Despite being sold how great the NBA is, how the finest athletes on earth perform miracles for my hundred bucks and five hours of leisure, and what super-power their shoe will give me, there's only enough great players in the league for your average pick-up game. Face it, if you have more than a dozen teams in a league every team is going to have glaring vulnerabilities. The winner of anything is often those who over come their weaknesses, San Antonio being the a prime example. The Spurs aren't so much as great as they're the least terrible. Any NBA team this year is especially beatable in a playoff due to age and injury, and the western conference is particularly weak in this manner. The Kings cover their vulnerabilities well, enough with their starting five, yet still they have that one gaping hole: power forward. By trading Mike Bibby, any head from the hydra of mediocrity at PF, and a 1st round pick 2008, possibly '09, I think this lineup could make a serious contender out of THESE Kings, this year.

 C: Miller(13/8)
PF: J. O'Neal(16/7/2)
SF: Artest(19/6/4)
SG: Martin(25 ppg.
PG: Udrih(14/5)

In a far-gone time called Winning, there were  comparisons of the Pacers and Kings, in organization and roster. Bird to Adelman. O'Neal to Webber. Stojakovic to Reggie Miller. The benches, double-screens, the offensive philosophies. No point guard to no point guard. A quick roster scan will tell you Jermaine O'Neal's fake-it-til-you-make-it-trade-strategy statistics are better than all of Sacramento's power forwards. Getting O'Neal reunites Miller, O'Neal, Artest, fills the Reggie-role with Kevin Martin, and gives  the core players a point guard again. O'Neal is a better Chris Webber in my eyes, and a better fit. Artest plays the Stojakovic role with a little less offense and immaculate defense. The burden of rebounding comes off of Miller(who will never consistently bring down Ben Wallace-like numbers), and allows him to run the pick and pop with Udrih, Martin, and Artest. This team could see the conference championship with O'Neal and a benchwarmer playing over his head in the right stretches.

Notes:
You can see the love-child of Brad Miller and Vlade Divac In Spencer Hawes. He shoots, he passes, he doesn't rebound much. He's interesting because if the Kings go deep, his defense has to harden and play like he wants to hurt someone. Beno Udrih is the best point guard Sacramento's had in three years. It doesn't take much to be a hero in Sacramento, and offensive aggressiveness from the PG will do nicely. I see him sticking, and getting a 3-year deal neither side will regret.