jon e
Bench
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/basketball/13825268.htm
Posted on Thu, Feb. 09, 2006
Stephen A. Smith | 76ers should consider thoughts of Webber
By Stephen A. Smith
Inquirer Columnist
There are times you can be concise, articulate and full of justifiable fury, and still be perceived as confusing.
Nobody has this mastered quite like Chris Webber.
He entered last night averaging 19.6 points per game, but purportedly feels that Allen Iverson hogs the ball.
He entered last night averaging 9.8 rebounds per game, but wants the ball more.
His average of 3.2 assists per game should be considered minuscule because he is not the facilitator he was in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, the 76ers are struggling to rise beyond mediocrity.
Call it what you want, but mediocre is exactly what you are when you spend one week after another vacillating in .500 territory, wondering why you can't get it together. With the NBA's all-star festivities rapidly approaching - along with a trading deadline itching for the Sixers to do something, anything - Webber has to be at the core of anyone's evaluation when it comes to this team.
"I'll admit it: I'm not happy," Webber said a few weeks back. "Rather, I could be happier. I say it like that because I don't want anyone thinking I'm unhappy with any one player, the coach, or anything like that. I just know that whatever I'm doing, I can do more. Much more. I know what I'm capable of.
"Everyone's so quick to point to all these weapons I had in Sacramento," he said, citing Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby "and so many others guys I played with. Supposedly, we had all these weapons. But what people don't realize is that the guys I fed the ball to, for the most part, were Peja and Bibby. They did their thing and all of us flourished because of it. I can do the same thing here if..."
We know the rest.
Iverson gets the ball. He touches it. Bounces it. Hugs and squeezes it. And that's before he's putting up about 25 shots a night to average 33 points per game, much to the chagrin of others like Webber, who so desperately want additional offensive opportunities.
The truth is, though, that even with the selfishness that comes along with his mercurial talents, Iverson still offers the best opportunity for the Sixers to win. That is because of the level of talent he is playing alongside, along with the organization supervising those players.
One week we're hearing that Webber and coach Maurice Cheeks are cursing each other in the locker room. That same week, team president and general manager Billy King holds private meetings to discuss matters, playing more the role of Dr. Phil than that of the team's top executive.
Andre Iguodala is trying to find his niche. Kyle Korver cannot understand why his liabilities on defense have reduced his minutes from 35 per game to 22. Samuel Dalembert has given new meaning to that old take-the-money-and-run adage, and Webber has been too busy barking instead of running.
But as the trading deadline approaches, right and wrong don't really matter. If you really think about it, Webber may be right.
He has never implied that he wants to shoot more, and no one can deny that he is a quality distributor. He may be right when he says, "The ball should be in my hands, so I get people involved and the game can flow better."
Somehow, some way, King has to figure this out.
While the primary issue is not Webber's numbers or feelings, the Sixers are stuck with him. He is owed $43 million in his contract, with a 15 percent trade kicker, over the next two years, so the Sixers could not get rid of him if Humpty Dumpty were an opposing team executive looking to make a trade.
Ruben Patterson has been offered in Portland. So has Darius Miles. Some have speculated that the Seattle SuperSonics may want to move Ray Allen because of their financial issues, and it's not a given that Indiana will be able to keep Stojakovic, who may be looking to move to Chicago or Toronto in the off-season.
Al Harrington is an imminent free agent the Atlanta Hawks are determined to re-sign, although they may be unable to do so. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have been labeled as available, too.
The list goes on and on, but will the Sixers ever be able to do anything?
If the answer is yes, patience becomes a virtue. Since it appears to be no, Webber's concerns must be listened to.
No one wants to endure his complaints or that sad look on his face. But everyone appreciates the truth.
This team is struggling to stay average, and Webber is not happy about it. If he has an alternative, listen to him - even if it means taking a time-out from conventional thinking to do it.
Posted on Thu, Feb. 09, 2006
Stephen A. Smith | 76ers should consider thoughts of Webber
By Stephen A. Smith
Inquirer Columnist
There are times you can be concise, articulate and full of justifiable fury, and still be perceived as confusing.
Nobody has this mastered quite like Chris Webber.
He entered last night averaging 19.6 points per game, but purportedly feels that Allen Iverson hogs the ball.
He entered last night averaging 9.8 rebounds per game, but wants the ball more.
His average of 3.2 assists per game should be considered minuscule because he is not the facilitator he was in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, the 76ers are struggling to rise beyond mediocrity.
Call it what you want, but mediocre is exactly what you are when you spend one week after another vacillating in .500 territory, wondering why you can't get it together. With the NBA's all-star festivities rapidly approaching - along with a trading deadline itching for the Sixers to do something, anything - Webber has to be at the core of anyone's evaluation when it comes to this team.
"I'll admit it: I'm not happy," Webber said a few weeks back. "Rather, I could be happier. I say it like that because I don't want anyone thinking I'm unhappy with any one player, the coach, or anything like that. I just know that whatever I'm doing, I can do more. Much more. I know what I'm capable of.
"Everyone's so quick to point to all these weapons I had in Sacramento," he said, citing Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Mike Bibby "and so many others guys I played with. Supposedly, we had all these weapons. But what people don't realize is that the guys I fed the ball to, for the most part, were Peja and Bibby. They did their thing and all of us flourished because of it. I can do the same thing here if..."
We know the rest.
Iverson gets the ball. He touches it. Bounces it. Hugs and squeezes it. And that's before he's putting up about 25 shots a night to average 33 points per game, much to the chagrin of others like Webber, who so desperately want additional offensive opportunities.
The truth is, though, that even with the selfishness that comes along with his mercurial talents, Iverson still offers the best opportunity for the Sixers to win. That is because of the level of talent he is playing alongside, along with the organization supervising those players.
One week we're hearing that Webber and coach Maurice Cheeks are cursing each other in the locker room. That same week, team president and general manager Billy King holds private meetings to discuss matters, playing more the role of Dr. Phil than that of the team's top executive.
Andre Iguodala is trying to find his niche. Kyle Korver cannot understand why his liabilities on defense have reduced his minutes from 35 per game to 22. Samuel Dalembert has given new meaning to that old take-the-money-and-run adage, and Webber has been too busy barking instead of running.
But as the trading deadline approaches, right and wrong don't really matter. If you really think about it, Webber may be right.
He has never implied that he wants to shoot more, and no one can deny that he is a quality distributor. He may be right when he says, "The ball should be in my hands, so I get people involved and the game can flow better."
Somehow, some way, King has to figure this out.
While the primary issue is not Webber's numbers or feelings, the Sixers are stuck with him. He is owed $43 million in his contract, with a 15 percent trade kicker, over the next two years, so the Sixers could not get rid of him if Humpty Dumpty were an opposing team executive looking to make a trade.
Ruben Patterson has been offered in Portland. So has Darius Miles. Some have speculated that the Seattle SuperSonics may want to move Ray Allen because of their financial issues, and it's not a given that Indiana will be able to keep Stojakovic, who may be looking to move to Chicago or Toronto in the off-season.
Al Harrington is an imminent free agent the Atlanta Hawks are determined to re-sign, although they may be unable to do so. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have been labeled as available, too.
The list goes on and on, but will the Sixers ever be able to do anything?
If the answer is yes, patience becomes a virtue. Since it appears to be no, Webber's concerns must be listened to.
No one wants to endure his complaints or that sad look on his face. But everyone appreciates the truth.
This team is struggling to stay average, and Webber is not happy about it. If he has an alternative, listen to him - even if it means taking a time-out from conventional thinking to do it.
