NBA: What a tangled web we'll leave
For Chris Webber and his Sacramento Kings, the Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers promised to be a defining moment, and they have. The series has reaffirmed Webber as a lazy, arrogant talent who won't do what it takes to reach the next level and compete for championships.
This was supposed to be Chris Webber's coming out party, the time when he and the Sacramento Kings put their mark on the NBA. After beating the Lakers by 24 in the Staples Center late in the regular season, the Kings seemed ready to fight the Lakers on even terms, if not beat them in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
The biggest reason why the Kings stood a chance was the supposed matchup advantage at the offensive end between Webber and the man assigned to guard him, L.A.'s Horace Grant. Webber's strength and power figured to be too much for Grant, the valiant but aging defender, to handle. The stage was set for Webber--who, along with his team, has known only playoff disappointment (if not avoidance thereof) throughout much of his career--to write a distinctly different chapter against Shaq, Kobe and the rest of the defending champions.
Apparently, winning doesn't really matter much to Webber, because game 2 of the series, a virtual must-win for the Kings after a game 1 loss, featured the laziest defense, the worst lack of focus, and least aggressive offense that a man as strong and as talented as Webber could possibly provide.
After scoring a basket to tie the game at... 4-all with 9:30 left in the first quarter, Webber let out a mighty shout of supremacy. For the remaining 45 minutes and change, all Webber did was:
get smoked by Grant at the defensive end;
miss passive jumpers at the offensive end;
fail to use any brain cells, regardless of what he did;
listlessly drag his marvelous physique up and down the floor;
and stand by the side of the road--err, uhh, lane--as Shaquille O'Neal piled up the points and boards, more than 40 and 20 respectively, for the second straight game.
One could also focus on the astonishing stupidity of teammate Jason Williams, whose shot in the final seconds of game 1 represented three dumb decisions in one single play, but that's become par for the course with the man called White Chocolate, who should continue to see fewer minutes behind Bobby Jackson, one of the few guys from Sac-Town with a pulse and a heart in this series.
If the mystery of the Kings' meltdown centers around one person, it's Webber, who has gradually improved his game and his team over the past few seasons. Why he has regressed at this moment must be beyond the mind of Rick Adelman and anyone else who saw the Kings emerge this year as a legitimate NBA contender.
Webber could--and very well might--come back with a vengeance in a deafening Arco Arena in game 3 on Friday. The Kings might very well win that one must-win game. But given the lack of hustle and toughness these Kings have shown so far, don't expect the Lakers to be extended in this series. If the Kings do manage to win game 3, chances are Webber and his pals will let up and fail to deliver the goods in game 4 on Sunday. Good night, series over, drive home safely along I-5.
Chris Webber needs a veteran to light a fire under him, just as Charles Oakley did to Vince Carter for the Toronto Raptors. Hmmmm, maybe Vlade Divac could do it! He's been through some big battles in his career, hasn't he?
Oh, wait, that's right--Vlade's also been AWOL on the boards in this series, and his post-up game hasn't shown up either.
Gee, seems like Webber will leave the playoffs early. If he doesn't start to play like a man, hoop fans will be glad to leave this confused and tangled Web behind, and then gear up for a Spurs-Lakers megatilt.
The biggest reason why the Kings stood a chance was the supposed matchup advantage at the offensive end between Webber and the man assigned to guard him, L.A.'s Horace Grant. Webber's strength and power figured to be too much for Grant, the valiant but aging defender, to handle. The stage was set for Webber--who, along with his team, has known only playoff disappointment (if not avoidance thereof) throughout much of his career--to write a distinctly different chapter against Shaq, Kobe and the rest of the defending champions.
Apparently, winning doesn't really matter much to Webber, because game 2 of the series, a virtual must-win for the Kings after a game 1 loss, featured the laziest defense, the worst lack of focus, and least aggressive offense that a man as strong and as talented as Webber could possibly provide.
After scoring a basket to tie the game at... 4-all with 9:30 left in the first quarter, Webber let out a mighty shout of supremacy. For the remaining 45 minutes and change, all Webber did was:
get smoked by Grant at the defensive end;
miss passive jumpers at the offensive end;
fail to use any brain cells, regardless of what he did;
listlessly drag his marvelous physique up and down the floor;
and stand by the side of the road--err, uhh, lane--as Shaquille O'Neal piled up the points and boards, more than 40 and 20 respectively, for the second straight game.
One could also focus on the astonishing stupidity of teammate Jason Williams, whose shot in the final seconds of game 1 represented three dumb decisions in one single play, but that's become par for the course with the man called White Chocolate, who should continue to see fewer minutes behind Bobby Jackson, one of the few guys from Sac-Town with a pulse and a heart in this series.
If the mystery of the Kings' meltdown centers around one person, it's Webber, who has gradually improved his game and his team over the past few seasons. Why he has regressed at this moment must be beyond the mind of Rick Adelman and anyone else who saw the Kings emerge this year as a legitimate NBA contender.
Webber could--and very well might--come back with a vengeance in a deafening Arco Arena in game 3 on Friday. The Kings might very well win that one must-win game. But given the lack of hustle and toughness these Kings have shown so far, don't expect the Lakers to be extended in this series. If the Kings do manage to win game 3, chances are Webber and his pals will let up and fail to deliver the goods in game 4 on Sunday. Good night, series over, drive home safely along I-5.
Chris Webber needs a veteran to light a fire under him, just as Charles Oakley did to Vince Carter for the Toronto Raptors. Hmmmm, maybe Vlade Divac could do it! He's been through some big battles in his career, hasn't he?
Oh, wait, that's right--Vlade's also been AWOL on the boards in this series, and his post-up game hasn't shown up either.
Gee, seems like Webber will leave the playoffs early. If he doesn't start to play like a man, hoop fans will be glad to leave this confused and tangled Web behind, and then gear up for a Spurs-Lakers megatilt.
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