Where Will Webber Land?

john1981cr · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 111

By Marty Gitlin
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Chris Webber was a mere formality or two away from becoming a free agent Wednesday night.

The all-star power forward should be waived Thursday by the Philadelphia 76ers. He has already listed the teams for which he’d prefer playing, all of which are title contenders.

One is his hometown Detroit Pistons, who have needed a stronger frontcourt presence since losing center Ben Wallace to free agency. Among the others are defending NBA champion Miami, San Antonio, Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers. Phoenix and New York are reportedly also options.

“This is the best I’ve felt in three years,” Webber told ESPN.com in a phone interview. “Now the thing I want to do the most is win a championship, put myself back on that kind of level.”

Another strong possibility is Miami, which has fallen back in the Eastern Conference due to injuries to Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, who has since returned. The Lakers are also in need of frontcourt help with Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown sidelined.

“My father said I haven’t smiled on the court in about three years,” Webber said. “I just want to get back to playing with a smile on my face and playing with a team that can really vie for a title. I want to be an integral part of a championship team.”

If he is indeed waived today as expected, Webber will be unable to sign with another team until Monday.

GAME OF THE NIGHT: The hottest teams in each conference will clash Thursday night when Cleveland visits Phoenix. The game will be nationally televised by TNT.

The Cavaliers have won eight of nine and own the best record in the East. They have been buoyed by the brilliant recent performance of power forward Drew Gooden, who is averaging 21.8 points and 12.8 rebounds and shooting 63 percent in his last four games.

The Suns have won seven in a row and are 25-4 since a 1-4 start. They lead the NBA in points per game (110.8), shooting accuracy (49.4 percent), free-throw accuracy (81.5 percent) and assists per game (26.5). They are second in point differential (plus-8.1) and 3-point shooting accuracy (39.6 percent).

Other than that, they’re struggling offensively.

The surprisingly rapid return to form by center Amare Stoudemire has proved critical. He is averaging 17.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in under 30 minutes a game.

WagerWeb.com lists the Suns as 8.5-point favorites.

BUCKS STOP HERE: The Milwaukee Bucks took another hit Wednesday when they learned starting point guard Mo Williams will be out for 2-3 weeks with a sprained shoulder.

Backcourt mate Michael Redd is already sidelined for 4-6 weeks with knee tendinitis, while starting forward Charlie Villanueva is considering surgery for a right shoulder injury that has not improved.

Replacement starting guards Steve Blake and Charlie Bell combined to hit 5 of 25 from the field in a discouraging 90-77 home loss Wednesday night to Toronto Wednesday night.

DRIBBLES: Detroit forward Rasheed Wallace came off the bench for the second game in a row Wednesday. He has been disciplined for arriving late for a recent practice. Worse yet for the Pistons, they lost at home to lowly Charlotte, 103-96, and were outscored, 27-8, in the second quarter. … Indiana’s three consecutive victories against a poor opponent have pushed them into a third-place tie with struggling Chicago. The Pacers won in Boston, 94-87, while the Bulls lost their fourth in five, 113-102, in Washington. Chicago returns home Thursday night against New Jersey and is a 6.5-point favorite, according to WagerWeb.com. … Point guard Sam Cassell got his wish when he returned to the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. He registered 18 points, five assists and five rebounds in a 92-91 win at Minnesota. … Orlando power forward Dwight Howard hasn’t made much noise for a while, but he exploded for a career-high 30 points and season-high 25 rebounds Wednesday night in a 91-76 victory at Golden State. The Magic have rebounded to win five in a row and take back first place in the Southeast Division. … Denver’s six frontcourt players combined to score just 20 points on 7-of-25 shooting in a 92-83 home loss Wednesday night to San Antonio. The game marked the return from suspension of J.R. Smith, who scored 12 points. Carmelo Anthony has four more games to serve on his suspension. … Houston center Dikembe Mutombo blocked five shots in a 102-77 home win Wednesday night against the Lakers to move past Kareem Abdul-Jabbar into second place all-time in that category. Former Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon tops the list.

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