people need to stop comparing the kings and the sixers. two different teams, two different conferences. both teams have largely underachieved, the sixers questionably so. it's very obvious why the kings are underachieving, though, and it can be attributed to an imbalanced starting unit that is without leadership, focus, or direction. the kings were a winning ball club with webber last season. without webber this season, they are a losing ball club. simple as that. don't talk to me about seasons past when webber has been injured. the kings had other leadership to fall back on in those days, and carried on in the absence of their superstar. but alas, those days are gone. the "big three" in sacramento remain, however, and can't get things done without webber. they were gettin it done with webber just last season, amidst change (ie: the trade that brought cuttino mobley to the kings starting unit).
this shouldn't even be debateable. i'm looking at very recent history here. with webber, the kings were winning last season. without webber this season, the kings are not winning. a leader who wants to win more than anything is not something to undermine or undervalue. no other remaining king, with the possible exception of mike bibby, has ever vocally stated their desire to win as much as chris webber did and still does.
in short, the kings that remain DO NOT MIND losing. one of them, rahim, is accustomed to it, but ABSOLUTELY NO ONE in a kings uniform (williamson, maybe??), has openly stated that they are disgusted with the way the kings are playing and the losses that are resulting.
i KNOW, with every ounce of my being, that chris webber would not accept the losing that the kings are experiencing right now, with every ounce of his being, if he were still a part of this team. his desire to win is something you cannot put a price on, especially when your team is primarily full of softies who have neither the fire or the inclination necessary to care about whether the team is winning or losing.
to this day, i am amazed at how many kings fans out there do not get it. a superstar is a superstar, regardless of injury. a superstar does not stand solely by his statistics, but also by his leadership and his desire to win. does anybody question allen iverson's desire to win? the dude goes 110% every game. webber gives the same, though is limited physically.
i will say this much, and i don't really care either way what anybody thinks on the matter, but i would prefer an injured chris webber leading his team from the sideline than the garbage we got in return for him, or his dispassionate so-called replacement, for that matter.