Two games left, and zero hesitation remaining. It's already official, no matter what happens Friday night to the twice-defending NBA champions.

They're vulnerable.

The question that hung over the Los Angeles Lakers all season, with an answer promised us in the playoffs, isn't being asked any more. You no longer wonder about LA ? really vulnerable, or just teasing? ? because you've either seen or heard about the first five games of the Western Conference finals.

Sacramento has won three of them and came within a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Robert Horry of winning Game 4, too. From here, whether or not these young Kings can actually finish the series off, you also know that they're going to keep getting better, with a little team from Dallas determined to spend and deal and follow the same depth-trumps-stars blueprint.