DelcoTimes DURHAM, N.C. -- Chris Webber took a look back and didn?t like what he saw Monday. By Thursday, after three days of training camp at Duke University, the 76ers? star forward couldn?t stop smiling. "Did you see me smile last year?" Webber said when asked about playing for new coach Maurice Cheeks. "I feel good. It?s a great environment, man. It?s a great atmosphere. I could not be happier right now." Five months ago, Webber obviously was disgruntled. Joining the team just before the trade deadline, he never fit in, never got in the flow, and by the end of the playoffs was hearing he was perhaps washed up, that his left knee, surgically repaired in 2003, would never allow him to be the player he once had been. This summer, he channeled his anger into action -- a move that enabled him to return to Philadelphia determined to prove that he?s still a force in the league. Cheeks, as a former player, expected no less. "He?s an ex-player," Webber said. "He knows. That?s why I think the little edge has been there, not anything else, but to stay on myself because you take pride in your skill. You take pride in your craft. So he?s right. That?s why I said earlier that I couldn?t be mad at anyone or blame anyone, because at the end of the day none of that matters. Put the weight on your own shoulders and you?ve got to ride with it." Thus far, when the topic turns to Webber and Allen Iverson, Cheeks has given nothing but rave reviews. In scrimmages, the two have looked more in synch than they did at the end of last season. "I hate to keep talking about Allen and Chris, but those two guys were especially good today, the way they were mixing together," Cheeks said. "That?s one of the things we?re trying to do here in camp. ..get everyone used to playing with each other, particularly Chris and Allen and Andre (Iguodala) and Kyle (Korver) and everyone. You could see the mix of putting the ball in Chris? hands. He just makes our offense so much better when you put the ball in his hands." Source
This sounds real good, if your expecting to see the 15 and 6 on 35% shooting Chris Webber this season your going to be surprised on how better this team and Chris can play.
Man, this makes about five articles that are saying the same damn thing. Webber is happy, he's meshing with A.I, everything is going smoothly blah blah blah and I have to say... I'm loving every single one of those articles. If Webber was happy, he'd say something "Yeah, everything is going pretty good", but the tone in his voice from the sound bytes over on Sixers.com has convinced me that he is truly a happy camper and not just saying it for the heck of it in hopes thigns turn out for the better. As I read each article I'm getting more & more amped for the season. Thankfully, the preseason is right around the corner and I get so see at least a glimpse of what's to come.
If he's healthy then why did Cheeks give him a day off? Maybe he wants to see him what he can do with a day off but I really hope the Webber of last season is gone and he gives us a nice presence on the floor.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If he's healthy then why did Cheeks give him a day off?</div> Well Iverson got the day off today as well so I'm guessing that it isn't health related issues. It's most likely star treatment.
