottery regular to championship contender and from an offense in Vancouver that was heavy on calling plays to one in Sacramento with an up-tempo approach. The Kings have no concerns that he will fit in -- Bibby pushed the ball with great success while starring in college at Arizona.

His arrival was the only major acquisition of the offseason, but was enough to solidify the starting lineup and draw praise from around the league. Mateen Cleaves came later in the summer, but minutes will be even tougher for him to find in Sacramento than Detroit. The first-round pick, Gerald Wallace, is a third-stringer who won't play much, exactly what the Kings figured when they took him with patience and development in mind.

	FANTASY SLEEPER
	Hedo Turkoglu, SG/SF -- Chris Webber is out for at least a month and Turkoglu is expected to start in his absence. Turkoglu is offensive minded like most Europeans and he offers the versatility to go inside (sort of) and outside. A heady player, playing time makes him an intriguing fantasy prospect.

The Big Question
Even as late as the playoffs last season, some in the Kings locker room were questioning their own heart and toughness. In terms of timing, it couldn't have been worse. In terms of statements, it couldn't have been more bottom line: they need to play with more focus and intensity to win a championship.

This remains a team without a true on-court leader. Everyone looks to Chris Webber, but he is the first to say he doesn't want that role. Vlade Divac is the most emotional King, but there's always a time when someone will have to pick him up because he gets down. Scot Pollard fits the criteria of having toughness and an attitude and being emotionally charged, but isn't one of the stars of the team. Bibby is known more for being unemotional than exhibiting leadership.

Best/Worst Case Scenario
The biggest steps can sometimes be the smallest. The Kings may ultimately find that getting from the 55 wins of last season to the next plateau, 60, will be tougher than getting from 44 in 1999-2000 to the 55. They are realistically a 60-win team, but the only thing that should matters is what happens in the playoffs. Chances are very slim they would finish in the 40s, the worst-case scenario, without major injuries.

OVERRATED	UNDERRATED	TEAM MVP
Vlade Divac. Frankly, he can do more statwise and leadership-wise.	Peja Stojakovic. Natural shooter can still get better in each category.	Chris Webber. So maybe it's 70 games, but you still get 25 ppg and many boards.