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The real Chris Webber is finally able to stand up, again.
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WEBBER BACK TO OLD SELF

SactoGreg

I was there, and I can tell you that I was really impressed with Webber tonight. Here are the few things I noticed:

1) His foot work around the basket was impressive. No signs (IMO) of his ankle being an issue. Seriously.

2) He was very vocal. As few posted earlier, he took a lot of hits down low that were not called. Instead of complaining, he quickly moved on. Good stuff!

3) His passing was terrific! I liked the fact that others moved freely around the court when he had the ball. NO STANDING AROUND!

4) He seemed to always go to the player on his team that did something good and praised them. Again, IMO, that is what a leader is all about!

5) Most of the 18 footers he made were definitely designed plays. The ball movement for the Kings was excellent and many times Webber was open and took the shot... and made it for the most part!

I liked this game for many reasons. But I was really encouraged by the progress I saw in Webber's game. And I mean that broadly... others on the team played very well when Webber was on the court!

OhSC

Some thirty years ago my pappy took Steve and I to see 2001 when it first come out down inna bigcurvedscreen big 'ol hypermodern cee-neah-mah in town - five bucks a seat. Hellava flick. Hey Hal, I work on you brain now. The Odyssey continues.

Thanks for eyewitness accounts y'all; these last games not on tv. (

Bobby Jackson reminds me of that Microwave fella on the old BadBoy team - in the sense that he operates so well as a reliever. IMO he would, well, perhaps not be *exposed* as a starter, but would be more than just "not as good" in an Eck-like way.

Whoever commented that Vlade's better this year - methinks you're right.

Ah Jeff, made my day with Fundy == R machine! I don't see where he doesn't get 8-15 minutes/night...

That Chris Webber's strengths don't all line up with prototype PF like - hmm, Dunc-person? or troglodyte PF... Kah Malone!(that's not nice) is valid and thought-provoking for this poster. The Kings seem to get by without a truly punishing presence, and I kinda like that - the Kings can handle themselves, but don't rely on force. IMO the coach and team has to shore up the weaknesses and build the strengths of the players, and Chris Webber has some AllStar strengths. Need two good feet to prop it all up with tho.

Can vouch that KingsTix aren't cake - hey, dat's caviar bub! Youze can' get dat here pally!

GLOBE ARTICLE AND MIND GAMES

Critic

It was interesting reading, especially with the info that the writer was at the Globe way back when the Celts were establishing just how basketball should be played. Very high praise from a writer who has seen both the Russell Celts and the Bird Celts play awesome ball. 10 of the first 12 FG's being assisted and the note that if hockey rules about assists prevailed there would have been more say a lot about how they were playing on offense.

Some of the player quotes and opposing coach quotes also are intriguing -- it would appear that the Kings are building up some serious psych value. If a team takes the floor expecting to lose to you, then hey -- they WILL most of the time. I was stunned to see such quotes from a team as good as Boston has been this year. No, they aren't as good as the Kings or several teams in the West, but Pierce and Walker usually talk trash non-stop before during and after games. Here, it was like they were kissing the Kings' rings. Hmmmm. When Lenny Wilkens left Carter on the bench resting with the Kings up only about 8-10 or so in the 4th quarter, he was also saying he thought the Kings were better than his team (so why waste the energy with another game the next night?). I know from having faced off in bridge against world level teams and teams I know I should beat easily that it is much harder to beat someone if deep in your mind you think they are better, much easier to beat them if you EXPECT to beat them. Now if the Kings can just adjust those mind-settings when it comes to the Lakers . . . At this point I don't think the Lakers are physically as good as the Kings, but they still have the advantage of that psychological edge. At some point the Kings could get hot enough to get cocky against the Lakers -- and that's where they need to be if they are going to beat the Lakers.

Did someone mention something called "cognitive dissonance" here the other day? If that means your mind tends to want to cause to happen that which it expects to happen, that is a VERY real force in any competitive endeavor. It's part of why some lesser teams "have the number" of some stronger teams. There are some world level players who I have historically played almost even against in head to head bridge competition. When I sit down to face off against them, I am confident and I know that they have to be mildly worried. When I sit down against some I have NEVER beaten, I am anything but confident. And it matters. There comes a time when you have to make decisions quickly and that's when that nasty little gremlin in the back of your mind makes you hesitate and then err if not confident or the little angel on your shoulder points out the right move to make if you are confident. For basketball players it can be a shoot-or-pass decision with the shot clock on 3 seconds -- better get those right, and do it quickly, or you lose that tough game instead of winning it. Cocky players can make EITHER decision work out because they EXPECT it to work out and they do it smoothly. Scared players hesitate just enough to make EITHER decision go wrong. If more players like Walker and Pierce start "playing scared" against the Kings . . . the Kings' confidence just HAS to get better.

TheBigO

Watching the Lakers/Kings matchups in the last two regular seasons and playoffs it is obvious that the Lakers always feel they can turn it on in the fourth and pul out a win. After all, in how many of the last 10 meetings have the Kings had the lead going into the fourth

only to lose the game? Whether the Kings feel the same thing (that the Lakers will beat them in the 4th) I don't know. I certainly hope not. And while yes, I think the Lakers are in the Kings head's, that's not the only reason for their success against the Kings the last two years.

The biggest reason why I feel it is hard for any team (but especially the Kings) to beat the Lakers is that it is hard to make runs against them. This is true when a team tries to close the gap on them or attempts to extend a lead.

While Kobe can always free himself up for a shot or drive and try to draw a foul, the real reason that teams can't make runs against the Lakers is Shaq. At any given time it seems that Shaq can bull his way to a basket and keep opponents from outscoring the Lakers in stretches. And up until this year, the Kings were a score in bunches type of team. They thrived on making a big run against teams, and never thought they were out of a game. But because Shaq can single handedly prevent teams from making a run, the Kings struggled mightilty with their up and down play. Perhaps things have changed with a steadier Bibby at the helm, but the fact remains, you have to slow Shaq to make runs and beat the Lakers.

I have always felt that the attitude of "Shaq's going to get his, but we need to stop the other Lakers to win" is the wrong approach. If I were the Kings I would aggressively front Shaq in the post with Vlade (a lost art in the NBA it seems) with Webber almost exclusively providing backside help on D with others rotating as needed. Now while Shaq is a very good passer and this would lead to open shots for other players (especially Walker), it is a better plan. Open jumpers will fail to fall at times allowing the Kings to make a run, as opposed to allowing Shaq to score an easy two.

A second note on playing the Lakers. If I were Adelman I would not have Christie guarding Kobe. Allowing Peja, Hido and especially BJax to defend Bryant frees up Christie to play the passing lanes, double team and try to steal post entry passes (which he does better than anyone in the NBA). Putting BJax on Kobe would be my preference since Bobby has the foot speed to generally keep Bryant in front of him. Kobe would have countless open jumpers, but you take your lumps and win the games when his shot is not falling, or at least not falling left and right. To me, that's the approach to take to beat the Lakers.

COOL PASS OF THE NIGHT

JB

I'll throw out this nice moment from last nights game since most didn't get to watch it. Webber had the ball on the baseline about 15 feet from the basket. Two Celtics players were challenging Webber as he appeared to be in motion to launch a jumpshot. At the last instant, Webber flipped a no-look pass over his shoulder to a wide open Peja in the corner directly behind him and he drained it.
Why did I love that? I wasn't fancy just to be fancy. I wasn't passing up an open look for another open look. It slick, cool and smart. Webber's shot was tougher than Pejas. But Webber knew where Peja was on the floor and hit him like he had eyes in the back of his head. The Celtics announcers were at a loss for words on that one.

Bonsy

Ah, JB. I also noted a behind the back pass from Webber to, I think it was Peja, going to the hoop on a fast break, and he did the behind the back because it was the best way to get the ball to him.

Sometimes I see that behind the back and wonder if it's really, really necessary and then I yell when it's a turnover. But that fast break was one time I cringed, and then on the tape saw that with the defender slightly in front of him and Peja past out further to the left, it was the safest way to get Peja the ball.

I really wish more Kings fans could have seen these last two games. They were some of the most beautiful offense and defense I've seen yet.

Reno Lady

I LOVED that pass last night. Talk about knowing where your teammates are and trusting them! Webber ran into a wall of Celtics on that play and maybe he could have bulled his way to a decent shot but Peja was wide open just behind the 3 point line and Webber knew it - and Peja was ready, knowing that Webber knew he was there. Some of Celts' fans on the espn board were complaining about that pass and others, saying the Kings were showing disrespect to their team but a couple of Kings fans and even some Celtics' fans set them straight. "No, that's the way they play all the time" was the common theme.

Webber did use his brain several times last night. The Celts were bunching up on him and trying to either force him out of bounds under the basket or force a TO. Webber outsmarted them by throwing the ball into the legs of a Celts player which then gave Sac another possession and time to regroup. He also seemed to be quite verbal with his teammates, talking with them about where they should go, what he was going to do, etc. I also noticed that Peja was directing traffic again a few times last night, telling his teammates what he wanted them to do, and it usually worked to the Kings advantage.