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The team to beat?
by Chad Rader / August 19, 2002

The ink couldn’t dry in Sacramento before the Kings had been crowned the 2003 NBA champions.

On Wednesday, the Kings signed free agent Keon Clark to beef up the interior.

On Friday, Sacramento locked up Mike Bibby to a seven-year, $80 million deal.

By Friday evening, the signatures barely sketched on the contracts, the Kings were tabbed as the can’t-miss picks to win the NBA title.

But wait one minute. There still is one minor roadblock in the way – those LA Lakers.

The signing of Clark is the latest effort by NBA’s title contenders to beef up against Shaq. Last spring, Dallas engineered a trade to bring in Raef LaFrentz. While the Mavs split with the Lakers in the regular season following LaFrentz’s arrival, Dallas didn’t get past the Western Conference semis.

The Nets traded for Dikembe Mutombo from the 76ers to get over the top. Being in the opposite conference, the Nets have a long way to go before a repeat Finals matchup. And being swept in four games leaves a big gap, even with Mutombo.

Now the Kings bring in Clark, a 6-foot-11 power forward/center entering his fifth season in the league. Clark averaged 11.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg in 2001-02 with Toronto, along with 1.5 blocks per contest. He definitely brings an athletic defensive presence in the paint that Rick Adelman was desperately seeking in the Western Conference finals.

So is Clark the final weapon in the Kings’ arsenal to put them over the top? By himself, no. As a part of a Hack-a-Shaq defensive trio with Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard, just maybe.

Clark brings Sacramento another dimension on the frontline with his athleticism, leaping ability and quickness. Clark’s fits in with Sacramento’s up-tempo game. He will ease the burden of minutes on Divac and Chris Webber over the season. And he adds yet another talented player to an already loaded cast.

Clark should gain the minutes that Pollard received in spelling C-Webb and Divac – a definite upgrade in all facets of the game. Push back Pollard to the fourth post player in the Kings frontline rotation and there isn’t a doubt that Sacramento possesses the deepest squad in the league. They already did before Clark’s arrival. Heck, the reserve unit of Clark, Pollard, Bobby Jackson and Hedo Turkoglu consist of a stronger starting lineup than a few of the NBA bottomfeeders.

But while the numbers look nice – eight players who averaged over 11 ppg in 2002 – the question will remain…
Can the Kings beat the Lakers and ultimately win it all?

Well, the answer is yes. The reason why? Mike Bibby.

Bibby hit huge shot after huge shot in the Conference Finals against the Lakers. Ice water coursed through Bibby veins when he nailed the game-winner in Game 5. Bibby carried the Kings on his back with 17 points in the final three minutes of regulation and overtime combined in Game 7.

The inking of Bibby ensures the Kings will keep their starters – minus Divac – under contract beyond the 2003-04 season. While Sacramento boasted a nice arsenal and 55-win season in 2000-01, it wasn’t until Bibby’s arrival that the Kings emerged as a true threat to the Lakers reign.

But despite Bibby’s steadying leadership and ability to step up in the clutch - and the addition of Clark up front- Sacramento still has major deficiencies that held them back from toppling the Lakers.

Who could forget the horrendous 16-of-30 effort from the free-throw line in Game 7? The ill-advised shot selection down the stretch? Or the continuous foul trouble plaguing C-Webb and Divac throughout the series?

Despite the big question marks, the Kings still nearly upended Los Angeles. The Lakers needed a miracle from Robert Horry in Game 4 and an OT win in Game 7. A longer tip out by Divac at Staples and Sacramento owns a griphold with a 3-1 advantage. One made charity toss in Game 7 and the Kings are battling New Jersey in the finals.

And the Kings were oh-so-close despite Peja Stojakovic’s injury saddling the gunner for the entire series. Add in a healthy Stojakovic, an athletic defender in Clark up front and Bibby staying in Sacramento for the foreseeable future, the Kings look to duplicate the NBA’s best regular season record and take it a little deeper in 2003 – all the way to the NBA title.

After all, it’s a full weekend after the ink’s dry on Bibby and Clark’s contract. Time to whip out the pen again and write in the Kings as 2003 NBA World Champions.

Chad Rader is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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