They've done fine without Chris Webber, and they can make do without Mike Bibby -- at least until they get another shot at the world champs

By Jack McCallum

With Bibby out until December, the energetic Jackson shifts from the bench to the opening lineup.   John W. McDonough

Had the broken right foot that will keep point guard Mike Bibby out of action until at least December occurred last season, it would've been bad, but not horrible, news for the Kings. But this year, in the wake of Bibby's star-making performance in last season's playoffs, it seems catastrophic. One could argue that, right now, no other Sacramento player is as valuable as Bibby, including Chris Webber. After all, last season Webber missed 28 games, yet the Kings were 19-9 without their star forward. "Hey, we played without Chris last year, so we can get along without Mike this year," says center Vlade Divac. "Well, for a while, anyway."

Has one player ever been elevated from good to great as quickly as Bibby? Based almost solely upon his play in the postseason -- even more specifically, his performance against the Lakers in the Western Conference finals (22.7 points per game) -- the 24-year-old Bibby is now routinely rated with the top point guards in the league. He's also being correspondingly paid, having been rewarded in the off-season with a seven-year, $80 million contract. Which raises the question: Is the realBibby that good? "Of course Mike is that good," Divac declares. "The way he played in the playoffs is what is in his heart and spirit."

Before the playoffs, though, Bibby averaged only 13.7 points and 5.0 assists. Either his postseason was a frightfully brilliant anomaly or it's an instance of a hero emerging at a time when he's most sorely needed. And, boy, was Bibby sorely needed. When franchise co-owner Gavin Maloof made his overheated remark recently that the Kings "could be one of the greatest teams ever," he must have forgotten some of the deficiencies shown by his team in the clutch, most prominently the uncertain marksmanship of players like Webber, shooting guard Doug Christie and forward Peja Stojakovic.

Thus the Kings must do a little tweaking to get by the Lakers. Forward Hedo Turkoglu has added not only blond hair but also 15 weight-room pounds and has made noise about wanting to start ahead of Christie. That probably won't happen early, but the Holy Turk (as backup center Scot Pollard calls him) might steal playing time from Stojakovic, who must do a better job of creating his own shot and demonstrate some kind of low-post game. Meanwhile, minutes have to be found for guard Bobby Jackson, runner-up in last year's voting for best sixth man. (Another potentially disruptive element is Webber's federal court date, yet to be scheduled, on charges of perjury in connection with the money laundering trial of Michigan booster Ed Martin.)

One other change will almost certainly be positive: Lanky free-agent signee Keon Clark will reduce Divac's minutes, at least during the regular season, which is O.K. with Divac. "Of all our main guys," said the 34-year-old Yugoslav, "I'm the only one who can go down in performance."

Not quite true, Vlade. Your wide-eyed point guard now has an injury to come back from and an abundance of expectations to live up to.

Enemy Lines An opposing team's scout sizes up the Kings "Their fourth-quarter collapse against the Lakers won't affect them until they're in the same situation again next spring. If Peja Stojakovic had been healthy, he might have put them over the top. ... The only guy who might have trouble with his confidence is Doug Christie, especially if he loses his starting job to Hedo Turkoglu during the season. ... Remember how the Kings got off to a good start without Chris Webber last year? They're going to have a harder time trying to make do without Mike Bibby. Bobby Jackson is a good sixth man, but he's going to struggle against the frontline point guards. ... When Bibby was with the Grizzlies, it was easy to stop his penetration by throwing bodies at him. But the Kings spread the floor so well that when he gets in the lane he only has to deal with one or two defenders. ... Webber likes to set up on the elbow because he can pass or score from there, but they need to go back to posting him up so he can get to the free throw line more. It would also help if he were a consistent free throw shooter. ... I don't think Keon Clark is going to fit in with the Kings as well as he did with the Raptors. Sacramento's other big men are incredible passers, but Clark isn't. ... Coach Rick Adelman has won in Portland and Sacramento because he's had good players and also because he treats them like men and sticks up for them. ... I love watching them play, but I hate scouting them. The Lakers and Nets use five-man motion and reads, but the Kings are even more inscrutable. They run isolations that seem to be based on eye contact. I'd like to be able to tell my coaches, 'When they call this play, they do such and such,' but they come down the floor without calling any play, and then they'll run several variations out of the same set. ... The Stojakovic-Webber two-man game is especially deadly. "

Issue date: October 28, 2002