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By Sam Amico / Amico Report

BREAKING DOWN THE KINGS

The Sacramento Kings have owned the NBA’s best record for most of the season. Here’s what this not-so-sharp basketball mind thinks they need to do to stay on pace:

1. BRING CHRIS WEBBER OFF THE BENCH

I know, you probably read that statement, shook your head, and muttered something along the lines of this being nothing more than an electronic rag. But Webber has simply missed too much time with injures, and the Kings have been too good without him, for coach Rick Adelman to consider tinkering with the starting lineup.

That’s not a knock on Webber, clearly one of the NBA’s top five power forwards when healthy. Rather, it’s a compliment to Kings big men such as Brad Miller and Vlade Divac, who have helped Sacramento remain a superb passing and shooting team in Webber’s absence.

More than anything, Webber always seems to get injured when the Kings need him most (read: the stretch run and playoffs). While I don’t agree that Webber’s return will mess with the Kings’ wonderful chemistry, I do think putting him back in the starting lineup right away is risky. Not because he’ll take all the shots or refuse to pass or defend. But if Sacramento puts Webber in the starting lineup and takes out Miller or Divac … and Webber gets hurt again … well, all that shuffling around WOULD mess with chemistry.

Under this plan, Webber would still log more minutes than any of Sacramento’s frontcourt players. He would still be in the game at crunch time, and the ball would still be in his hands when the Kings need some points. He would still be the franchise player -- and heck, he might even be the first guy to win the league’s sixth man award after playing just 25 games.

Mostly, he would allow the Kings to keep riding the tide that has them playing so great.

2. DEMAND MORE FROM MIKE BIBBY

Granted, it would be hard to find more a consistent guy than someone who has started in all 55 games and is second on the Kings in scoring (17.9 ppg.). And there’s no questioning the fact Bibby plays hard every night. But it just seems like something is missing.

Remember the Kings-Lakers Western Conference finals two seasons ago? If so, you know Bibby was the main reason the Kings were able to extend it to a Game 7. He handled the ball and shot so well, it was almost as if the Lakers’ defense didn’t exist. He was cool and confident, overly aggressive and extremely efficient. Basically, he was everything the Kings hoped for in a point guard.

Since then, Bibby has been good -- but hardly the MVP candidate everyone figured he would become. It may be a lack of a killer-instinct, it may be the emergence of small forward and shooting extraordinaire Peja Stojakovic, it may be that Bibby has simply been asked to do less while getting everyone else more involved.

Whatever it is, the Kings need Bibby be to be at his absolute best and play at an All-Star level if they expect to reach the Finals.

3. KEEP FEEDING PEJA THE BALL

This is the most important strategy, and the great thing is, the Kings don’t have to change a thing. They just need to keep doing what they’re doing -- even when Webber finally returns. In other words, no matter who’s on the floor, Stojakovic should be the guy who’s taking (and making) most of the shots.

He is better than ever at moving without the ball, and taking the ball to the basket. He’s also 6-foot-10 and the best pure shooter in the league. Yes, Peja could look to pass from time to time. And yes, he could afford to treat defense like more than something you have to do before getting the ball back. But he’s also hitting an icy 43 percent of his 3-pointers and 92 percent of his free throws, while averaging a team-high 25.3 points.

Basically, Stojakovic is THE reason Sacramento has gone from being an everyday playoff threat to the Team Most Likely to Knock Off the Lakers and Spurs. So give him the ball and get out of the way.

There are a couple more things the Kings could do to prove the regular season hasn’t been a fluke. Most are things that won’t make the highlight shows or have the fans in Arco Arena ringing cowbells in appreciation, things like buckling down on defense, diving to the floor in chase of loose balls, and crashing the boards.

But even if not, Sacramento still has to be considered a team in every sense of the word -- and the Western Conference’s frontrunner to reach the Finals.

Not bad for a team that has played the entire season without its best player. Or, if you listen to me, the league’s best sixth man.

MORE ON THE KINGS

-- One national NBA writer actually told me he doesn’t usually write about the Kings, “because they’re terribly boring.” Say WHAT? Not only are the Kings the most unselfish team in the league and really seem to enjoy making the extra pass, they love to run and are extremely good at it. In fact, they are sort of a poor man’s version of the 1986 Boston Celtics, as the Kings are equally potent at running the break or operating their half-court offense.

-- For what it’s worth, the same writer once told me I was the only person he’s read “who has written anything even remotely nice about Rasheed Wallace.” Believe me, it took work.

-- Anyway, back to the Kings. If there’s one thing that may hamper them in the playoffs, it’s their inconsistent bench. Aside from backup point guard Bobby Jackson and either Webber, Miller, or Divac, Sacramento lacks a guy who can come in and fill it up on a regular basis. Throw in the fact that non-scorer Doug Christie is the starting shooting guard, and it’s easy to wonder how on earth the Kings manage to average 104.6 points per game.

-- Why do I have the haunting feeling that last observation is gonna get me in a whole lot of trouble?

-- As for Adelman, it amazes me that the guy hasn’t even been mentioned as a Coach of the Year candidate. The Kings NEVER get blown out, and he’s managed to flourish without Webber -- yet Adelman barely gets any of the credit. The truth is, he’s the same coach that led Portland to two Finals appearances twice in the early ’90s, and you have to respect the man for never veering from his high-speed and high-scoring philosophy (unlike other greats such as Pat Riley, who went from Showtime in L.A. to Slowtime in New York and Miami).

RANDOM THOUGHTS

-- Speaking of the poor Hawks, is it just me, or have they suddenly become kind of fun to watch? Swingman Stephen Jackson seems to be playing harder and with more confidence now that he’s been given the green light to shoot, and point guard Jason Terry, who’s always been passionate, is displaying even more fervor. Even Chris Crawford is proving to possess a pulse after moving into the starting lineup. In fact, Crawford has become the third scoring option, and is averaging 19 points since the one-game Rasheed Wallace Experiment ended. I never thought I would write this, but I like watching the Hawks more now than I did at any point in the past five seasons.

-- This isn’t to say Atlanta is a shoe-in for the Eastern Conference’s eighth playoff spot. The Hawks will be even worse in the season‘s final months. But a lot of guys on this team are playing for a future in the league, and few things motivate a person like a lack of job security.

-- Having written that, Jackson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he won’t pick up the option on his contract, choosing instead to become a free-agent this summer. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be back in Atlanta. “If it’s here, I’ll definitely be happy, because I want to be here,” Jackson said. ”The negotiation part is a hard part, but I love everybody here. I love (Hawks GM Billy Knight). I love (coach Terry) Stotts.” Golly, whoever thought there would be so much love in Atlanta?

-- The Chicago Tribune reports that Dennis Rodman will begin working out with Magic Johnson next week in Rodman’s continued pursuit of returning to the NBA. Rodman left the ABA’s Long Beach Jam after playing in just a couple games, and his agent told the Tribune that he should be ready for the NBA “in about a week.” That’s great, but didn’t he say the same thing in December?

-- I feel obligated to write something about the New Jersey Nets, I’m just not sure what. How about this: The Nets are bound to slow down, but even if they do, at least they enjoy playing the game again and are making a strong case of being the NBA’s Most Exciting Team. And at this rate, they have an excellent shot to return to the Finals -- with the only difference being that their head coach now looks like your kid brother.

-- Mike Kovak (Washington, Pa.) mentioned a couple of surprising rookies, and wondered who would make my list. Dear Mike, the picks: Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich, who I thought would be a bust but is already the Bulls’ second-best player (behind Jamal Crawford); Washington’s Jarvis Hayes, who is displaying tons of athleticism and fundamentals on his way to quietly averaging 10.7 points; and Dallas’ Josh Howard, who has played his way into the role of sixth man despite being the final pick of the first round.

-- Donald Harmon (Baton Rouge, La.) wrote: “You failed to mention the Tim Thomas-for-Keith Van Horn trade in your previous newsletter. Any thoughts?” Dear Donald, I’ve never written this about Van Horn before, but I think he’ll be a good fit with his new team. All season I said that the Bucks only needed a consistent second scoring option (behind Michael Redd) to become a factor in the playoffs. Van Horn, who is having his best season, will be that guy. Meanwhile, Thomas got off to a great start in New York, and I have a hunch he’s left any of his minor off-the-court issues with former teammates behind in Milwaukee. He won’t be a big scorer for the Knicks, but he is agile and will be a better fit than Van Horn.

-- I’ve never been bother by tattoos. Cornrows don’t bug me, either. But there is one NBA trend that always gets under my skin: Excessive wearing of headbands. I’m not sure why it irks me to see nearly every member of the Sacramento Kings sporting headbands, as they did during retro night Feb. 24. It just does. What today’s players fail to realize is that not every NBA lineup was decorated with headbands in the 1970s. In fact, the only player I can think of who wore one regularly is Seattle guard Slick Watts. When he showed off a headband it was unique and looked, well, slick. Now it’s just annoying.

-- On that note, thanks for reading, and as usual, keep those e-mails coming. I can never get enough. In the meantime, enjoy the games (and honestly, do yourself a favor and watch the Hawks at least once).

CONTACT ME

You can e-mail your thoughts to me at amicoreport@hotmail.com. You must include your full name to be considered for publication. Also, please include your hometown, as I love to see where the e-mails are coming from.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!