With the basketball season right around the corner, Sacramento Kings fans are beginning to gear up for what should be one of the most exciting seasons in franchise history. Last year’s loss in Game 7 to the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers was only an appetizer in what many are expecting to be a championship season.

While the expectations may be high, several questions have to be asked in regards to the Kings winning it all.

How will the legal problems facing Chris Webber influence his play?

How will the team deal with Mike Bibby being sidelined for six-to-eight weeks due to a stress fracture in his foot?

Was last year the Kings’ most realistic shot at beating the Lakers?

We won’t have to wait very long to find out if Chis Webber’s legal trouble is a distraction or not. With Bibby out, Webber will have ample opportunities to carry the team.

He must step up big, as the team did at the beginning of last year in his absence, in order for the Kings to make an early push in the Western Conference. However, if he isn’t able to shake his off-the-court distractions then the Kings could be in for a rude awakening early on.

Without Bibby, the point guard duties will rest in the hands of Jackson, who finished as the runner-up for last year’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. Make no bones about it, Bobby Jackson is an electrifying player, but will he be able to handle the pressure of being the top dog at the point?

An even better question is who will be backing up Jackson when he goes to the bench. Mateen Cleaves, who would have normally assumed the role, is also out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his foot.

The Kings might consider moving veteran shooting guard Doug Christie to the point. Another possibility is trading Cleaves again – the Kings traded the guard over the summer for Jumaine Jones, but the trade was called off when Cleaves failed his physical. The Kings could trade Cleaves and one of their small forwards – Pedrag Stojakovic, Hidayet Turkoglu or Gerald Wallace – for a legitimate point guard.

Then there is the Lakers; the battle tested champions who are not buying into the Kings’ hype.

Shaquille O’Neal has made his opinion of the Kings abundantly clear, referring to them as the “Sacramento Queens.” He has also stated that last year Chris Webber didn’t want the ball down the stretch and that Peja Stojakovic and Doug Christie couldn’t make any big shots. Not to mention he said he doesn’t even consider Scott Pollard a basketball player.

The Lakers took last year’s series with the Kings as a wake-up call, and will be coming into this season focused and healthy. Kobe Bryant has bulked up in his upper body adding several pounds of muscle, while Shaq has shed 20 pounds of muscle. The reality of the situation is that the Kings are going to need to defeat an even tougher Laker team than they faced last year.

However, if there is one team in the NBA that can do it, it’s the Kings. They have the best talent and depth in the NBA, but everyone knows talent alone can’t win basketball games.The Kings may struggle in the first month or two with Bibby’s injury and Webber’s court situation looming overhead.

Not to worry Kings fans, the championship is won in June, not November, and that’s when the Kings should be in full stride.Will it be enough to take down the arrogant three-time defending champs? I don’t know, but when the two teams meet in the playoffs, it’s going to be war.