<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">There comes a time in every player's career when their abilities diminish and, along with them, their playing time. It can be a difficult thing for a star player to accept. But 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said that is not why he has cut the minutes of 33-year-old forward Chris Webber, who is in his 14th NBA season and is three years removed from microfracture knee surgery. Cheeks simply said he's deciding who plays based on matchups and that teams often go with smaller lineups in the fourth quarter. Cheeks also said he understood Allen Iverson's comments criticizing him for not playing Webber more. Both Webber and Iverson declined to comment Monday after practice as the Sixers prepare for their game tonight against the Detroit Pistons. "We're all never the same as we get older," Cheeks said. "We can never do the things we could do years ago. I don't think Chris is at that point. Chris feels like he can still play, and we certainly feel like he's a big part of the team and we feel that he can still play. I'm going to reiterate it one more time: As the game goes, as the matchup goes, that's how I'm going to (coach) the game. Chris might play 40 minutes one game, or he might play 20 minutes." Webber has sat out the entire fourth quarter of four of the eight games he has played this season. He has bristled at his reduced role and told a Sacramento Bee reporter that he wants to be traded (he later denied saying that). Webber didn't play Saturday because of a lower back strain and might not play tonight. But he has made his feelings clear during a season in which he has averaged just 10.0 points per game after averaging 21.6 during his previous 13 seasons. Webber also is shooting just 38.4 percent. Iverson supported him, too. "We need him on the basketball court," Iverson told reporters after the Sixers lost Saturday night in overtime to the Los Angeles Clippers. "We need him to play. Not too much has changed from last year, from that same 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds) guy. He still has a lot in him. No disrespect to Maurice Cheeks, because I've got to go with everything he does, but Chris definitely gives us a chance to win." When told about Iverson's comments, Cheeks responded: "He just wants his teammate to get in and I sympathize with that." Guard Willie Green said it's a tough situation but that Webber can handle it. "The only thing you can do is pat the guy on the back," Green said. "I commend him for his attitude in this situation." Injuries: Forward Steven Hunter, who didn't play Saturday because of a knee strain, sat out Monday's practice, along with Webber (back). Cheeks said he won't know until today whether both big men can play tonight. Cheeks started Shavlik Randolph Saturday when Webber and Hunter sat out and Alan Henderson saw his first extensive minutes. . . . Green distributed 150 turkeys to needy people in Philly. </div> Link Although Webber hasn't been seeing much playing time this season, from what I have read (boxscores) he hasn't really been producing much on the court. I feel that at times we may be better off with Webber on the bench because of match-up purposes, as stated by Cheeks. I think it's a good thing for us to give rest to Webber as much as possible because later on down the season, he may start really feeling fatigued. If we do somehow make the playoffs, we will need Webber at full speed
i really think we just need to get rid of webber any way we can. he really cant play even as well as he could last year. its obvious that his knees are just so bad that his only offensive weapons left are his shaky jumper, and a soso hook shot. We need some toughness from the pf spot, and with webber we have absolutley none. when we went to the finals, our power forwards were tyrone hill, and goerge lynch. they didn't really have alot of offensive skills to speak of, but they still helped Iverson take the team to the finals. We really just need a couple guys that are willing to step up and do the dirty work to win games. and thats just not c-webb.
I don't defend it because it doesn't look like the 76ers are playing any better without Webber. They are still the same ole bad defensive team, when really Webber was one of their better rebounders.
<div class="quote_poster">Answer_AI03 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">what the hell happened to him? he's been out for like 5 games...</div> He's injured
