Last Cup of Sorrow
G-League
Kings seek new identity without WebberBy JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
February 24, 2005
DALLAS (AP) -- No matter whether he was smiling or pouting, posting triple-doubles or rehabbing from injuries, Chris Webber was the focus of the Sacramento Kings the last 6 1/2 seasons.
Now he's gone and the Kings are about to find a new identity -- whatever that might be.
``It's hard to tell now,'' center Brad Miller said. ``It'll probably take a couple of games to find out.''
Webber and two reserves were traded Wednesday night to the Philadelphia 76ers for Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson. The trade ends an era for Sacramento that was filled with exciting play and lots of victories, but without a trip to the NBA Finals, much less a title.
``He was our most dominant and best player and he's not here,'' coach Rick Adelman said. ``In the long run, I believe this group can win and that's what I have to get them to do, to believe in themselves. They've done it before when he's been hurt. They've got to do it again.''
Before a shootaround Thursday afternoon, Adelman met privately with the six players he'll now be relying on most -- Miller, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Cuttino Mobley, Darius Songaila and Bobby Jackson -- to discuss how they feel about the trade and how they're going to handle the change.
All came away saying they were still stunned that Webber's long-rumored departure had really happened, and perhaps that they didn't get a comparable talent in return.
``It hit kind of hard,'' Bibby said. ``He's a real good friend. It's going to be tough to see him go, but we've got to get out there and play.''
``Chris was our best player for so many years,'' said Stojakovic, who inherits that title. ``Now we have a new group of players. We have to figure out how to play with this group of guys and hopefully get to the playoffs.''
That shouldn't be much of a concern. The Kings went into Thursday night's game 34-20, much closer to the coveted No. 4 seed than falling into the lottery.
Sacramento players -- and fans -- can be excused if their heads are spinning these days. They were just getting used to the offseason departure of center Vlade Divac when off guard Doug Christie was traded to Orlando for Mobley. Now Webber is gone, too, leaving only Stojakovic and Bibby from the primary starting lineup the last few years.
The deal came at an awkward time for many reasons, starting with the problems caused Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks, the team ahead of them in the chase for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Without Webber, Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley, and with the newcomers not joining the team yet, Sacramento had just nine active players -- but suited up only eight because Stojakovic has a strained hamstring.
The Dallas game also was the first of a six-game road trip, the longest of the season for the Kings.
And guess where their next stop is? Philadelphia, meaning C-Webb's first game as Allen Iverson's teammate will be against the team he just left.
``It's probably the weirdest situation I've ever been involved with,'' Adelman said. ``I think they're staying at the same hotel we're staying at in Philly, we play them Saturday and we play them in two weeks at home.''
Adelman broke the news to Webber in the coach's hotel room in Dallas on Wednesday night. Webber stayed in the room to call Sacramento president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie and the 76ers, then he and Adelman reminisced about all they've been through together.
``It was hard, really hard, and hard for him, too,'' Adelman said. ``It's a sad day for me, really a sad day for me.''
There was a lot they could've covered, from winning 61 games and getting within a victory of the Finals in 2002 to Webber being suspended last season for violating the league's anti-drug program and for lying to a federal grand jury.
Sacramento won 65 percent of its games since he arrived in 1999, reached the playoffs every season -- and lost in a Game 7 each of the last three seasons. Along the way, Webber also made four All-Star teams, signed for roughly $127 million -- and had serious knee surgery, among other injuries. He was averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season, and recently had three triple-doubles. He's the leading rebounder in the Sacramento era of the franchise and he's among the top four in most other categories. ``He did everything he could when he was here to help,'' Adelman said. ``That's what he can look back on.''
from Yahoo! Sports
February 24, 2005
DALLAS (AP) -- No matter whether he was smiling or pouting, posting triple-doubles or rehabbing from injuries, Chris Webber was the focus of the Sacramento Kings the last 6 1/2 seasons.
Now he's gone and the Kings are about to find a new identity -- whatever that might be.
``It's hard to tell now,'' center Brad Miller said. ``It'll probably take a couple of games to find out.''
Webber and two reserves were traded Wednesday night to the Philadelphia 76ers for Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson. The trade ends an era for Sacramento that was filled with exciting play and lots of victories, but without a trip to the NBA Finals, much less a title.
``He was our most dominant and best player and he's not here,'' coach Rick Adelman said. ``In the long run, I believe this group can win and that's what I have to get them to do, to believe in themselves. They've done it before when he's been hurt. They've got to do it again.''
Before a shootaround Thursday afternoon, Adelman met privately with the six players he'll now be relying on most -- Miller, Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Cuttino Mobley, Darius Songaila and Bobby Jackson -- to discuss how they feel about the trade and how they're going to handle the change.
All came away saying they were still stunned that Webber's long-rumored departure had really happened, and perhaps that they didn't get a comparable talent in return.
``It hit kind of hard,'' Bibby said. ``He's a real good friend. It's going to be tough to see him go, but we've got to get out there and play.''
``Chris was our best player for so many years,'' said Stojakovic, who inherits that title. ``Now we have a new group of players. We have to figure out how to play with this group of guys and hopefully get to the playoffs.''
That shouldn't be much of a concern. The Kings went into Thursday night's game 34-20, much closer to the coveted No. 4 seed than falling into the lottery.
Sacramento players -- and fans -- can be excused if their heads are spinning these days. They were just getting used to the offseason departure of center Vlade Divac when off guard Doug Christie was traded to Orlando for Mobley. Now Webber is gone, too, leaving only Stojakovic and Bibby from the primary starting lineup the last few years.
The deal came at an awkward time for many reasons, starting with the problems caused Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks, the team ahead of them in the chase for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Without Webber, Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley, and with the newcomers not joining the team yet, Sacramento had just nine active players -- but suited up only eight because Stojakovic has a strained hamstring.
The Dallas game also was the first of a six-game road trip, the longest of the season for the Kings.
And guess where their next stop is? Philadelphia, meaning C-Webb's first game as Allen Iverson's teammate will be against the team he just left.
``It's probably the weirdest situation I've ever been involved with,'' Adelman said. ``I think they're staying at the same hotel we're staying at in Philly, we play them Saturday and we play them in two weeks at home.''
Adelman broke the news to Webber in the coach's hotel room in Dallas on Wednesday night. Webber stayed in the room to call Sacramento president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie and the 76ers, then he and Adelman reminisced about all they've been through together.
``It was hard, really hard, and hard for him, too,'' Adelman said. ``It's a sad day for me, really a sad day for me.''
There was a lot they could've covered, from winning 61 games and getting within a victory of the Finals in 2002 to Webber being suspended last season for violating the league's anti-drug program and for lying to a federal grand jury.
Sacramento won 65 percent of its games since he arrived in 1999, reached the playoffs every season -- and lost in a Game 7 each of the last three seasons. Along the way, Webber also made four All-Star teams, signed for roughly $127 million -- and had serious knee surgery, among other injuries. He was averaging 21.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season, and recently had three triple-doubles. He's the leading rebounder in the Sacramento era of the franchise and he's among the top four in most other categories. ``He did everything he could when he was here to help,'' Adelman said. ``That's what he can look back on.''
from Yahoo! Sports
