Steve Jones

Chris Webber wore out his welcome with Golden State, same for Washington, Sacramento and most recently Philadelphia.

But in Detroit, his hometown, Webber is wearing well, both on his teammates and on a fan base that is quickly forgetting about his misdeeds while starring at the University of Michigan for a couple of seasons in the early 1990s.

This is happening because Webber has significantly upgraded Detroit at center, and by doing so he's made his teammates better and enhanced the chances of the Pistons at winning their second NBA crown since 2004.

Helping matters from the middle
At 34 Webber has made concessions physically, but not mentally. He's always been an intelligent player and that hasn't changed as he's grown older. He understands how to play efficiently at center and that's just what he does. He's not one dimensional at his position. He passes, rebounds, scores, and occasionally still blocks shots.

Helping him out are his wonderfully soft hands. Webber has the best hands of any player his size (6-foot-10) in the NBA. But what makes him most special is his passing. Few big men can pass like him. Webber finds teammates who are open and makes it look easy.

Detroit coach Flip Saunders has players cutting to the basket much more frequently and getting easier chances to score because of the passes they receive from Webber. He has the ability to make the game easier for his teammates.

Webber creates for his Detroit teammates scoring opportunities that weren't coming from his predecessor at center in the Motor City -- Nazr Mohammed, who was signed last summer to replace Ben Wallace who left as a free agent to sign with the Bulls. Detroit is getting layups off its halfcourt offense that it didn't get with Mohammed or Wallace in the middle.

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Webber will find teammates cutting off screens. A team needs that. Basketball is a game of ball and player movement. The quicker a team moves the ball and the quicker its players move the easier its scoring chances become.

The focus of Webber's play isn't putting up points, but rather getting his teammates solid scoring chances. Yes, he can score from 15-feet as his midrange jumper must still be respected by opponents, and from time to time he'll do some damage down low. He's not the 20-point, 10-rebound guy of his prime, but the Pistons don't need those numbers from him.

If Webber's doing his part, opponents are unwise to double-team any of the Pistons because a scorer will be left open. Webber's play in the middle gives the Pistons a legitimate scoring threat at each of the five positions. This adds up to nightmares for opposing coaches.

Making the necessary adjustments
After knee surgery in 2003, Webber's mobility took a hit. But give him credit as he has learned how to still play effectively despite this regression and a diminished ability to jump. And remember Webber plays a position where pretty much all he has to do is run down the middle of the floor.

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In today's NBA there aren't many speedy centers or many that do a great job of reacting and getting out defensively to make an opponent go the other way. Webber benefits from this, and the Pistons don't expect him to play at the same level he did earlier in his 14-year NBA career. They accept that Webber is less of player than he once was, but also realize he's a better option in the middle than many other centers they could bring in. The Pistons know they have a big man who knows how to play. That's what counts the most.

A knock heard about Webber concerns his defense. Saunders answers that by saying Webber's done better than expected defensively. And it's not like the Pistons are wanting for defense. They play it at such a high level that it propels them to roll through the Eastern Conference.

Even if Webber was as quick as he once was, defense is overrated because great scorers score against any kind of defense. But this isn't an era of great low-post scorers in the NBA. Far from it.

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What Saunders means when he talks about what he is getting from Webber defensively is a display where by no means is his center getting torched. Opponents just don't overpower or blow by Webber. He's able to keep his man in front of him and control him defensively, trying to make him shoot under some sort of duress. Any player can be a decent defender it the effort is there and Webber doesn't lack for effort on defense.

In his early years in the NBA Webber relied more on his ability to block shots and less on his ability to use his strength and size to keep opponents from getting away from him. He's adjusted and now plays defense in a different manner.

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