"Joining the Pistons will allow me the opportunity to play the game I love in my hometown of Detroit surrounded by my family," Webber said in a statement yesterday…so how will this homecoming go for Webber, who might be my favourite NCAA player ever…

Pros:

A) at 6-foot-10 he’ll probably start at center next to power forward Rasheed Wallace, which will free up Wallace to roam the perimeter on offence and pick his spots in the post as Webber is a high post player now anyway…

B) Webber has career averages of 21.4 points and 10 rebounds and may be motivated to play somewhere close to that form, keeping in mind that last year he averaged 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds in 75 games -- the most he played since the 1999-00 season with the Kings…

C) Being a high post centre and an excellent passer, he might help the Pistons free up some movement on offence…certainly he’ll facilitate for Wallace and Billups as spot up shooters and Richard Hamilton will love Webber’s passing as he stays in perpetual motion cutting to and fro…

D) He still has the best hands in NBA History…

Cons:

A) His legs are gone…he cannot dunk in traffic anymore and he does not rebound his area nearly like he used to…

B) He’s become a very 1-dimensional jump shooter from the elbow…even the jump hook

C) His footwork is still atrocious and now that his athleticism has left him, he does not have the fundamentals to fall back on, so as a post up player he has a very weak jump hook and that’s it…

D) Never a great defensive player in his prime, Webber is now positively glacial on defence…he is also not an “aware” help/team defender…

Webber has learned to play without the eye-popping explosiveness of his prep and college days. He won state high school titles at Detroit Country Day and led Michigan's "Fab Five" to NCAA championship games in 1992 and 1993.

Here’s what I think will happen…Nazr Mohammed will request a trade…the Pistons will score more and more easily with Flip Saunders installing some high post sets to work to Webber’s strengths as a passer…the Pistons will play team defence well enough to cover for Webber’s defensive shortcomings…

Of course, when we talk about Chris Webber we can’t forget how badly he screwed Michigan: Webber pleaded guilty to a federal criminal contempt charge in July 2003, a day before jury selection was scheduled to start for his trial on a perjury charge. He was ordered in 2005 to pay a $100,000 (which is less than a game’s wages) fine after he completed 330 hours of community service. Webber acknowledged lying to a grand jury in 2000, when he said he didn't recall giving money to Martin. Webber also admitted that he gave Martin about $38,000 in cash in 1994 as partial repayment for expenditures Martin made on his behalf. Martin, who died in 2003 at 69, pleaded guilty in 2002 to conspiracy to launder money and told federal prosecutors he took gambling money, combined it with other funds and lent $616,000 to Webber and three other Michigan players. Martin said he gave Webber and his family $280,000 from 1988-93, a period extending from his freshman year in high school through his sophomore season with the Wolverines. Because of NCAA violations connected to the case, Michigan was not eligible for postseason play for two years, lost scholarships and was placed on probation. Michigan took down the banners Webber helped the Wolverines earn as part of its punishment and removed his name and likeness from its media guide and basketball arena. In 2003, the NCAA also forced the school to dissociate itself for 10 years from Webber.

Oh…and cue the Trade Rumour: Pistons send Nazr Mohammed to Minny for PG Marco Jaric…

Wow…Gilbert Arenas scored 51 points last night, including the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in the Wizards' 114-111 win over the Jazz…if you’re counting that’s the third time in the past 30 days that Arenas has crossed the 50 point threshold; he scored 60 against the Lakers on Dec. 17 and 54 at Phoenix five nights later (both of those games went into overtime)….other Arenas news from Elias…Arenas also celebrated a birthday recently: he turned 25 on Jan. 6. Get a load of this: In the history of the NBA, only three other players as young as Arenas have produced three or more games of 50-plus points over a 30-day span. The names are as regal as this league can offer: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan. The last NBA player to hit a game-winning shot in the last five seconds of a game in which he scored 50 or more points was Jamal Mashburn for the Hornets against the Grizzlies in an overtime game in which he scored 50 points in 2003. Before that, you go back to Karl Malone, in a game in which he scored 56 points for the Jazz against the Warriors in 1998.

Oh boy, somebody is going to get fired… Charlotte guard Jeff McInnis was ejected in the first quarter of the Bobcats' game against Philadelphia on Saturday because a Bobcats employee turned in an official roster before the game that did not include McInnis as an active player. McInnis entered the game with 3:15 left in the first quarter. The 76ers called attention to the error eight seconds later during a break in play after a foul was called. Referee Dick Bavetta called an official timeout and players from both teams went to the bench for several minutes before it was announced the Bobcats were called for a technical foul and McInnis was ejected. Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff looked at the incorrect roster before slamming it to the table and walking back to the bench…

1) Jim O’Brien of ESPN.com with his opinion on the Webber trade:

Webber can still pass, but ...

When I was a young man just out of college, I bought my first car. I believe it was a late '60s Chevy Camaro. The price was right, it looked good and it had a radio that worked. When I took it for a test drive, it ran beautifully and that radio sounded so good. I paid cash and took it from Philadelphia to a new job I had in North Carolina. Three hours into my 500-mile journey, it started to smoke. To make a long story short, it took six pints of oil to get me to my job because the engine block was cracked. I should have had a master mechanic look under the hood before laying down my money. Chris Webber might have some engine problems of his own, but he is going to a team that should be the absolute best fit for his aging game. Joe Dumars is a smart guy who kicks all the tires before driving off the lot with a used car. You can bet he has looked under the hood and knows exactly what he is getting. The deal Dumars pulled to get Rasheed Wallace is still fresh in everybody's memories. It is not an easy job to coach in the NBA, but Flip Saunders has just been given a piece that should make his Pistons a much more difficult team to guard. Webber is the best passing big man in the league, and you do not need young legs to be a great passer. The thing that makes it an even better marriage is that Webber will be dishing the ball to what is clearly the top offensive lineup in the East and maybe in the whole NBA. Saunders is a coach who always seems to maximize the offensive talent he coaches. As Webber moves into the starting lineup, the Pistons become a team that will be just murder to defend. It will take Saunders some time to get this engine purring, but when it starts to run smoothly, look out. The Pistons are going to put up some gaudy offensive numbers because their opponents are going to be challenged at every position. Opponents are not going to be able to trap anyone because all five starters will be able to hit the outside shot. This is a luxury for Saunders and the envy of any coach. Last time Webber had this type of firepower to pass to he led his Sacramento team to the conference finals. Another positive factor for the Pistons is that they just traded for a player who grew up in Detroit and will not have the normal off-court transition period that is an overlooked downside of many trades or midseason deals of this kind. Detroit is home for Webber, and he will be eating home-cooked meals from day one. The high expectations of this area's fan base should not be a problem either because there have been enormous expectations of Webber since he was in high school and later as a Wolverine at Michigan. So what is the downside of this signing? Webber is a slow, disinterested defender who will burden any man-to-man defense. But even this has a bright side. Saunders has had a lot of success playing a matchup zone. The coaching staff would prefer it to be a high-energy, pressure-type zone, but it can hide the weaknesses that are the baggage of Webber's defensive indifference and ailing legs. When I coached Webber, after we traded for him in Philly, we did not have a zone, nor do I believe in zones as a steady diet, so Webber was exposed at that end of the court. The big fellow will like playing for Saunders more than for me. If Saunders can make his team really buy into becoming a good matchup zone team, and limit the temptation players have to just stand around when a coach calls for the zone, the Pistons again could be the team heading to the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference. One other potential downfall of this signing is Webber's ability to adjust to not being the man in the locker room. This is Chauncey Billups' team, and the Pistons' point guard has been a very effective leader. Webber did not adapt to joining an Allen Iverson-led Philadelphia team despite what was put out there in the media. Webber must find his niche in this new locker room and use his influence in a positive way. If he can do this, Saunders and Dumars will make this work.

2) Marty Burns of SI.com thinks Webber is a mistake for the Pistons:

Risky business - Webber's defense could end up hurting Pistons

Three years ago Pistons GM Joe Dumars took a bold gamble by acquiring the temperamental Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline. The move paid off huge dividends as 'Sheed behaved himself on the court and helped lead Detroit to the 2004 NBA championship. Now Dumars is rolling the dice again. Looking to shake up his listless team, he's bringing in veteran power forward Chris Webber. Dumars hopes that Webber's passing and shooting -- and his desire to win a ring before he retires -- can provide the same kind of spark that Wallace did. But there's only one problem with Dumar's rationale: Webber is no Wallace. At least not anymore. Five years ago Webber was one of the best power forwards in the league. He could shoot. He could pass. He could run the floor. And, yes, he could defend. Or at least move his feet well enough to stay in front of his man. Now Webber is more like a statue on defense. Ever since undergoing microfracture knee surgery a few years ago, he just has not been able to move laterally. Foes attack Webber with pick-and-rolls, forcing him to come out and move his feet so they can blow past him on the way to the basket. For the Pistons, a team that prides itself on defense (or at least used to do so), it's a major problem. Detroit already lost Ben Wallace before the season. Now it is taking another step toward ridding itself of its defensive identity. Ah, you say, but now the Pistons will be better offensively. They will have another passing big man to run Flip Saunders' multiple sets. They will be able to outscore foes on a nightly basis.
Maybe. Or maybe not. Webber averaged nearly 20 and 10 last year with Philadelphia, but it was misleading. He gave up that many points on the other end with his poor defense. Meanwhile, his insistence on playing the No. 2 role behind only Allen Iverson took away shots from Andre Iguodala and made the Sixers more predictable. One Western Conference scout who sees the Sixers regularly as part of his work duties told me last week he'd be surprised if Webber made any impact. "Have you seen him this season? He's been awful," the scout said. "He can't play anymore." Even if Webber gets rejuvenated before his hometown fans, his arrival creates all sorts of other potential potholes. Where does he play? Whose minutes does he eat up? Will he butt heads with Saunders the way he did with Jim O'Brien and Maurice Cheeks in Philadelphia?
Keep in mind, the Pistons already have looked like a somewhat shaky group this season. In recent weeks Tayshaun Prince has talked about the team's lack of chemistry on the court. Then Wallace began showing up late for practice and was yanked from the starting lineup. Nazr Mohammed, who also lost his starting role, now says he wants to be traded if he's not going to play major minutes. Imagine what will happen if Webber's arrival doesn't go as planned. Will C-Webb, bright and outspoken, live up to his reputation as a clubhouse lawyer? Will he and 'Sheed begin to tune out Saunders? Meanwhile, the Pistons are now talking about possibly breaking up their chemistry further by making a trade that would create more playing time for C-Webb. Mohammed and Dale Davis are the likeliest candidates to be dealt, but neither is going to bring back the quality backcourt help the Pistons are seeking. More likely it would require giving up Antonio McDyess, the team's best frontcourt scorer.
When told Monday about rumors that McDyess might be on the trading block, a Bulls starter who shall remain anonymous said that was "crazy." His teammate seated a few feet away echoed the sentiment. Although both said Webber was still a good player, they couldn't believe the Pistons would consider giving up McDyess to make room for him. Meanwhile, at the other side of the United Center, the Spurs basically had little reaction to the news of Webber's signing. While Webber originally had put San Antonio on his list of five teams he would consider playing for, the Spurs never appeared to be a serious candidate. For one, coach Gregg Popovich was an assistant to Don Nelson at Golden State when Webber had his celebrated feud with his coach there. For another, the Spurs couldn't really offer him any more money or playing time than he could get in Detroit.
At any rate, San Antonio's coaches and players seemed more worried about a looming ice storm in Texas than they did any looming potential threat from Webber joining the Pistons. "I don't know what to say," Popovich shrugged when informed of the news. "Yeah, he's a very talented player. ... I think he's a fantastic passer and there are some guys on that team hard to guard who move well without ball. [Rip] Hamilton and Prince are really tough coming off picks, and with Webber out there passing the basketball he's going to find those guys. He can help them offensively a great deal." "I have no reaction," Michael Finley said. "I haven't really seen Detroit so I can't say." Robert Horry also said he hadn't seen Detroit enough to say how Webber might help, but he didn't sound as if he was ready to pencil in the Pistons as Eastern Conference champs. "The thing with Detroit is they're the type of team that if they do have him they could be better but they're going to be good regardless, because they have a great nucleus," he said. "He's a great player. He can adapt to any situation. I think the only team he couldn't play for is Phoenix because they run too much for him. He's not an up-and-down player like he used to be." Horry is being too kind. Webber has lost more than his ability to get up and down the floor. He has lost his explosiveness and his defensive mobility. He might be able to help the Pistons, but he just as likely will have the same effect he had on the Sixers. It's worth remembering that at the time of Webber's trade to Philadelphia, many pundits were hailing the move as a great one for the Sixers. Iverson was finally going to have the second scorer he needed, they said. We all know how it turned out. The big difference, of course, is that Dumars isn't investing too much in this deal. For the veteran's minimum ($1.2 million, pro-rated), Webber is at least a low-cost risk. But if the Pistons wind up losing McDyess or their chemistry in the process of trying to make C-Webb fit, they will be sorry.

3) Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News with the Michigan perspective:

WEBBER COMES BACK HOME

The ovation began as he emerged from a tunnel in a corner of The Palace. By the time he entered the light of the arena, many were standing and most were cheering, and when P.A. announcer John Mason asked fans to welcome "Detroit's own Chris Webber," the noise grew. It was not thunderous, but appreciative. And as Webber, the newest member of the Pistons, took a seat in the front row, a swarm of cameras marked the moment, a homecoming of mutual necessity. Finally, after fates twisted in all sorts of directions all these years, we reached the perfectly ironic conclusion: Webber needs the Pistons, perhaps as badly as they need him. The Pistons aren't rebuilding, but Webber, 33, is. This is the only place he could do it, and do it completely. By agreeing Monday to sign with the Pistons, the 6-foot-10 Webber immediately provides inside impact, high-level experience and a spark the Pistons crave. Heck, if his left knee and right ankle are healthy, Webber could re-establish the Pistons as prohibitive favorites to reach the NBA Finals. No doubt, they need a boost, falling to the Timberwolves, 94-90, for their seventh loss in 10 games, although Chauncey Billups' absence because of a leg injury explains some of it. What does Webber get out of this? Maybe more. It takes more than a nice ovation to make this work, but it looks like a fine fit, the only place Webber could reinvent his career, rehabilitate his image and reconnect with his hometown. And let's get this out of the way right now. Webber made many mistakes while at Michigan, helping put that program on probation. He damaged his school and he damaged himself, pleading guilty in 2003 to criminal contempt for lying to a grand jury. Of course, he should have been more responsible, more forthright. But Webber did pay his debt -- a $100,000 fine and 330 hours community service -- and although the past doesn't disappear, it does fade. Webber can further bury it with a heartfelt admission of his mistakes, although I'm not sure it matters. What can he say now? More important: What can he do now? The man is allowed to move on, and all Webber owes is passionate effort. He doesn't need to be a star. He needs to be the good teammate we always thought he'd be when he came out of Detroit Country Day High as one of the most-celebrated players in the state's history. "The players are excited, I'll be excited (when it's official today) and there's no question the town is excited," coach Flip Saunders said. "It's going to be a good mixture for our team because he's an unselfish player. I think he'll be hungrier, and I think the town is going to embrace him." It's really this simple: People will embrace him if he does well and the Pistons win. The Pistons can't formally introduce Webber until he clears waivers Tuesday. But really, he made the only choice he could after the 76ers bought out his contract. Other teams muted their interest and none could offer what Detroit could offer. The Pistons provide a starting position. They'll give him significant minutes and a significant role. They'll give him a shot at the championship he never has gotten in the NBA or in college. The charge could be felt everywhere at The Palace, from the stands to the bench to the locker room. The fans welcomed Webber at the first opportunity, when he walked in with his father, Mayce, during the first quarter. Saunders is eager to throw him into the lineup and the players can't wait to play with him. Webber's first game? Possibly against Utah on Wednesday night at The Palace. "His passing is phenomenal, his shooting is phenomenal -- there's nothing he can't do," said Billups, due to return any day. "This is a tough, blue-collar city, and I don't see why they wouldn't welcome him back with open arms. He's always had nothing but love for this city. Everywhere he's at, he always talks about Detroit. He did some things at Michigan when he was young, but I don't think that should destroy his character." Billups talked to Webber the past few days, recruiting him to return home. But let's be honest here. It's not the Pistons' job to polish Webber's standing in his hometown. Joe Dumars wants him primarily because the Pistons need him, mostly to compensate for the loss of Ben Wallace. Nazr Mohammed hasn't filled the role and likely is on the trading block. Webber is an upgrade, and everyone understands that. He's not the player who dominated in Sacramento, but let's not forget, Webber averaged 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds last season in Philadelphia. He is older. You hope he's more mature, not the guy who had trouble fitting in with coaches and teammates. You hope he's smarter. You hope he'll learn what his friend, Rasheed Wallace, learned. "Nothing but positive things," Wallace said. "Coming here re-energizes you." When Wallace came to Detroit, he was branded an incorrigible malcontent. He has become a good teammate and fan favorite, although too many times this season, he has looked uninterested. Webber's arrival might rejuvenate Wallace and others, while rejuvenating himself. That is the plan, at least part of it. "It's very similar to the Rasheed situation," Billups said. "It's an unbelievable luxury to have two guys like that. Chris has made all the money in the world and been to All-Star games. "He's done everything you can do, except win that ring." Besides the ring, Webber can win back the devotion of many, completing the story. Of all the reasons to come home, that's a pretty good one.