When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Chris Webber from the Sacramento Kings at the 2005 deadline, they weren’t acquiring the superstar version of Webber as injuries robbed him of his ability to produce at that star level next to superstar Allen Iverson.
Webber was productive as he averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.3 steals while playing in 114 games across three seasons with the Sixers, but he wasn’t the same player he was with the Kings. The Sixers waived Webber in the 2006-07 season after he had played only 18 games for them that season. He then joined the Detroit Pistons and helped them reach the Eastern Conference finals that season.
HoopsHype ranked the top 20 power forwards in the history of the NBA and Webber came in ranked No. 16 on the list–mainly for his work with the Kings:
An explosive, skilled scorer and rebounder in his prime, Chris Webber was an absolute force at the power-forward position in his heyday, a big man capable of facing up and shooting from the midrange or bullying foes down low. Was also known for throwing down monster dunks in transition – just ask Charles Barkley.
If the Sixers had acquired Webber earlier in his career, he would have been the perfect complement to Iverson. His ability to take games over with his scoring, along with his precision passing from the nail, would have been a great fit for Philadelphia. He was also a ferocious rebounder and a more than solid defender with the Kings. He just wasn’t the same player with the Sixers as he was more so limited to taking jumpers within the offense.