Webber making his presence known

If you haven’t been following the NBA this season, I pity you. The league finally has a nice mix of high-scoring offenses, marquee names and enough parity where a young Blazers team is just four games out of a playoff berth in the scary-good Western Conference.

But with all the praise heaped upon LeBron, D-Wade, Steve Nash and Dirk, I can’t help but be impressed with Chris Webber, a guy most people thought was washed up years ago after he had micro-fracture surgery on his knee.

Webber, though, has led a resurgent Detroit Pistons team into first place in the Eastern Conference. He is proving that at 33, he still has plenty left in the tank despite creaky (okay, nonexistent) knees and a disappointing stint in Philly. In fact, Webber still had the magic most nights last season, when he averaged 20 points and 10 boards in 75 games for a mediocre Sixers’ team.

This year, a trade to his hometown Pistons was just what the former Michigan star needed to get back on track. In 14 games starting for the Pistons at center, Webber is averaging 14 points, 7.4 boards and three assists for a team known for their defense and ability to spread the offensive burden to all five guys on the floor. Better yet, Webber is shooting a career-high 57.9 percent with the Pistons.

The trade has worked well for Detroit. The Pistons are 11-3 with Webber as their starting center, which has catapulted the 2004 NBA champs into first place in the East. Rasheed Wallace has benefited playing with another big who can pass and shoot, averaging four points more in February than January while increasing his shooting to 44.7 percent this month.

Webber missed significant time this season before being traded, which will most likely be beneficial down the stretch, especially if the Pistons go deep into the playoffs. So what does the future hold for Webber and his hometown team this season? A return to the NBA finals is not out of the question.

The Pistons have defeated second-place Cleveland twice, and Webber’s shooting will stretch the floor when they finally take on Miami, a team finally at .500 for the first time in months.

This is the team to beat in the East, at least until Miami proves to the league they aren’t slow, old and lazy. How the Pistons will fair if they make the finals will likely depend on what team they face. They have wins against the Rockets, Lakers and Mavericks. They also have losses to Phoenix and a Valentine’s Day shortcoming against the Spurs, who defeated them in 2005 for the NBA crown.

Perhaps it’s sentimentality that makes me hope Webber finally gets his chance to compete in the finals. Or maybe I remember Robert Horry stealing one from the Kings with his trademark, dagger three from the top of the key in 2001 and it still makes me sick. Either way, in the twilight of his career, Webber is proving he still has the game to make an impact and perhaps earn a chance to win it all.