Chris Webber’s name is all over the place today…none of it being particularly good. We’ll start the odyssey with the assumed-to-be-classy Jim O’Brien’s words on C-Webb (courtesy of the News Journal in Delaware):
“In one of the first conversations I had with Chris Webber, I said, ‘This is one of the ways we’re going to use you offensively ,’ ” O’Brien said. “And he said, ‘Coach, I don’t do the low-post thing anymore.’
O’Brien also talked about Webber’s practice habits…..or…well, complete lack thereof.
“Webber didn’t practice at all that year prior to coming to us,” he said. “I think he was just at the point where he didn’t necessarily feel he was in need of practice, or could practice. It became apparent that he was not going to give the Philadelphia 76ers everything that we had hoped for.”
Yikes. Odd that O’Brien would stay quite for three whole years and bust all of this out now. Webber did talk smack about O’Brien for a while and while good old Jim may seem like a nice guy, I always get this Mafia vibe when I see his picture for some reason. With that being said and with the timing…I say O’Brien is going for a bit of revenge. “Oh you want back in the NBA Chris…let me make sure these teams that might want you have all the right information.” So Jim O’Brien didn’t have much nice things to say about Webber.
No worries Chris, Joe Dumars is here to save the day. There’s no way Dumars would have much bad to say about you. He’s a nice guy, he even managed to say nice things about Darko. And Darko nearly ruined his career as an executive. Also, everyone and their third cousin is talking about Detroit is ‘desperately’ trying to bring you back after your ‘inspiring effort’ in last year’s playoffs. Surely whatever he would have to say today would wash out the bitter taste O’Brien left.
Uh-oh. A. Sherrod Blakely says ‘Dumars squashes Webber rumors’. That’s ok though, he’s probably just squashing the rumors that you might be going to the Lakers. No big deal Chris we’ll just take a gander at what he said:
“I had dialogue with Chris this afternoon,” Dumars said. “And what I expressed to him, is that we do not have a roster spot open. That has not changed. And if we were to have a roster spot open, we’d still have to have a conversation about role, minutes … and all those things.”
Dumars later added, “that situation hasn’t changed. It’s the same as it was a month ago, two months ago … it’s the same situation.” In other words, Dumars has not completely shut the door on bringing Webber back. But a number of dominoes would have to fall before C-Webb returns as a member of the Pistons. And according to Dumars, the Pistons are not involved in any potential trades, nor are they putting trade offers out there.
Officially, Joe Dumars may win the award for ‘Nicest Way To Say ‘We Don’t Want You’ in the history of the NBA. I don’t see how Blakely could say Dumars ‘has not completely shu the door on bringing Webber back.’ I mean, first off why would he…didn’t really work last year. Also lets factor in the fact that he told him ‘We don’t have a roster spot open’ and the only way they could get one is through a trade. Except they are not looking to make any trades. Things that make you go hmmm.
So what if O’Brien called you a bum and the Pistons pretty much want nothing to do with you. There are always the Lakers. They need a big man with Bynum going down for 2 months. What you can offer is far superior than anyone else on the market.
Wait a tick. Kelly Dwyer on his NBA Experts Blog goes behind the Lakers boxscore and finds…trust?:
“And yet, with five minutes to go, Bryant had Diawara caught, the Nugget defender was overplaying, and the stage was set for Kobe to swing both ways and stick a fadeaway jumper in his face.
Instead, Kobe picked up his dribble, and threw an entry pass into cutting Laker forward Ronny Turiaf. That’s big. That’s that “trust” word that Reggie Miller kept annoying you with last night. Turiaf missed, and Kobe didn’t seem to care. The Lakers won’t be sliding too much in Andrew Bynum‘s absence. “
Say it isn’t so. Surely this is just the thoughts of an unbiased observer and the Lakers are dying for your services. I mean even Kenny Smith tried to defend Kwame Brown and could only find two positive clips. In your favor is the fact that Chris Mihm apparently has 1/3 of an ankle left. And there is no one else out there to sign…the Lakers are your new home.
Wait…Mike Breshanan of the LA Times says…I…I can’t even believe this one you’ll have to see it with your own eyes.
“The Lakers signed center DJ Mbenga to a 10-day contract, giving them some added brawn up front. Mbenga, 27, was waived by Golden State two weeks ago in a minor cost-cutting move.
The move brought the team to a league-maximum 15-player roster and signaled the apparent end of Chris Webber’s chances of joining the Lakers.
The Lakers were concerned about Webber’s conditioning and with the way he faded in last season’s playoffs. Webber has not played since the Detroit Pistons lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. He averaged 9.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 16 playoff games last season for Detroit.
Mbenga, a 7-footer from Congo, averaged 1.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 16 games with Golden State.
Jackson said he hoped to get solid defense and rebounding out of Mbenga, who was described by Jackson as a “big guy in there who can block some shots and do some things.” Mbenga spent the first three seasons of his career with Dallas.
His best season was 2005-06, when he averaged 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds a game.”
DJ Mbenga. Or as I like to call him: Proof that if you’re 7 feet and are coordinated you will get at least one chance in the NBA. I will say that DJ is less of a mouthful though. However you would like to call him, it does not change the fact that indeed Mr. Webber, your services have been passed up for a journeyman. A man who is more known for being ‘that one guy on Dallas who went in the stands to help Avery Johnson’s wife out and got suspended’ than for anything he’s ever done on the court. You could also substitute ‘that one guy on Dallas who fouled LeBron James really hard’, whichever makes your pony’s hair straight. That 06 suspension was hilarious…no one knew who he was and no one cared that he was suspended. And Donnie Nelson even said “We all know DJ is not a starting-five kind of guy.” That’s the guy the Lakers decided to go with instead of you: a guy who couldn’t even average more than 2 rebounds in Italy.
Greece doesn’t sound so bad now does it Chris? Maybe they still want you big guy. And if they do…please take Stephon too. I hear the Starbury’s cost like 2 dollars now.