EIGHT-MAN ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Jason Williams	6.0 APG	Should try less flash, more pass
SG	Nick Anderson	96 threes	Kings give up defense for more offense
SF	Corliss Williamson	13.2 PPG	If he were the man, he could average 20
PF	Chris Webber	13.0 RPG	Darkhorse league MVP choice
C	Vlade Divac	14.3 PPG	Great passer, rebounder, team player
SF	L. Funderburke	.559 FG %	Great point-per-minute guy, little else
SF	Tyrone Corbin	7.5 PPG	Finally, a guy who can play some defense
SG	Predrag Stojakovic	57 threes	Only 22, gunner needs work on defense

		Defense is the biggest issue facing the Kings. They gave up the most points in the league last year, and they scored the most. They were the only team to give up more than 100 points a game. A lot of it can be attributed to their offensive tempo. In a fast-paced game, not only do the Kings get up and down the court, but the other team gets more chances after they have scored. But realistically they must defend better, getting more balance between offense and defense. Nick Anderson will help them, but they will need another big season from Chris Webber and Vlade Divac, who have to play without injury to be successful. Jason Williams must learn to defend better and take better shots. He is great at pushing the ball up the floor and getting his team into an offensive flow. He is highly talented and fun to watch. They are a very entertaining team that will make the playoffs again. They will be a headache for every team to play, but I don't think they are ready to challenge the top teams in the West, like San Antonio, Portland, Phoenix and the Lakers.

A roster overhaul and the emergence of Jason Williams energized the Kings immediately, with the team displaying the kind of showtime moves normally reserved for the Globetrotters. But Sacramento was more than just style. A 10-1 run over their last 11 games put the Kings at 27-23 for the shortened season-the first winning record for a Kings team since the Kansas City Kings went 45-37 in 1982-83-and earned them the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

It was all great stuff. But can the club keep winning? It ought to, thanks to more maturity and some key acquisitions that have strengthened what was already a solid playoff team. Not only do the Kings boast a formidable starting lineup, they are also deep off the bench.

Only an off-target hook shot at the buzzer by Vlade Divac in Game 5 prevented Sacramento from pulling off one of the most stunning upsets in NBA history over Utah in the opening round of the playoffs. This year a return to the postseason isn't just a goal -- it's expected. Anything less than a trip to the second round of the postseason in 1999-2000 will be viewed as a failure.

And with all the rules changes clearly favoring a more offensive game this season, guess who should become even more exciting?

"You're going to see us play the way we did last year," Kings coach Rick Adelman says. "We're going to push the ball, and we are going to have a lot of movement on offense."

A note of caution about the Kings: After being an NBA footnote for so many years, Sacramento lines up for 20 prime-time television appearances and opens the season in Tokyo. A stronger commitment to defense and fewer impossible passes on offense will be the keys to getting to the next level. If the team gets too enamored of its image, problems will mount, as will the losses.

	Player to watch
	Anderson Nick Anderson never met a shot he didn't like. He doesn't shoot for a high percentage from anywhere and he's not a great defender. So why is he here? The Kings wanted a veteran presence with combustible types like Chris Webber and Jason Williams and Anderson will provide that. If he doesn't take too many shots and remembers what he's here for, the Kings will be better off.

Point guard
There's no more creative passer in the league than Williams, who as a rookie last season brought back memories of Pete Maravich. Even his own teammates marvel at Williams' creativity with the basketball. "He surprises me every day with some type of move," says Chris Webber.

For an untested player with a shaky college past and more questions than an episode of "Jeopardy!", Williams exceeded everyone's expectations with his performance in '99. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.0 assists, and at times showed amazing range from three-point land. His creativity was spectacular, but his propensity for turnovers (2.9 a game) was a frustration all season.

Coach Rick Adelman will expect more maturity from his young point guard and won't take kindly to Williams' ill-timed 3-point attempts and haphazard management of the ball at crunch time.

He'll get help in that area from veteran Darrick Martin, a free-agent pickup from the Clippers who has been a Kings killer in the past. Martin also loves to run, but he understands when to pull it back. His presence should do wonders for Williams' education.

Shooting guard
The Kings made a bold move in the offseason by trading young for old and defense for offense by sending 25-year-old Tariq Abdul-Wahad to Orlando in exchange for 31-year-old scorer Nick Anderson, a veteran who is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. In Anderson, Sacramento got not only yet another solid three-point threat, but a player who can drive to the basket, post up, rebound and play tough defense. He's also good buddies with Williams, whom he befriended last year during the lockout.

Backup Jon Barry finally emerged last year after six mostly forgettable seasons as a hard-nosed defender who runs the floor and can spot up for threes. He's also savvy, like his famous Hall of Fame dad, Rick.

Tony Delk, another free agent, could help out as well. He's another deep threat, but he's been hobbled with a sore foot and is still a question mark. Small forward Predrag Stojakovic could also see some time here.

Small forward
Poor Corliss Williamson. He signed for virtually no money ($500,000) last year, believing his big payday would come this season. No such luck-at least by NBA standards. After a summer of talks that eventually saw him fire his agent, Williamson settled for a one-year, $3.5 million deal. Always the good soldier, he's ready to play through the unpleasantness of the business end of the game.

Williamson is a physical player who needs to develop a consistent outside shot and hit the boards harder. He has made huge personal sacrifices for the team in terms of statistics and dollars, and the Kings will do all they can to reward him in the future.

As a rookie, Stojakovic played better than most expected. He impressed by playing much better defense than was expected of a 21-year-old Serbian. If Stojakovic finds his shooting touch this year, Williamson might slip to sixth-man status.

Power forward
Heading into last season, Webber's public disdain for being a King made headlines and didn't bode well for his future in Sacramento. What a difference a year makes.

Not only did Webber put up MVP-type numbers (20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocks a game) last season, but he actually seems to be enjoying his stay in Sacramento. He also showed leadership, stayed free of trouble and became a fan favorite, an important facet for a guy trying to rebuild a broken image.

He does still have his weaknesses, such as shooting an anemic .454 from the free throw line last season. But Webber is willing to work to improve. He hired a shooting coach in the offseason and -- is it a sign? -- made all five attempts in the team's first preseason game.

The 6-9 Lawrence Funderburke, a surprise last season, provides instant offense. He's a good outside shooter and also rebounds well. For defense and muscle, Scot Pollard produces in both departments.

Center
The Kings signed a gem last year in Divac, who gave the team a legitimate post-up player and rebounder and established himself as one of the best passing centers in the league. He also became a leader in the locker room, a real pro who knew when to lighten the mood and when to turn up the intensity.

Pollard will be Divac's primary backup. More of a power forward than a center, the 6-11 Pollard can bang inside effectively for short spells and will help extend opponents with his range. Free-agent pickup Bill Wennington, a 12-year veteran, is a solid pro who brings valuable playoff experience after appearing in 70 playoff games while winning three rings with the Bulls.

Coaching
Adelman showed amazing patience last year with a team that gambled with the basketball way too often. This year, with a deeper roster, choosing his substitution patterns should be a more difficult task.

A player's coach if ever there was one, Adelman will again let the Kings run the floor and be creative, but he has to keep the team under more control than last season. The big question is defense: Can he get the Kings to take it seriously?