Webber among
top Philly frauds

Off the Dribble
By Ryan Smith

It’s not a term that we throw around loosely in these parts.
In Philadelphia, to be called a "fraud" is the ultimate sports indignity.
Mostly, it’s saved for the infamous few that possess the ability to make fans’ blood boil, while seemingly plodding along without a care in the world.
Derrick Coleman.
Chris Gratton.
Mike Mamula.
Kevin Millwood.
The list could go on and on . . .
And now it’s time to add one more name to this list of sports figures that should have never stepped foot in this town: ex-76er Chris Webber.
In fact, Webber is the ultimate fraud.
You see, most frauds don’t hide the fact that they are practically stealing their paycheck.
Unlike Webber, the majority of these guys never pretend to be anything they’re not.
At least we knew where we stood with a guy like Glenn Robinson.
The former Sixer hated playing in Philadelphia.
And this allowed us to hate him right back.
That’s why, after Webber played his 19th game with the Pistons on Sunday, it occurred to me that he is the worst kind of fraud.
Just like many who came before him — Coleman, Robinson, Keith Van Horn and Toni Kukoc — Webber was straight "dogging it" on the floor while with the Sixers.
But unlike these other guys, Webber tricked Sixers fans into believing that he was actually putting forth effort.
Despite his age, 33, and his hobbled knees, Webber maintained that he was working hard to be the best he could be for the Sixers.
The truth is, he was not. Most games, he showed little or no interest.
On the nights that he did play well, he would speak in spiteful terms during post-game interviews, taking read-between-the-lines jabs at the fans.
(Maybe he learned how to deal with Philadelphia from Donovan McNabb.)
But Webber snapped out of his funk on Jan. 16, the day he was waived by the Sixers and signed by the Pistons.
The Sixers cut ties with Webber by buying out the final year and a half of his contract. He was scheduled to earn $20.7 million from the Sixers this season and $22.3 million next season, with the buyout believed to be paying him all but $5 million or so of that sum.
The Pistons swooped in, signed Webber, and it has paid off.
Watch Webber play in a Pistons uniform and you will see that he is playing with more passion than he ever displayed in Philadelphia.
While his scoring average has increased from 11 points per game with the Sixers to 13.4 per game with the Pistons, it’s his shooting percentage that is a true barometer of his improved play.
Having shot a sorry 38.7 percent with the Sixers, Webber is shooting an outstanding 55.4 percent with Detroit.
In addition, he is getting to the foul line more than twice as many times per game with the Pistons (3.4 compared to just 1.6 with the Sixers).
In just 19 games, Pistons fans have seen what Sixers fans were yearning for during Webber’s 114-game span with the franchise: a player who actually cares about being out on the basketball court and would give anything to win.
"This is the best I’ve felt in three years," Webber told ESPN.com shortly after the trade. "Now the thing I want to do most is win a championship, put myself back on that kind of level.
"My father said I haven’t smiled on the court in about three years. 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."
That’s great for Chris.
If he’s lucky, he’ll finish his career with his hometown Pistons, winning a championship or two on his way out the door.
But Sixers fans were cheated.
Webber never wanted to be here, never really tried to make it work with Allen Iverson, and, when the decline of the franchise continued, made it known that he had no interest in helping the team’s younger players learn.
On Sunday, Webber made a putback with 2.2 seconds left and tied a season high with 21 points to lift the host Pistons to a 95-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
He smiled like I haven’t seen in years.
How long will it take before smiles return to the faces of Sixers fans? ••
Columnist Ryan Smith can be reached at 215-354-3114 or smithry@phillynews.com