The Reason Why Chris Webber Can Suddenly Play Again

Chris Webber's tenure ended badly in Philadelphia, and many 76ers fans aren't too happy with him now that he's moved on to the Pistons, where he's helped spur a 22-7 record (including a 21-point win over the Sixers last night) since moving into the starting lineup. But, according to C-Webb, perhaps it's not his fault. From the Philadelphia Daily News:

How, Chris Webber was asked, was he able to go from having a foot injury, being listed as inactive and being generally unhappy with the 76ers to all but reinventing himself with the Detroit Pistons?

People, he was told, would like to know.

"They should ask the coach, the coach that was in charge of me, that didn't allow me to play," Webber said before facing the 76ers last night.

In the next sentence, Webber directly identified Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, saying, "Like I told you before, Mo came to me and said 'We're going to cut half your minutes, half your time.' I said, 'I just came off a 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds] season.' I don't have an answer for that."

Of course, Webber was also nursing a legitimate injury when he came over, a sore left foot that limited his mobility. But the Pistons also have a secret weapon in long-time trainer Arnie Kander, whom Flip Saunders credited for quickly getting Webber back to full strength:

"We've got the 'Magic Man,' Arnie Kander," Saunders said, referring to strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander. "Arnie's done an amazing thing with a lot of players. We thought Arnie would actually be able to help him a lot, and he has. After 3 days, [Webber's] soreness in his feet was gone."

Kander has achieved a cult-like following among Pistons players and fans for his miracle worker ways. How does he do it? For one, he takes a different approach to his job that most of his contemporaries around the league. From an article last May in the New York Times:

Kander blends his own nutritional drinks, all individually tailored, for each of the Pistons every day. He eschews anti-inflammatories, which other teams dispense by the dozen, in favor of herbal mixtures that naturally drain swelling. And he creates personalized workout regimens designed to correct and maintain the mechanics of each player's body.

Kander is so popular among his players that Grant Hill actually tried to hire him to be his personal trainer when he left Detroit for Orlando. Considering how Hill ended up spending almost as much time on the operating table as the hardwood, it wouldn't have been a bad investment for the player. But fortunately for the Pistons and C-Webb, he stayed.