Mike Bibby, suddenly the basketball world's poster boy, has been magnificent. Coach Rick Adelman told me early in the season that he knew Bibby was a good play-maker but didn't realize how good a shooter he is. Now everybody knows.

Bibby's quickness off the dribble, his intelligent use of screens and his shooting touch make him very difficult to contain. His ability to get open sets up screeners Chris Webber and Vlade Divac for jumpers or drives. It also gets 3-point opportunities for Bobby Jackson and Hedo Turkoglu. No matter if Derek Fisher, Lindsey Hunter or Kobe Bryant defends him, Bibby finds a way to create havoc.

The Kings also have been able to use these tactics to get Shaquille O'Neal in foul trouble. When his man is a screener, Shaq is reluctant to step out to slow down the guard (mostly Bibby) as he comes off the screen. That leaves Bibby's defender with the choice of going under the screen (giving Bibby the jumper) or going over it (giving Bibby the drive). When Shaq is off the ball, penetrators drive at him, forcing him to become involved in the play. Sacramento has shot 47 percent from the field in this series!

The need for a quick hitter was never more evident than at the end of Game 5. The Kings had the ball at the baseline out of bounds in the closing seconds, trailing by a point. Adelman set the play for Bibby to enter the ball to Webber, who came off a screen by Divac to receive Bibby's pass. Bibby then cut off Webber, got a hand-off, found that Fisher was hung on Webber's screen and nailed the open jumper. It was great execution of a simple play.

After a timeout, the Lakers answered with a mish-mash play in which Bryant forced an errant, low-percentage shot, fading away against Bobby Jackson. Poor execution of a vague play ... Kings win.

The Cure

But its predictability enables defenders on O'Neal to know when and where he's going to get the ball and position themselves accordingly. That has made Shaq somewhat tentative because he is fearful of accumulating offensive fouls.

	I would like to see the Lakers add a couple of wrinkles to their offense so that when they need a shot for Kobe or Shaq, either player can get the ball with one pass in a position where he does his most productive work.

I would like to see the Lakers add a couple of wrinkles to their offense so that when they need a shot for Kobe or Shaq, either player can get the ball with one pass in a position where he does his most productive work. It might be a simple curl -- where Shaq sets up at the low post, a teammate curls off him across the paint, then Shaq ducks into the lane for a high-percentage, catch-and-shoot move.

Another play could call for Shaq to set a single baseline screen for Kobe that would free one or the other with one pass. Kobe could get a 15-foot jumper or drive to the hoop; Shaq might get a good, old two-handed stuffer! That's what I mean by quick hitters ... they could help the Lakers.

The Lakers have the two most dominating players in the league. They need to keep them in the game and get their maximum output. They also need for some of the other Lakers to start shooting the ball like they mean it. Fisher (26 percent), Devean George (31 percent), Hunter (32 percent), Samaki Walker (27 percent) and Brian Shaw (28 percent) are all well below their norms from the field.