| Can Webber Excel With Iverson? Authored by Jim Serratore - March 16, 2005 - 3:07 pm
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The good news is that Webber’s mere presence on the court attracts so much attention from opposing defenders that the rest of the Sixers have more room to operate than they did before his arrival. He gives the team a lost post scoring option that previously was nonexistent. Plus, he also has a ton of playoff experience which will become more and more important in the upcoming weeks.
The bad news is that Webber’s direct contribution to the box score, particularly his scoring, has been less than spectacular. Not only is he not scoring as much as expected, but many of his unique talents appear to be lost on this Sixers team. He has made a living keying the offense from the high post, but the Sixers play a completely different style of offense with Iverson as the key. Webber has had to adjust to a much different role as a result.
When he first arrived, most people expected that Webber would provide the Sixers with a legitimate second scoring option, opposite Iverson. They assumed Iverson and Webber would be the kind of one-two punch that could rival the likes of Shaq and Dwyane Wade in Miami; Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in San Antonio; Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix. So far, that has not been the case. Webber has looked more like a role player and Iverson still looks like the only star on the team.
Some might argue that Webber’s lack of speed and explosiveness are the main reasons why he has struggled to excel next to Iverson. It makes sense. The Sixers offense is designed to be fast paced, sparked by Iverson’s electrifying speed, quickness and agility. They look to apply steady pressure and capitalize on three point opportunities. Add to that the fact that coach Jim O’Brien has given Iverson the green light to go out and make plays at top speed, and you have to wonder if Webber fits in at all?
More than a few times in the last ten games, the Sixers have looked out of synch with Webber on the court. It’s almost like they have consciously put the brakes on the run-and-gun offense in order to include Webber. The results are disrupted flow and poor shot selection.
The Sixers are at their best when they react, rather than think. Since Webber arrived in town, they seem to be doing a lot more thinking on the court, and a lot less natural reacting.
In Sacramento, Webber was part of a team with a traditional point guard, Mike Bibby, who has made a living setting up his teammates and controlling the tempo of the game. In Philadelphia, the opposite phenomenon exists. Iverson has made a living setting up himself, and once in a while his teammates. He dictates the tempo of the game, like Bibby, but unfortunately for Webber, the tempo in Philadelphia is perhaps too fast for him at this stage in his career.
In Sacramento, Webber’s lack of speed was irrelevant because the Kings never looked to thrive on the fast break as much as the Sixers do. Webber is perhaps best suited to a half court offense, while the Sixers look to make things happen on the fast break.
As long as Iverson is around it makes sense to build a team that compliments his unique talents. That means surrounding him with players who have exceptional speed, quickness and agility. Webber, at the age of 32, does not fit that criteria.
It would be interesting to see how dominant the Sixers would be if they could surround Iverson with the kind of athletes who currently compliment Steve Nash in Phoenix. With Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert already on board, such a scenario would not be impossible to achieve. Plenty of work still needs to be done though.
Webber is far from a perfect fit, but can he be effective enough to propel the Sixers into the playoffs and beyond?
Only time will tell.
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