Purple Reign
Starter
Webber steps forward, accepting the torch
By Joe Juliano
Inquirer Staff Writer
He spent the night encouraging his teammates, directing traffic at both ends of the floor, hitting cutters with sharp passes, making shots more consistently, banging with massive Orlando center Dwight Howard in the low block, and even kicking an opposing player out of a team huddle after a bad defensive sequence.
With Allen Iverson gone, probably forever, he is the new face of the 76ers on the basketball court.
His name is Chris Webber.
Yeah, that's right. He is the same Chris Webber who sulked and grumbled his way through the first five weeks of the season, dissatisfied with his lack of playing time and what he saw as a diminished role.
How things can change. On Saturday night, against the Magic, Webber did not perform like a slow-footed guy headed toward longer minutes on the bench and eventual retirement, but more like the energetic, versatile guy people remembered from his successful career with the Sacramento Kings.
The veteran forward established season highs of 40 minutes of playing time and 8 assists, adding 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots while shooting 8 for 15 from the field.
Although the Sixers lost, 86-84, for their seventh consecutive defeat, Webber's performance - and his enlarged role - signified the new, post-Iversonian order. With it, coach Maurice Cheeks and his players may be seeing an encouraging sign of what's to come.
"We're putting the ball in his hands a lot, allowing him to initiate the offense," Cheeks said. "He's making some of the other guys so much better. With the ball in his hands, it allows the other guys to feed off him."
With Webber passing from the elbow, it means shots for players like Kyle Korver and Andre Iguodala, either on the wing or cutting to the basket. Both Korver and Iguodala had three baskets against the Magic on passes from Webber, including two layups apiece.
Korver, the Sixers' top three-point threat, said he was going to find tape of Webber's days in Sacramento, where he played with Peja Stojakovic, one of the league's premier deep shooters, and take advantage of this new style.
"Allen is a great basketball player, and I love playing with him," Korver said. "But when he's not in the game, things have to change, obviously. We don't have a guy that can come in and score 30 points instead of him, so the whole thing changes. We're going to go through Chris now - get the ball to him and play our offense off him."
Webber indicated that this was the way he had wanted to play all along.
"That's how I play, that's what I do," he said. "I'm not saying that in a cocky way, but everybody has their own style of play. I like getting players involved, and they like getting involved. I think it's a fun style of play.
"Andre is so powerful by the basket. I love getting him the ball inside. Kyle is such a great shooter, but [defenders] are hugging him and not letting him come off [screens]. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to pass and get your teammates involved.
"It's fun for us. It helps the pace of the game, and guys can get a feel for what's going on. You know you're going to touch the ball. That's just the way I play. Hopefully, I can keep playing that way."
The bounce in Webber's step Saturday night was a far cry from his first 11 games. A career 20-point, 10-rebound performer, Webber had been averaging 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in that stretch. He had a major issue with his playing time, having sat out the fourth quarter in five of his first 11 games.
Webber played all but five seconds of the final period in Orlando and looked strong, with six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the quarter. He had a chance on the Sixers' next-to-last possession to put his team in front, but missed a shot in heavy traffic as the officials chose not to call a foul.
With the Sixers having gone more than two weeks without a victory entering tonight's game against Portland at the Wachovia Center, Webber is being counted on to guide his team out of its slump.
"He's an older guy who's been around a while, and he's been our leader the last couple of games," Cheeks said. "That's what we're trying to do, look to him for a little leadership."
"This is when your character is tested, when you go through certain situations," Webber said. "We've just got to keep fighting and stick together."
Back in the Flow
In his last two games, the Sixers' Chris Webber has established season highs for points (21), assists (8), field goals made (9), minutes (40), and free-throw attempts (5) in Allen Iverson's absence. Here is a comparison between his first 11 games - he missed six games with lower-back stiffness and soreness - and the last two (without Iverson).
First 11 Last 2
Points 10.2 20.0
Rebounds 8.4 10.5
Assists 2.5 6.5
Minutes 29 38
FT attempts 1.0 4.0
FG pct. 37.1 51.5
Blocks 0.6 1.5
By Joe Juliano
Inquirer Staff Writer
He spent the night encouraging his teammates, directing traffic at both ends of the floor, hitting cutters with sharp passes, making shots more consistently, banging with massive Orlando center Dwight Howard in the low block, and even kicking an opposing player out of a team huddle after a bad defensive sequence.
With Allen Iverson gone, probably forever, he is the new face of the 76ers on the basketball court.
His name is Chris Webber.
Yeah, that's right. He is the same Chris Webber who sulked and grumbled his way through the first five weeks of the season, dissatisfied with his lack of playing time and what he saw as a diminished role.
How things can change. On Saturday night, against the Magic, Webber did not perform like a slow-footed guy headed toward longer minutes on the bench and eventual retirement, but more like the energetic, versatile guy people remembered from his successful career with the Sacramento Kings.
The veteran forward established season highs of 40 minutes of playing time and 8 assists, adding 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocked shots while shooting 8 for 15 from the field.
Although the Sixers lost, 86-84, for their seventh consecutive defeat, Webber's performance - and his enlarged role - signified the new, post-Iversonian order. With it, coach Maurice Cheeks and his players may be seeing an encouraging sign of what's to come.
"We're putting the ball in his hands a lot, allowing him to initiate the offense," Cheeks said. "He's making some of the other guys so much better. With the ball in his hands, it allows the other guys to feed off him."
With Webber passing from the elbow, it means shots for players like Kyle Korver and Andre Iguodala, either on the wing or cutting to the basket. Both Korver and Iguodala had three baskets against the Magic on passes from Webber, including two layups apiece.
Korver, the Sixers' top three-point threat, said he was going to find tape of Webber's days in Sacramento, where he played with Peja Stojakovic, one of the league's premier deep shooters, and take advantage of this new style.
"Allen is a great basketball player, and I love playing with him," Korver said. "But when he's not in the game, things have to change, obviously. We don't have a guy that can come in and score 30 points instead of him, so the whole thing changes. We're going to go through Chris now - get the ball to him and play our offense off him."
Webber indicated that this was the way he had wanted to play all along.
"That's how I play, that's what I do," he said. "I'm not saying that in a cocky way, but everybody has their own style of play. I like getting players involved, and they like getting involved. I think it's a fun style of play.
"Andre is so powerful by the basket. I love getting him the ball inside. Kyle is such a great shooter, but [defenders] are hugging him and not letting him come off [screens]. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to pass and get your teammates involved.
"It's fun for us. It helps the pace of the game, and guys can get a feel for what's going on. You know you're going to touch the ball. That's just the way I play. Hopefully, I can keep playing that way."
The bounce in Webber's step Saturday night was a far cry from his first 11 games. A career 20-point, 10-rebound performer, Webber had been averaging 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in that stretch. He had a major issue with his playing time, having sat out the fourth quarter in five of his first 11 games.
Webber played all but five seconds of the final period in Orlando and looked strong, with six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the quarter. He had a chance on the Sixers' next-to-last possession to put his team in front, but missed a shot in heavy traffic as the officials chose not to call a foul.
With the Sixers having gone more than two weeks without a victory entering tonight's game against Portland at the Wachovia Center, Webber is being counted on to guide his team out of its slump.
"He's an older guy who's been around a while, and he's been our leader the last couple of games," Cheeks said. "That's what we're trying to do, look to him for a little leadership."
"This is when your character is tested, when you go through certain situations," Webber said. "We've just got to keep fighting and stick together."
Back in the Flow
In his last two games, the Sixers' Chris Webber has established season highs for points (21), assists (8), field goals made (9), minutes (40), and free-throw attempts (5) in Allen Iverson's absence. Here is a comparison between his first 11 games - he missed six games with lower-back stiffness and soreness - and the last two (without Iverson).
First 11 Last 2
Points 10.2 20.0
Rebounds 8.4 10.5
Assists 2.5 6.5
Minutes 29 38
FT attempts 1.0 4.0
FG pct. 37.1 51.5
Blocks 0.6 1.5