Posts tagged Chris Webber at FanHouse

It was a week ago to the day that I pointed out how irrelevant Chris Webber had become for the Warriors. Not surprisingly, he also made that same realization: the San Francisco Chronicle reports that C-Webb will announce his retirement at a press conference tomorrow morning. Don Nelson, though, couldn't wait that long before waxing nostalgic:

"I really enjoyed working with him. It was great to get to know him again as a man, and I really enjoyed our short time together. I wish it really would've worked out better, but it didn't. And I think we'll remain friends for the rest of our lives."

Awww, that was nice of him (though I couldn't help but laugh after reading this comment left by a Chronicle reader: "i think nelson brought him back just to outlast him this time around. nellie is sly...."). Webber's reunion tour was embarrassingly short: he appeared in just nine games, averaging 3.9 points and 3.6 boards in 14 minutes.

After last year's semi-successful return with the Pistons, I'm sure Webber had somewhat different expectations about how this year would play out. Knowing what he does now, you have to wonder if perhaps he regrets leaving $10 million or so on the table by turning down an offer to play overseas.

Right about now, it seems a little silly how much attention everyone gave Chris Webber earlier in the year. Would he or wouldn't he sign with a Greek team? Would he or wouldn't he sign with the Pistons? Would he or wouldn't he return to Oakland? These days, the question has become simply, will he or won't he play a meaningful minute the rest of the season?

According to Don Nelson, it's not likely, and that's even if C-Webb could magically get healthy. From the San Francisco Chronicle:

With Chris Webber (sore left knee) missing his eighth straight game tonight and still nowhere near healthy, even Nelson is saying that Webber might not have a role on the team when - and if - he returns.

"It's get more difficult the longer we go," Nelson said. "We're down the stretch drive now. We'll probably have to play the way we've been playing."

So yeah, C-Webb, a big to-do about nothing (that's not supposed to be a statement about his entire career ... but it kind of fits). He shouldn't feel ashamed, though; just about every team that made a big move at the deadline is treading water at best. But unlike after his semi-successful cameo with the Pistons, this might really signal the end of the line -- not even a crazy Greek owner will throw money at him this summer.

Since we have a quick moment to breathe between All-Star weekend and the rest of the season, let's take a look back at the winners and losers of the first half.

Winners:

Lakers: Landed Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton, also known together as "basically nothing." Started a chain reaction of trades in the West, and even after those are considered by many to be the favorite to reach the Finals.

Suns: Traded for Shaq, as an obvious response to the Lakers' deal. They're winners because a motivated Shaq for a season-and-a-half is definitely worth something, and the guy still has a little left I think. Remember, Shaq returned from injury earlier this season to put up a strong effort of 24 and 10 against the Bulls ... but his team lost the game by 30. He'll definitely contribute something positive to his new team.

Heat: Anytime you get $40 million in contracts off the books when you're the worst team in the league, you win. Plus, the Heat have played with more energy since Shawn Marion has arrived, and now they have some cap space to rebuild for next year.

Pistons: Very quietly, the Pistons have racked up the league's second best record at the break, and are currently riding a 10-game winning streak. No one's paying attention to them right now, and that's just the way they like it. This team will be extremely dangerous come playoff time.

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the L. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

Thursday was Turn Back the Clock night at ORACLE Arena, featuring a former Warrior and first overall pick making a triumphant return to the Bay Area. Unfortunately, instead of Chris Webber basking in glory, it was Joe Smith, leading the Bulls to victory.

The Bulls eeked-out a 114-108 win, thanks in part to Smith's 27 points and eight boards. He got his points the easy way, all alone at the free-throw line where he shot 13-14 for the night. C-Webb, on the other hand, had a rather inauspicious debut with just four points and one rebound in 13 minutes. Things will get better, Warriors fans -- but not by much.

Also Receiving Votes:
Chris Duhon: 41 minutes, 34 points (11-16 FG, 4-6 3P, 8-9 FT), nine assists and three steals. How surprising was Duhon's night? Not only were his 34 points a career high but also the same number he's scored in the last 10 games combined.

Aaron Brooks: I don't know why, but I got a kick out of the fact he shot 1-for-8 in just 16 minutes -- with all of his attempts coming from beyond the arc. Talk about a gunner without a conscious (or a shooter's touch).

We were all pretty surprised to see how quickly the Pau Gasol-to-the-Lakers thing came together. Usually there are days of rumors leading up to something like this (see: Kidd, Jason), but this came down almost out of nowhere. That being said, the general consensus around here was "Wow," but here are some more in-depth reactions to the big trade.

Tom Ziller: This is way, way better than getting Kidd. And it sort of makes all that Chris Webber talk look silly. Everyone knows the Laker hole was up front until Bynum returns, and there's not a player on the market better to fill it right now than Gasol. Even the inside defense should be fine by the time Bynum returns for the postseason, and this could now be a top-3 offense.

Will Brinson: Okay, initially, I thought this was maybe a little too much. Then I realized I'm an idiot. The Lakers don't need the draft picks and if they keep this team together those picks will be late anyway. I still like the deal from the Grizzlies side of things though, because they get a very good young player (at least one I think will be good) in Crittenton, Kwame clears a ton of cap space and they have ample picks to begin maneuvering for draft position. I will admit as a Bynum fan/fantasy owner I'm a little nervous just because, well, because I'm paranoid. If he's healthy though, it won't matter and the Lakers suddenly might be favorites to win the West.

Chris Webber, sensing the vast and painful void in the NBA created by his prolonged absence to start the season, told a Sacramento TV reporter Sunday he'll sign a contract within days and be back on the court within two weeks.

Webber said he hadn't made any firm decision on where he would resume his NBA career, but the 16-year veteran said he had fielded offers from several NBA clubs and had narrowed his choices down to three teams. Webber declined to name the teams he was considering.

Any guesses? Detroit and Dallas are the easy ones. Boston? The Lakers? (First Mitch, now C-Webb? Noooo!) The Magic? New Jersey? The world is Webb's oyster; sadly, at his age, I'm not sure the pearl's still in there.

For what it's worth: ESPN's J.A. Adande called this in December, and mentioned the Pistons, Lakers, Celtics and Heat. Methinks one of those teams has dropped out of the bidding.

If you believe ESPN's J.A. Adande (or at least his unnamed sources), then Chris Webber might soon return to the NBA hardwood early in 2008:

"Look for him to be back the first week of January," the source said.

The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers had also inquired about Webber's services, with the Heat intensifying their efforts after backup center Alonzo Mourning suffered an apparent season-ending injury to his patellar tendon in a game at Atlanta Wednesday night. But for Webber, a Michigan native, his familiarity with the Pistons players and coach Flip Saunders' system after playing there last season appears to make them the most desirable team.

Desirable for Webber, perhaps, but maybe not the other way around. After hearing this news, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News spoke with Joe Dumars himself, who is content with the Pistons' roster as is and even told Webber's camp as much this week. Of course, that doesn't mean that Webber might not land with another team ...

Contrary belief, the Magic have yet to seriously pursue any free agent big men, despite being granted a $2.6 million injury exception by the NBA after Tony Battie suffered a season-ending injury. Chris Webber has been linked with the Magic in multiple reports, but GM Otis Smith denies having any interest. From Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel:

"No," Smith said. " If they don't fit in with what we're doing, why go get them? Because their name sounds good?

"If there were any free agents we really wanted, we'd have signed one. It was to make sense."

Smith said he talked to P.J. Brown's camp before the season started. "I already explored that option," he said. "And P.J. is retired."

As some guy wrote over at HOOPSWORLD (okay, it was me), Webber is probably the best available free agent still unsigned, and Brown certainly ranks in the top five. If Brown isn't interested in either one of those, he might consider Dale Davis or Danny Fortson, if he's most interested in defense and help for Dwight Howard on the glass. Michael Olowokandi and Vitaly Potapenko are also options. If Smith decides to hit the trade market, Schmitz suggests they might go after Michael Doleac from Minnesota.

Previously on FanHouse:
Orlando is Pursuing Chris Webber
The Magic Could Use Shareef

The Orlando Magic have a $2.6 million injury exception for Tony Battie and it's burning a hole in their pocket. NO, really, it is: they have to use it by December 10th or else it expires. They're hoping they can convince Chris Webber to take it, but it seems that C-Webb is only interested under the right conditions. From John Denton of Florida Today:

The only potential holdup between a Magic-Webber marriage could be the 34-year-old power forward's possible insistence that he remain a starter and play major minutes. It is unknown whether or not Webber would accept a reserve role with the Magic.
[...]
``He's turned down offers from five teams already,'' said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. ``He's just waiting for the right opportunity to come along. But he would definitely consider playing for the Magic.''

Rashard Lewis has been filling it at power forward, but his game is really better suited for the three. For one, he's not nearly as aggressive on the glass as most power forwards, grabbing just 4.8 boards per game. Dwight Howard, meanwhile, has been working overtime with 14.6 boards per game, an increase of over two per game from last year. Granted, Webber isn't the most physical player these days, either, but he's a big body who averaged nearly seven in fewer than 30 minutes a game last year.

This isn't the first time the Magic have talked with Webber, but if he has any interest in picking up a few million extra dollars before calling it a career, this is probably the best offer he's going to get. Plus, he'd be able to put his passing skills in the post to good use, dishing the ball down low to Howard and finding Lewis either slashing or outside for a three.

For one, they might be able to wriggle out of this Anderson Varejao drama, or at least get some leverage. The Akron Beacon Journal is saying that Chris Webber could join up with the Cavs, if the price is right. Webber's a shell of his former self, and I seriously doubt Mike Brown is going to let the smooth-passing big man use this one remaining skill (did no one watch Vlade Divac's later years?). But at least this would fill the void and give LeBron James some kind of help.

Through this all, LeBron is keeping his head up. As much as is mortally possible:

"You take positives out of these games," LeBron James said. "This is all we got. Personnel-wise, we're not the best team in the NBA and we know that."

At ESPN.com, Chris Broussard thinks the Cavs have hope on the somewhat distant horizon:

With financial prudence, the Cavs could be in position to significantly upgrade LeBron's supporting cast as soon as next season. Only four Cavs -- LeBron, Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Sasha Pavlovic -- currently are on the payroll past the 2008-2009 season.

That's fantastic and all, but Hughes, Ilguaskas, and possibly Sasha Pavlovic are still overpaid. They're eating up that cap margin that could be used to go out and upgrade extant players. If all those expiring contracts are traded, the Cavs will still need to fill up a roster, right? The rest of Cleveland is crappy, but not horribly overpaid. Maybe Danny Ferry could replace them with bargains, but he doesn't strike me as that astute.