What would have been if Webber's shot falls - 04

[braves81]

2. 2004 - Chris Webber’s shot falls.

The Skinny:
Yes the Kings are here again, in what turns out to be their last year of contention, the last time they get past the first round. This was the year that Kevin Garnett and the Timberwolves ruled the West and were seemingly unstoppable- until they met the Kings in the second round. Though the Wolves did seem to dominate, especially in an embarrassing game 5, the Kings dominated in game 6 and pushed it all the way to a decisive game 7.

The game was evenly matched, thought most remember it as a Wolves blowout because the Kings played so bad, it actually came to a second left on the game clock, with Chris Webber firing a game winning three... that went halfway down before bouncing out.

The Kings were eliminated and the Wolves went on to face the Lakers in the Conference Finals.

What would have been:
The Kings died on that missed shot.

Though the Kings had been dominating all year long, leading the Western Conference for most, it had been without Chris Webber, whose knees were beginning to fail. They had re introduced Chris when the playoffs had started, and it had been a surprise that he had played so well. Especially against the new MVP Kevin Garnett. But the shot missed, and the Kings saw their window as closed.

Webber, the main staple of the team, was traded the following year, and the entire makeup of the team was gone.

Within a year, only Mike Bibby and Brad Miller remained of that team, now it is only Miller.

I loved that Sacramento team and hated the way they were split apart.

If just that one shot had fallen, the Kings would have advanced, and the 02 conference finals would be replayed, giving the Kings a chance for revenge against the Lakers.

They at least would have had a shot at a championship, whether they missed or not is irrelevant.

http://www.hoops4life.com/home/Overtime ... ecade.html

I was rooting for the Kings when Bibby, Miller and Webber were playing together, and I thought that'd be 'their year'. It sux to see how the Kings were fallen apart...how much longer the Kings' fans have to wait to see the team becoming a contender again?

[SacTown Kings]

Didn't you know the NBA is fake. If Webber's shot had fallen it wouldn't of mattered. We would of been made to lose to the Lakers, that's just how the NBA works.

As far as how long do we have to wait until we are contenders again? I would say quite a while, 3 years until we sniff the playoffs and 5 years until we contend.

[Cruel_Ruin]

If Webber's shot had gone in, we would have lost in Overtime to the Timberwolves. That just wasn't our year.

[KF10]

Hassell FOULED Peja!!

[pillwenney]

If Webber's shot had gone in, we would have lost in Overtime to the Timberwolves. That just wasn't our year.

Yup, probably. We just didn't really deserve to win that series.

Not to mention that a team like that would just only last so long until their sub-par D did them in. Every year people think that a team like that is going to break through, and every year they don't.

[ICMTM]

Honestly Sam Cassell won that series for the Wolves and not Garnett. If there was a series MVP Cassell won that hands down. A healthy Webber and Garnett is a wash, but all things considering Webb held his own.

[_SRV_]

If Webber's shot had gone in, we would have lost in Overtime to the Timberwolves. That just wasn't our year.

This game was bizarre in so many ways, KG's very long pull up 3, Cassel hitting big shots and doing the big balls imitation, DC stealing the ball at the mid court to keep hopes alive, DC (I think) missing the wide open layup, and that in and out 3 at the end.
2 of the losses in that series came from last second missed 3s, it was no less heart breaking than the Lakers series.
It was a great team, with very bad luck, kinda like the Suns in '05, I think they could've gone all the way.

[pillwenney]

Honestly Sam Cassell won that series for the Wolves and not Garnett. If there was a series MVP Cassell won that hands down. A healthy Webber and Garnett is a wash, but all things considering Webb held his own.

Kind of a key component there. I think that series is easily ours if we have the C-Webb of old, but that ship had sailed.

[Ballings7]

Unfortunately, I think we probably would have lost to the Lakers if we went on to win the series, anyway

Shaq/Malone (not hurt yet, though who knows with injuries being a variable)/Kobe/Payton

Specifically, Payton would of gave Bibby issues, as he could still defend above-averagely up to his 2nd to last year with Miami. Payton actually with the Heat was their main wing defender for the quicker perimeter players, because Posey didn't have the lateral quickness to stay with them, I guess he once had.

[Wolfay]

I had a theory way back when that game ended, that when everyone gasped as Webber took the shot, the effect was great enough to suck the ball out of the hoop. You saw the ball go down, I saw the ball go down, we all saw the ball go down yet mysteriously, the ball came back up. That's my theory anyway...

C-Webb was the only guy in the NBA who could guard KG effectively. He would just put his hand in KG's face and it would frustrate the hell out of him as he couldn't see. Good times...

And oh yea, we would've kicked Laker butt for sure. Ballings must be smokin' that crappy SoCal weed...

[Ballings7]

I don't smoke.

I just don't think we would of had enough of a team to beat them, with how our front-court was then, and our lacking depth, plus Bibby probably being controlled by Payton.

I could also definitely see Walton and/or Rush being enough of a factor here and there as well, as both each actually had one big game in the playoffs that year. Rush with his six threes against the Wolves, and Walton's versatile game against the Pistons.

[KF10]

Would Payton really be a large factor against Bibby? Bibby was a hellva player back then...A top 10 PG...In the 2002 series, Bibby just single-handily could do anything on offense...Fisher, Fox, George nor Kobe could have stopped Bibby. I would doubt that Payton would stop Bibby IMO. But then again, if it was in a one on one scenario, maybe but Bibby knows the Princeton Offense so well, he would have use the screens/picks and etc to get rid of Payton off his trail IMO...

EDIT: This is only my opinion. A subjective view...I'm just using my memory...Payton's defense might be overlooked by me...

[Ballings7]

Not saying he'd "stop" him, but I think Mike would probably be contained. It'd be tough on Mike, anyway. While Payton was in the middle of his overall decline then, he could still defend significantly.

Also, unfortunately, remember Latrell Sprewell and the Wolves really slowed down Mike for the series after G1 when he went off for 31 points. Making the adjustment then.

Regardless, that match-up is an underlying thing, the main reasons why I don't quite think we would of beat the Lakers then is because of the Kings PF/C and depth drop offs. Compared to previous years.

[Jalfa]

Well, Payton did get completely destroyed by Billups in the finals though. I remember that very well, since it's one of my favourite series of all times and the moment I (like everyone else) really started digging Chauncey Billups' game.

[Ballings7]

Well, Payton did get completely destroyed by Billups in the finals though. I remember that very well, since it's one of my favourite series of all times and the moment I (like everyone else) really started digging Chauncey Billups' game.

Yeah, I'm aware of that.

And then in 2006, Payton and Miami defended Billups quite well over the Heat/Pistons series. Payton in 2006 played the 4th qtrs at PG for Miami because of his defense, aside from what else he could still do adequately in a lesser role.

This is one of the examples I was talking about before about Payton's defense still being something of notability in his latter years. Which is natural because he was so great in his prime years, the drop off isn't going to be so dramatic, coupled with not getting hurt majorly.

Also, Billups differs pretty significantly as a match-up compared to Bibby. Bibby being an easier guy to defend, especially when you have above-average size and enough quickness, still.

Like I said though, it's a middle factor relating to the series regardless of the success of the defense on Bibby, other factors being the main deals which clearly would favor the Lakers.

[pillwenney]

The thing is, players were rarely really "contained" on those teams just because the team offense was always so strong. It was almost never about one-on-one matchups. The only time I can remember where an individual matchup really took a player out of the game was when somebody would really get up into Peja, and that was just because he was so soft.

[realfung]

WHat if Robert Horry's shot missed, The Kings would have won the Champ.