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No debate Doubts about Webber's game are off base
Now that the Sacramento Kings have been eliminated from the playoffs, the Chris Webber questions can begin in earnest. If not Sacramento, where? What is he looking for? Does he want to play with buddies? Does he want to hop aboard a team that's already on the title track? Does he just want to play in a city with more soul food and nightclubs? These are valid questions, and I'm not sure even Webber can answer them all just yet. But suddenly, there is another set of questions being asked about C-Webb in the wake of the Kings' humiliating four-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers: What's he ever won, anyway? Can he carry a team? Is he really worthy of all the passionate pursuit he will attract from teams when he becomes a free agent this summer? The Kings' postseason body was barely cold before those issues began to be debated in print and on the airwaves. If Webber's so good, goes one side of the argument, why did he and the Kings come up so small against the Lakers? Shouldn't a franchise player be able to get something done in the low post against 35-year-old Horace Grant? Do you really want to throw $100 million at a guy who can't get past the second round? You'll find me on the other side of that debate, the side that says doubts about whether Webber is a franchise player are ridiculous. It's true that he never won a Big Ten title at Michigan and that he's only won seven playoff games in his pro career. But if you're going to blame Webber for those holes in his resume, you also have to credit him for leading the Wolverines to the Final Four as a freshman and for resurrecting a Sacramento franchise that was deader than disco before he arrived three seasons ago. The year before he reluctantly came to town, the Kings were 27-55. This year they were 55-27. That's what's known as a complete turnaround. The only member of the organization who can take as much credit as C-Webb for that reversal is Kings general manager Geoff Petrie, the guy who stole Webber from Washington in a trade for Mitch Richmond. At 28, Webber is entering his prime. He's tough to handle in the low post and he can hit the 20-foot jumper -- even though he relied far too much on it during the Lakers series. He has great hands as well as superior speed and passing ability for a big man. He's one of only a handful of players under 30 who can almost single-handedly turn a lottery team into a playoff team -- Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, Iverson, Garnett, Carter and McGrady are the other names that come to mind. If you can sign a player of Webber's stature, you write the check without hesitation. After the final loss to the Lakers on Sunday, Webber talked almost wistfully about the luxury of O'Neal and Bryant's situation in L.A., with neither player having to carry the burden of being the team's only star. Webber's detractors are saying those comments show he doesn't have the heart to be a team's go-to guy, that he doesn't want the responsibility of having a team's fortune rest on his shoulders. But maybe it's just that Webber has matured enough to know that he can't win a championship by himself. Wasn't it just a few years ago - for that matter, a few months ago - that Bryant was being bashed for thinking he could do everything himself? Now we're criticizing Webber for realizing that he can't? No one looks good when their team is getting swept out the door. But it's not Webber's fault that the Kings caught Bryant and O'Neal at the top of their games, or that Jason Williams committed more turnovers than assists in the series, or that sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic's deadeye went cockeyed against the Lakers. There may be lots of questions about where Webber's going, but there shouldn't be any about what he's capable of once he gets there. Sports Illustrated senior writer Phil Taylor covers the NBA beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com. Click here to send a question to his NBA mailbag. |
