
When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Chris Webber from the Sacramento Kings at the 2005 deadline, they weren’t acquiring the superstar version of Webber as injuries robbed him of his ability to produce at that star level next to Allen Iverson.
Webber was productive as he averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while playing in 114 games across three seasons with the Sixers, but he wasn’t the same player he was with the Kings. The Sixers waived Webber in the 2006-07 season after he had played only 18 games for them that season. He then joined the Detroit Pistons and helped them reach the Eastern Conference finals that season.
Bleacher Report put together a top 100 NBA players list with Webber coming in ranked No. 90 on the list:
The top overall pick in 1993 and part of the famed Michigan Fab Five, Webber averaged 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists en route to a Rookie of the Year win with the Golden State Warriors. A contract dispute and falling out with head coach Don Nelson resulted in an offseason trade that sent Webber to the Washington Bullets.
Webber’s best years came with the Sacramento Kings in the late 1990s and early 2000s, a stretch during which he finished as high as fourth in MVP voting and led the team on several deep playoff runs.
Webber’s excellent hands and passing made him a top frontcourt facilitator, and he might have been a bigger focal point in a later era.
If the Sixers had acquired Webber earlier in his career, he would have been the perfect complement to Iverson. His ability to take games over with his scoring, along with his precision passing from the nail, would have been a great fit for Philadelphia. He was also a ferocious rebounder and a more than solid defender with the Kings. He just wasn’t the same player with the Sixers as he was more so limited to taking jumpers within the offense.
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