Most of you know this by now, but it looks like Pistons fans can finally shelve the “Chris Webber, yea or nay?” debate. From ESPN’s Marc Stein:
Barring an unexpected change of heart, sources said, Webber will accept the invitation from former coach Don Nelson and former teammate Chris Mullin to come back to the team with whom he won NBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1994, only for Webber to force a trade to Washington some six months later when his prickly relationship with Nelson collapsed.
“I hope that it happens to be quite honest with you,” Nelson told Bay Area reporters Sunday before the Warriors hosted the New York Knicks. “I think our team needs it.” […]
“I’ve learned over the years,” Nelson said Sunday night. “I’ve softened a bit through some of the experiences I’ve had. I look back at the time when Chris and I were here early in our careers. We were both pretty stubborn and I was maybe too tough and he was too young to see the positives I was trying to bring to the table. I’ve learned and I think he has, too. Hey, I’m an old man and he’s an old player.”
The difference being, though, that coaches tend to get better with age, whereas players just get slow. But still, I’m happy that Webber found his team, and I’m even happier he found it out west.
On this news, three days of rest and Indiana without J.O., I’m hoping to see at least 15 minutes out of Amir tomorrow night…
I hope Chris finds a place where he can be useful and happy. I don’t think he’s getting his ring with the Warriors, and he seems a bit old/slow to play their run-and-gun style. Then again, being a defensive liability on Golden State isn’t as big a deal as being a defensive liability on the Pistons. And at least it’s not Boston.
Chris Webber and Golden St. go together like Kate Hudson and P.T. Anderson. He is a horrendous fit for that system.
http://www.databasebasketball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=WEBBECH01
HOF likely > 135, and Webber’s @ 139?
HOF Hardly.
Sauce, his career averages are 21 and 10. For 14 seasons? That’s just, well, damn. Five All-Star appearances and a selection to the all-NBA First Team in 2001, it’s certainly a profile that merits consideration, but he probably won’t get it and he probably doesn’t deserve it either. He’ll probably join Pershing High alumni Spencer Haywood and Artis Gilmore as the only guys over 135 in databasebasketball.com history who haven’t made it in. Besides, the basketball HOF’s process is really shady if you look into it.
And slightly related, check out the end of this interview with Haywood and see the bizarre nature of his relationship with Webber:
http://blacksportsnetwork.com/articles/qa/The%20Wood_060806.asp
Krista Jahnke weighs in: http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080129/BLOG15/301290001/1051/SPORTS03
LB, I don’t give a rat’s ass for talent if they don’t defend.
But yeah, I agree with you, the whole idea of a HOF’er is kinda weird in every sport.
Art Monk, all these years, not in the Pro Football HOF? Jesus, what’s a guy gotta do if Art can’t make it?