ShareThisOAKLAND, Calif. -- Chris Webber ran onto the court and into his past, and for a night anyway, dominated all the polls. He was welcomed back with a rousing ovation, the sentiment throughout the evening warm and cuddly, forgiving and forgetful, and oddly familiar.Don Nelson was on the sidelines, a few years older, several pounds heavier. The arena features a new name and several new amenities, but for the most part, resembles the stage where Webber made his NBA debut. The Golden State Warriors' lineup is still undersized, the commitment to defense still erratic, their postseason prospects still uncertain at best.And Webber? Same line-drive jumper. Same soft, massive hands.Same exceptional passing instincts.Other than that, the grand experiment is to be continued. Catch Kings-Warriors on Saturday night. A synopsis of Webber's performance in Thursday's 114-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Oracle Arena - his first NBA appearance since last year's playoffs with the Detroit Pistons - reads something like this: He lacked stamina and appeared seriously out of shape, displayed little explosiveness around the basket and labored to keep pace with his quicker, younger teammates and opponents.But early in the third period, the 6-10 forward also converted consecutive jumpers from the elbow, intercepted a pass, initiated a fast break and found Stephen Jackson for a three-pointer during the Warriors' third-quarter comeback."It felt good, good to be out there," Webber said afterward, "not the results, but it felt good. I got my looks and opportunities to pass and shoot. Tonight was kind of disappointing, so it's kind of hard to be optimistic ... (But) the best part about it is knowing what it can become."Webber's return is only one of several significant developments that transpired within the past several weeks. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak silenced his lusty chorus of critics -- Kobe Bryant among them -- with his stunning (and stealthy) acquisition of Pau Gasol. Earlier, Utah's quietly efficient GM, Kevin O'Connor, obtained Kyle Korver in one of the season's least-appreciated moves.And in a move right out of a Las Vegas poker room, Phoenix Suns boss Steve Kerr -- admittedly influenced by the infusion of size/talent in the Western Conference -- exchanged the disgruntled Shawn Marion for the ailing, and larger-than-life, Shaquille O'Neal.The Warriors' addition of Webber, by contrast, while fraught with uncertainty, comes with little risk. And a very small price tag. For approximately $600,000, Nelson gets to play mad scientist for half a season, work on repairing a relationship with his former star that lasted the better part of one season (1993-94), and figure out whether Webber, weeks shy of his 35th birthday, is mentally and physically capable of contributing during his club's playoff push.Webber's value -- if there is to be such a thing -- will come on offense. He won't be asked to dominate in the low post (see the Philadelphia 76ers) or adjust to a system where the guards initiate the offense (Detroit Pistons). Nor will he be expected to block shots or control the boards; those duties belong to the more agile, if offensively challenged, Andris Biedrins.Even in his best years in Sacramento with the Kings, Webber was most effective setting screens and stroking mid-range jumpers, and locating teammates with a variety of perfectly timed passes."The bottom line is, he's a spectacular passer," Nelson said. "He's going to make our half-court offense much better. We don't need him to run. We have four other guys on the court to do that. He can lag behind, hit his jumpers and pass the ball. And defensively we'll hide him as much as we can. He knows where he needs to be on the court."So why insert him into the starting lineup? "Nellie" will try anything, at least once. But check back with him Saturday.The overriding concern with Webber has less to do with health and more to do with age and stamina, particularly as it affects his ability to guard the league's big men."There are only 35 games left," added Nelson. "We'll see what happens. He's not going to carry us, but he'll blend with our best players."That's the plan, anyway.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
Not quite happy return for Webber
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