How Good Will the 2006-07 Sacramento Kings Be?

This much is clear. As long as Ron Artest plays for Sacramento, nobody can refer to them as the Queens. When Shaq played for the Lakers, he used to call Sacramento the Queens because they were so soft defensively. Now, with the acquisition of Ron Artest last season, the whole complexion of the Sacramento Kings has changed. The Kings are now a tough, defensive-minded team with an attitude that they can compete with anybody. You may not like Artest, but you can't argue with his talent and competitive spirit. There are few players in the NBA that can change the whole complexion of a team by themselves, and Artest is one of them. Because of that, the Kings have a legitimate shot at the NBA Playoffs this season.

In addition to Artest, Sacramento Kings' fans can also look forward to good things from Mike Bibby. Bibby has always been a great floor leader and a clutch shooter, but this summer he worked out extra hard. Thanks to diet and exercise, Mike Bibby lost 18 pounds in the off-season and is quicker than ever. Bibby and center Brad Miller are about the only two players left over from the team that faced the Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals. The Sacramento Kings also have a new head coach this year, with Eric Musselman replacing Rick Adelman.

To give you an idea how much better the Kings are with Artest on the court, simply look at last season's regular season record. Before Sacramento traded for Artest, the Kings had a record of 18 wins and 24 losses. After acquiring Ron Artest, the Kings won 26 games and only lost 14 times. They turned a losing season into a winning one, and made it to the NBA Playoffs. They even tested Tim Duncan and the Spurs in the playoffs, winning two games before losing the series in six. The Sacramento Kings should build on that success and return to the playoffs this season.