David Aldridge | Keep A.I., not Webber.By David Aldridge Inquirer Columnist 76ers already looking ahead Bob Ford | Beloved Cheeks must share blame Webber in unfamiliar role as playoff spectator NBA | Spurs clinch top spot in West More on the 76ers They trudged onto their practice court yesterday, the final precincts having reported from Washington and Miami, the season of... well, if not promise, of curiosity having gone up in smoke. Acrid, thick smoke. Everyone was saying the right things. Allen Iverson was saying he wants to stay. Again. Chris Webber was saying this team could win if it just adopted a collective mind-set. Maurice Cheeks was saying that there were still two games to go, and that he wouldn't think about what this team needs until after tomorrow's finale in Charlotte. But you had best believe that they have all thought about it these last few weeks, about what went so terribly wrong this season and whether this is the group that can do something about it. These Sixers were a horrible defensive team, and their two stars, Iverson and Webber, each need the ball to be most effective: Iverson to score a ton of points and pass only to others he trusts; Webber to facilitate an offense from the high post as he did in Sacramento. Individually, each is fine. Together, it didn't work. It doesn't work. Not because one was selfish and the other wasn't, or because one's a jerk and one isn't, but because of basketball physics. With five guys on the floor, only one can be the Alpha Male. The rest have to, in one fashion or another, defer. This is a hard skill to develop; not many can master it. (Those who can, like Scottie Pippen, go to the Hall of Fame.) But that chromosome is not in either Iverson's or Webber's makeup. And you can't have both of them on the floor at the same time and have any prayer of being able to stop anybody. And thus it is up to Billy King to decide which one stays and which one goes. Really, what else is there to talk about? That's not the only thing the general manager will have to do, but it's the most important, because either Iverson stays and the Sixers try to reinvent themselves in the defense-first image of the 2000 and 2001 teams, or Webber stays and the Sixers try to become Phoenix East: a team that beats you by outscoring you. Neither approach is wrong. But King must choose. He can't fire Cheeks; who on earth is left to hire? And he can't sign nine free agents; Ed Snider is not about to go Cablevision on us and give his president blank checks. So it is up to King, who again acknowledged some mistakes yesterday - not providing Cheeks with a couple of veterans for the stretch, for one. "Maybe we're not as good as I projected," King said after practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "I think we have to revamp our whole approach, more or less - become defensive-oriented more. I think we have some offensive tools that can score, but I think we have to become a better defensive team, a tougher defensive team." That tells me King is leaning one way. Toward the little fella with the 'rows. And, again, this is the right way to go. Caterwaul all you like about Iverson's practice habits, his shot selection, his predictability. Chastise the Sixers for not challenging him more; they deserve it. But he scores 30 points a night. He gives you a chance to win. Think of how the Indiana Pacers rebuilt their team as Reggie Miller's skills declined. They didn't have a fire sale and start over; they replaced everyone around him. Dale Davis and Antonio Davis and Rik Smits and Mark Jackson moved out in favor of Jermaine O'Neal and Jeff Foster and Ron Artest and Jamaal Tinsley. But they kept Miller around. It was a formula good enough to stay in the playoffs and make a conference final, and it might have been that way again if not for the brawl in Auburn Hills last year. The Sixers could do this, too. Guys with the mental toughness to play off Iverson don't grow on trees. But they're out there. Think of guys like Minnesota's Trenton Hassell, and Indiana's Foster, and Golden State's Derek Fisher. None is an all-star. But they have all played next to superstars and understand how to play without the ball and defend their positions first and foremost. And if Samuel Dalembert once again becomes the guy who averaged a double-double against the Pistons last spring, he can be part of this, too. You will say after reading this that I am against Webber and for Iverson. Not at all. If King keeps Webber, he will get a professional effort every night. He will get close to 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. He will get someone who will be beloved in the community. With the right supporting cast, he could get back to the playoffs. But in a league where it is so hard to win, sometimes you have to go with the devil you know. http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/ba...ll/14364884.htm Who would be a better choice?
ummmm.......ok. but i would be a lot easier to trade AI then webber. if i remember correctly, webber is paid even more than iverson
Trade Webber, Iverson has more in the tank, has a cheaper contract, has been on the team longer, and plays with a lot more heart and passion.
You've got to think of the long run here. Webber is coming to the end of his career and Iverson is still the elite player that can take over a game. Which one would you pick, Honestly.This is a no brainer. I like Webber but Iverson is the best player in the league and Phily fans would never forgive the organization for trading Iverson away. That is like Chicago trading away Jordan. It would never happen. Jordan was the heart and soul of that team and so is Iverson with Phily.
If they decided to keep Webber over Iverson... the city would revolt. And what the hell is Aldridge talking about? How could the Sixers be like PHX with Webber over Iverson? Webber is the one who limits this team from running offensively, and is where the defensive problems start.
