Jim Eyen is a longtime NBA assistant coach who has developed strategy for the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks and Blazers. He will be sharing his expertise on NBA.com throughout the playoffs. Here, Jim breaks down the upcoming Kings-Lakers Western Finals, a matchup that is one of the most highly anticipated postseason series the league has seen in a long while.

Sacramento has been “knocking on the door” for the last few years and has now broken through to the conference finals. The Kings' management made the intelligent decision to stay the course with their core group of players and coaches. They have been rewarded with an unprecedented run in this club’s history. On the other hand, the Lakers have what everyone else wants—the O’Brien trophy, which has resided at the Staples Center for the last two years. From a fan’s standpoint, this is an anticipated and exciting contest. From a coach’s perspective, this match-up contains many intriguing strategy decisions.

The Kings will need to decide whether they want to send double teams to defend Shaq. Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE/Getty Images

The Kings have advanced this far into the post-season by utilizing their versatility. They have weathered two previous playoff storms that were on the opposite end of the climate spectrum. In the first round, it was Utah and their “deliberate” style. In the second round, Dallas challenged them with their “open” attack. Rick Adelman and his staff did an effective job of providing subtle adjustments that proved to be successful in the first two series. Each style they faced posed a challenge offensively as well as defensively. Managing game tempo has been crucial to their success thus far. Sacramento’s offense maintained control of the game flow enabling the Kings to dictate their preferred tempo against different opponents.

Now another challenge looms—the Lakers and their distinct “style”. Unlike Sac’s previous two opponents (and for that matter, unlike any other team in the league), the Lakers constantly put their opponents in the dubious position of defending the league’s most dominant player. Shaquille O’Neal is the problem—an “unmatchable” match-up. This is the bad news, the good news is there are no surprises—you know what you are up against.

The Lakers can work to exploit this advantage at any juncture of the game. With the attention O'Neal warrants in the post by way of sagging and double teams, opportunities surface for everyone. Spot up shooters, drivers and slashers now have room to operate. Life is good for the other four when O’Neal is on the floor.

Therefore, it is up to Sacramento’s team defense to minimize the damage done either through or around O’Neal. Over the course of 48 minutes you expect a certain level of damage, however, along the way there are certain decisions to be made.

1) Play O’Neal straight-up, to limit everyone else in the hopes that one player can’t beat you; or

2) Take the ball out of his hands with double teams forcing the other players to carry the load; or

3) A combination of both-- intermittent double teams allowing for some element of surprise.

In addition to their defensive scheme Sacramento will devise an offensive attack as well. This will be crucial to their overall game plan because they can attempt to control the game tempo with their offense. How fast or slow or deliberate a team operates enables them to control the flow of the game to their liking. It may seem like strictly an offensive maneuver, but controlling the tempo serves a defensive purpose as well. When you take that control away from your opponent you have created an advantage. At times, your best defense is your offense.

Sacramento has a versatile roster that allows them the flexibility we’ve seen in earlier rounds. They can work in the post; shoot the ball with range; run the floor into an “open” game. In fact, positions 1 through 5 can lead a fastbreak. The Kings can attack the Lakers a number of different ways:

1) They can push the ball aggressively after every shot opportunity (make or miss) to keep O’Neal on the run and out of a set defense.

2) Look to exploit perceived advantages at certain positions, thereby establishing a more deliberate attack.

3) Run pick-and-rolls to keep O’Neal on the move and away from the basket, utilizing their perimeter shooting big-men.

Obviously the Laker defense will have say in these areas. They are an excellent defensive unit; a group of cagey veterans who have played together for years. They utilize their strengths and know how to take teams out of their comfort zones:

1) They apply solid ball pressure,

2) They can and will overplay and deny passing lanes

3) They close-out aggressively to contest every shot knowing that O’Neal is behind them to erase any mistakes with his size and shotblocking. Their #1 ranking defensively in the league is no fluke.

After battling injuries, fatigue, and each other, eventually one team will remain standing. Considering the high level of play and the prize at stake, this series has the making of a classic.