Chris Webber To Start For Warriors

[Big Bid'Ness]

From:RealGm & The San Francisco Chronicle

Oakland -- The Warriors' starting lineup is getting a fourth untouchable. Coach Don Nelson is sold enough on Chris Webber's playmaking and productivity in minicamp that he has declared the newcomer a permanent member of his tip-off crew.

"Absolutely, I think he should start," Nelson said after practice Monday. "I'm planning on starting him every game."

Webber, 34, has come off the bench only three times in more than 900 career games, and Nelson sees no reason to add a fourth when Webber debuts against Chicago on Thursday.

Instead, the 6-foot-10 forward is slated to join Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, and Stephen Jackson in the everyday starting lineup, with the matchup-happy Nelson choosing his fifth starter on a game-by-game basis.

Center Andris Biedrins would start on nights the Warriors want a more traditional lineup, and Al Harrington or Matt Barnes would start if they want to play smaller. Either way, shifting one of the three into a reserve role figures to give Golden State's backup unit a much-needed boost.

"It's just going to be more juice on the bench," Barnes said.

Again, it's Harrington who figures to make the biggest adjustment - not the least of which was selling his 50-yard-line tickets to Sunday's Super Bowl when Nelson re-instated practice after Webber's arrival.

The rabid New York Giants fan started the season as Golden State's sixth man, though the experiment lasted all of two games. Harrington mostly has started since then, but his minutes are down to 27.9 per game - a tad higher than Biedrins' - and he has become primarily a perimeter shooter in the Warriors' offense.

"I've always wanted Al as the sixth man, but I couldn't afford to do it all the time," Nelson said. "I'll switch off in my starting lineup like I've been doing, depending on matchups, but I think that makes us a better team to have him come off as my machine-gun guy.

Harrington's rapid-fire act was on target during Monday's practice, when coaches and players seemed split on what was more impressive: Harrington's shooting or Webber's passing.

The two have been matched mostly against each other through three days of Nelson's minicamp, and Webber hit Ellis with a pretty bounce pass toward the end of scrimmaging for an easy basket.

"It seems like since he's here now, guys are cutting harder because they're trying to be the first one to get that layup," Harrington said. "I can't wait until I get the other end of those passes."

Barnes joked that Webber, who said he was a few pounds off his game weight, would lose that in two or three days of Warriors-style basketball. And with two days left before Webber suits up, the forward already can envision his first start.

"There's going to be a lot of nervousness, there's going to be a lot of energy, which are good things," Webber said. "You've just got to make the best of it. I'm just going to go out and play and work hard and make these guys better, and hopefully (they) do the same for me."

Briefly: Nelson is rotating days off for some of his players, as Jackson sat out Monday, Davis will sit today, and Biedrins is expected to get Wednesday off. ... The coach originally was scheduled to be deposed by Mark Cuban's lawyers in Dallas today in their ongoing arbitration suit, but Nelson said the meeting was canceled and no new date has been set.

 

[dez]

I like this move b/c Webber's passing out of the post is PERFECT for this team.

I think this is the best fit for him. He made a god decision to sign w/ the Warriors

 

[DJT]

I agree with Dez, Webber is one of the best passing big men and that should really help them out.