<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Training Camp is over and as the Sixers embark on the 2005-2006 season, what exactly has been learned from last week in Durham? Well, Coach Maurice Cheeks has said he now knows, "Chris Webber can play basketball", that's hardly news. Webber is a possible Hall of Famer so Maurice was stating the obvious. I was hoping for something a little more insightful from the coach. Still, what we can glean from Cheeks' statement of the obvious is that Webber doesn't look to be struggling with his bum knee. That's good news, but it's a long season, only time will tell if Webber's knee holds up. We've also learned that John Salmons is competing for major minutes if not an outright starting job. That's good news, because I don't think Salmons has ever gotten a consistent opportunity to show what he can do. Granted, Salmons isn't somebody that knows how to seize an opportunity by the throat but part of that is coaching. On that count, I think Maurice Cheeks is the perfect guy for Salmons. In fact based on all the good cheer coming out of reports from Durham, it seems like everybody thinks Cheeks is the perfect coach for this team. They could be right. A player like Chris Webber though great, is thin-skinned and needs constant stroking. Plus if memory serves me right, I believe Cheeks is the first African-American coach that Webber has ever played for at the pro level. Webber sees himself as somebody imbued with a ton of black consciousness, so I believe that also might be added incentive for him to bond with Cheeks. Strange point to make, I know, but right now I'm looking at all the angles for any advantage this team may have. Over an 82 game season we'll need every last one of them. </div> link:http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_14520.shtml
