C-Webb gamble was worth it
I know I’m not going to win any popularity contests with this post, and I’m not especially proud of the statement I’m about to make, but I truly believe the Chris Webber trade was worth it.
Yes, even in retrospect. Even after watching Webber run around the last 2 1/2 years as if he were eligible for social security. Even after listening to him whine about his role and factoring in that he makes more money per game than I’ll haul in before my 40th birthday.
Just hear me out, please.
Even though Webber was a major disappointment with the Sixers, 50 percent of any trade is what you give up. In this particular deal, we gave up as close to nothing as you can possibly give up for a five-time All-Star.
By far the best player we sent to the Kings was Kenny Thomas, who currently averages 5.9 points per game for a last-place team. I didn’t totally mind Thomas when he was with the Sixers, but realistically he is not a player who is going to be a key contributor to any serious contender.
We also gave up Corliss Williamson and Brian Skinner, two players the 76ers honestly could use right about now. But let’s be honest, there’s dozens of players in the league who bring the same skills to the table as these two guys.
Williamson and Skinner combine to make about $12 million this season and Thomas is, gulp, owed more than $30 million between now and 2010.
So, while Webber is definitely overpaid and well past his prime, it’s not like we parted with young studs and first-round picks to acquire him.
It was a gamble worth taking, it really was. Allen Iverson was/is nearing the end of his prime and, considering the state of the Eastern Conference, two fading superstars and some role players might have been enough to get you over the top.
Of course, this didn’t prove to be true. But at least the Sixers are done with Webber’s contract and we don’t have to watch Kenny Thomas shoot bricks from the left elbow until 2010.
And furthermore, it’s not like Webber was horrible with the Sixers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking on the Webber fan club door, but his numbers were respectable, especially last season. C-Webb averaged a surprising 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds last season and, even more stunningly, played in 75 games. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying he had a good year for the Sixers in 2005-06.
Of course, his first half-season with the Sixers was a disappointment, and this season turned out to be a waste, but it wasn’t a major gamble to begin with. And as lost as the 76ers franchise appears to be, I honestly believe we’re in better shape than the Kings, who are mired in mediocrity – the worst thing you can be in sports.
The Chris Webber era – if we can call it that – will certainly go down as a disappointment, but it wasn’t a disaster. There’s a big difference.
Now I just hope I don’t have to watch Webber sign somewhere and immediately win a championship, as was the case with Glenn Robinson two years ago.
Webber might have been a big disappointment, but at least he wasn’t a Big Dog.
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Posted on January 10, 2007 by Drew | Filed Under Philadelphia, Sixers
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