SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Doug Christie should have been a happy man. A journeyman for his first four seasons (playing inconsistent minutes on four different teams), Christie had seemingly found a home in Toronto as he was completing a four-season stretch where he started every game that he played.

	Doug Christie overcame injury to score 14 fourth-quarter points in Game 3 vs. Dallas.

Yet two years ago, watching the Sacramento Kings game on television while relaxing in his Toronto home, Christie had this sudden desire to trade in one purple uniform for another.

"I told my wife, 'I can really help this team,' " Christie recalls of that day late in the 1999-00 season. "I felt like I had something that that team needed."

What Christie saw in the Kings: a talented team with a defense that was best described as … offensive. What Christie had to offer: a willingness to devote himself as a defender, earning a reputation as one of the best defensive two-guards in the NBA. What the Kings got by dealing Corliss Williamson for Christie just prior to the 2000-01 season: A player who has helped transform the Kings from a non-threatening team that was fun to watch, to the team with the league's best record and a legitimate shot at winning the NBA title.

"It's Doug that makes them better," Mavericks guard Nick Van Exel said. "Doug sets the tone by playing aggressive defense, and all the rest seem to follow."

No, you won't describe the Kings' defense as the Steel Curtain anytime soon. In allowing 97.0 points a game this season, the Kings ranked 19th in the league in points allowed. Still that's a far cry from the 100 points per game the Kings were allowing nearly two seasons ago, making the road Kings favorites of Chalupa-loving home crowds. Believe it or not, the Kings actually ranked ninth in the NBA this season in field-goal percentage allowed (.440).

"Before we didn't have anybody who could guard anybody, so we tried to outscore them," Kings coach Rick Adelman said. "Doug gave us an aggressive defender, a guy not concerned about points -- only about his impact on the game. He's one of the toughest guys in the league."

That toughness was obvious in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against Dallas, when Christie sprained his ankle that left him day-to-day for Game 4. Christie was about to shower and head back to the team hotel in the third quarter when Peja Stojakovic sprained his ankle. Christie would play the entire fourth quarter when he scored 14 of his 20 points -- capping his birthday with a perfect shooting night (6-of-6 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line). The next game, he played 51 minutes and had six steals as the Kings took a 3-1 series lead.

Said Chris Webber: "He's our Superman."

Christie hardly looks like he has super powers. At 205 pounds on a 6-foot-6 frame, Christie -- to quote Allen Iverson -- will never be "swoll." What makes him tough is his ability to play tight, on-the-ball defense, with the constant motion of his flailing arms making it both difficult for the man he's defending to attack the basket, get off good shots and dump the ball into the post. His length allows him to -- depending on matchups -- defend four different positions.

	“	To outsiders, what (Christie) does will never be appreciated. But guys like that are what championships are made of. ”
		— Chris Webber

"I can say, 'Doug, I'm tired, can you play Dirk Nowitzki for me?' and he does it," Webber said. "I say 'Doug, come double' or 'Doug, I just turned it over, get the ball back for us.' To outsiders, what he does will never be appreciated. But guys like that are what championships are made of."

But Christie's best trait is his leopard-like quickness when he's lingering around the passing lanes. Christie has ranked in the top five in steals in each of the last five years. He was fifth in the league in steals this season (1.98 steals per game) after finishing first last season (2.26).

Beyond his physical skills, Christie has a mental toughness as well. When Christie complained that Latrell Sprewell "gave me 41" in a March 14 loss to New York, Bobby Jackson was quick to remind him that it was 43. Christie, taking it personally, vowed that it would not happen again. In the April 7 rematch, Christie got into an altercation with Spree while forcing him to miss 10 of 16 shots for only 16 points in a 116-82 Sacramento win.

That it took Christie so long to find himself as a player has to do with his being confused about what would make him an effective player. A first-round pick of Seattle in 1992 (the Pepperdine product was eventually traded to the Lakers), Christie went from trying to be a scoring two-guard (Lakers) to the frustration of irregular playing time (Knicks).

"I was young and, really, I was pretty lost in terms of my style and my role," Christie said. "I'll be honest, I didn't know much about basketball until I got here."

Where a year ago Christie got caught up in the flashiness that made the Jason Williams-led Kings, this season he's playing a bit more under control. That means fewer fancy, high-risk passes (his 10 more turnovers this season than last were more of the result of his aggressiveness), and more high-percentage shots (he shot a career-high 46.0 percent from the field this season).

After 10 years in the league, Christie is no longer concerned about scoring (after averaging a career-best 16.5 points per game with Toronto during the 1997-98 season, Christie's scoring has decreased each of the last four years).

"When I became interested in Sacramento, I thought I would be able to play a role on a team capable of winning a championship," Christie said. "God has blessed me by putting me here. I want to do everything that I can to make it happen."

Jerry Bembry is general editor (NBA) at ESPN The Magazine. He can be reached at Jerry.Bembry@espnpub.com.