Chris Chambers would rather be....

[Chilly]

playing in the NBA, apparently.

 

Story

 

DAVIE — If Chris Chambers had his dream season this year, he would average 18 points, five rebounds and six assists per game.

 

You see, Chambers, the Dolphins' high-flying receiver and a regular at Miami Heat games, would rather play in the NBA than the NFL.

 

"I'm about 99.9 percent sure of that," said Chambers, who played basketball as a freshman at Wisconsin. "It seems like a fun game ... and you play so many games, so it's easy to get in the groove, and you travel so much."

 

A former teammate vouches for Chambers' basketball ability.

 

"Chris is such a great athlete he probably could have played in the NBA if he focused just on basketball," said Buffalo Bills receiver Lee Evans, who went to high school and college with Chambers and faces him Sunday in the Dolphins' home opener.

 

"He's quick and a good ballhandler," Evans said. "He could shoot, but he was also so good at breaking people down and getting to the hoop. You see him on the football field. He's so long and athletic, he makes it look easy. He does things so naturally."

 

Chambers said he knows there are pros and cons to NBA life, "but it seems like a pretty nice lifestyle," he said.

 

The NFL has been good to him, too.

 

Chambers, at 5-feet-11 and 210 pounds, earned his first Pro Bowl berth last season, his sixth in the league. His outstanding jumping ability, strong hands and knack for eye-popping catches helped make him the Dolphins' top receiver.

 

"I put him in the top five receivers in this league," said Joe Theismann, the former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst.

 

Chambers' success late last season didn't carry over to the opener. In the 28-17 loss at Pittsburgh, he had a quiet night, with five catches for 59 yards, all of those in the second half.

 

Chambers, who has said he likes to get the ball early to get a feel for the game, didn't complain.

 

"We were spreading the ball around a little bit," he said. "I had a couple of shots early in the game, but we didn't connect on them."

 

Coach Nick Saban said the club needs to make "a conscious effort" to get Chambers involved early, starting Sunday against Buffalo. "But sometimes what the other team does has a little bit to do with that, too," he said.

 

Chambers had his career-best game against the Bills in December at Dolphin Stadium, with 15 receptions for 238 yards and a touchdown. In nine career games against Buffalo, Chambers has 43 receptions for 610 yards (14.2 average) and six touchdowns.

 

The Bills have a new coach (Dick Jauron) and defensive coordinator (Perry Fewell), but Chambers expects sixth-year cornerback Nate Clements to be assigned to him, as usual.

 

And Chambers expects to find success with quarterback Daunte Culpepper once they get used to each other.

 

"I remember our first game, when Gus (Frerotte) was here and balls were all over the place," Chambers said. "I know it's going to come a little faster this year."