Chris Webber traded to Philadelphia

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

The Webber-bashing population seems to be overlooking the fact that Webber won't need to worry about making the big shot now.  That's what they have AI for.

Umm....that VALIDATES the Webber-bashing population.

How so. It just points out that Webber is not the number one option on the Sixers. Is Shaq an inferior player because Kobe took the big shots? Of course not.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Shaq is inferior in game-closing situations, yes.

 

Webber-bashers say he can't make the big shot. As the #1 option in Sacto he couldn't even take them...now he has an excuse but he's still not taking them.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Shaq is inferior in game-closing situations, yes.

 

Webber-bashers say he can't make the big shot. As the #1 option in Sacto he couldn't even take them...now he has an excuse but he's still not taking them.

Hmm. You know, this talk about "clutch" situations and such is all a big, steaming pile of crap.

[Spicy McHaggis 0]

Why?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I'll give the civil answer. Essentially, playing in the NBA involves a great deal of pressure, with 20,000 fans screaming, and a defender right in your face. Alot of players can not cut it. A player needs to be cool and calm under pressure to reach the NBA. What is it about late game situations that makes it so difficult. Yes, there is more pressure, but that much more.

 

It boils down to luck. Most NBA players shoot under 50%. Even under normal circumstances, they will miss more than they hit. So when you have a small sample of late-game, pressure shots, it is difficult to determine whether a player "choked," or it is simply the result of bad luck. I am a believer in that talent and ability win out in all situations. When you have players of equal ability, outside forces and intangibles might separate the two. But they do not turn a superior player into an inferior player.

 

Besides, even if Webber was a choker, his skill in the first three quarters would still put the team in a better position to win.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

But some players do better than others in game-closing situations. I agree for the most part its luck that they make the shots or hit the home runs or throw the TD passes or even shoot a goal, but there are just some players that THRIVES on being the "clutch" player because they are the type that does the best when all pressure is on them.

[Precious Roy 0]

Webber thrives on average pressure, but until recently he didn't thrive under THE pressure of a late playoff series. I think with the knee injuries and everything though, the way he played against Minnesota last year, that he may have finally matured into a guy who can go the full distance.

 

Also, there's a problem when your #1 option at the end of the game is a jump shooting/passing big man. That's not a knock on Webber, it's a knock on whatever team was constructed to have to rely on him in that role. Peja and Mike Bibby had to be the guys down the stretch for those Sacto teams, because they can drive and create or create their own shot, Webber is flat-footed and relys on fakes, shakes and innuendo....the Vlade Divac game. I always thought all the noise over C-Webb taking big halfcourt shots in close playoff games was silly, I wouldn't want him taking those shots unless the play broke down.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

But some players do better than others in game-closing situations. I agree for the most part its luck that they make the shots or hit the home runs or throw the TD passes or even shoot a goal, but there are just some players that THRIVES on being the "clutch" player because they are the type that does the best when all pressure is on them.

It's all nonsense. Every study that has been done indicates that clutch ability is a myth. A study by Dick Cramer indicated that the best clutch performers one year are not the best clutch performers every year. Pete Palmer found that past clutch performance was a poor predictor of future clutch performance, and a player's overall skill was a better indicator of who would deliver in the clutch. A handful of players do perform in the clutch year after year, and this is what we would expect in a random distribution, given a large sample of ballplayers.

[MillenniumMan831 0]

It boils down to luck. Most NBA players shoot under 50%. Even under normal circumstances, they will miss more than they hit. So when you have a small sample of late-game, pressure shots, it is difficult to determine whether a player "choked," or it is simply the result of bad luck. I am a believer in that talent and ability win out in all situations. When you have players of equal ability, outside forces and intangibles might separate the two. But they do not turn a superior player into an inferior player.

My theory on a game winning/tying shot is that if you hit the top of the rim, it's bad luck. You chuck up a brick/airball . . . it's a choke.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh 0]

Sixers lose to Kings.

 

Webber misses the big shot at the end.

[Fökai 0]

Sixers lose to Kings.

 

Webber misses the big shot at the end.

In a perfect world, the 76ers would buck the trade deadline and trade Webber to Milwaukee, just in time for their game this Tuesday. Webber would eventually be traded around the league after a team's loss, in order to guarantee a victory in their next game.