If there's one thing that the Wizards' recent 2-5 stretch has shown, it's that Washington is in no way, shape or form better off without Gilbert Arenas, which some outsiders had started to wonder after watching the team play at a surprisingly high level without their injured star.
But you have to look at the teams the Wizards were beating during that 8-5 month of December and 7-3 start to January.
Yes, they beat Boston twice, but the Celtics haven't been healthy in the new year. They beat Dallas on Martin Luther King Day, but the Mavericks are like a seesaw this season. In December Washington beat Toronto, Cleveland without Lebron, New Jersey, Minnesota, Miami (twice), Sacramento and Charlotte.
Not trying to discount the wins here -- not at all -- or the Wizards' play.
Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison have taken this team on their backs and carried them with All-Star caliber play. But it's hard to play at such a high level all the time.
What has happened when one of those two has an off night? Or, if one of them is hurt -- case in point: Butler missing three games last week with a hip injury -- what happens to the Wizards? They don't have enough firepower to fill the void.
Against Utah, Jamison had 31 points and 11 rebounds. Andray Blatche added 19 points and 13 rebounds, but down the stretch, the Wizards fizzled and lost by nine. As coach Eddie Jordan pointed out, Jamison carried the load as much as he could but didn't get much help when it really counted.
The Wizards lost badly to the Raptors last Wednesday and to the Lakers yesterday. Arenas' explosive scoring capabilities could've made for a different story. They might've still lost, but not by such hefty margins.
Agent Zero plans to hit the court during shootarounds while the team is on its West Coast trip later this week and early next week. He plans to start practicing after the All-Star break, targeting a March 1 return to action.
For the Wizards, it can't happen soon enough. His return will provide a much-needed boost and could make the Wizards quite dangerous.
Imagine The Big Three aided by the young players who have gained experience and confidence when called upon with Arenas out this season. They could definitely make some noise down the stretch and in the playoffs. It's just a matter of staying afloat while waiting for the return of Gil.
Comments (2)
I have been saying this exact thing all year long and I totally agree with your post. Arenas, is one of the few players in this league who can take over a game single-handedly, ala Kobe. Many Wizards fans got a false sense of security when they were winning with overachieving, but the young guys are inconsistent and Butler and Jamison are over-worked. Adding Arenas to this team will definitely make them more dangerous during the 2nd half of the season and playoffs in the Eastern conference.
Posted by Garry Brown | February 5, 2008 3:31 AM
Anyone who even had the faintest thought this team is better without the"Agent" is lacking true basketball knowledge you only have to sample the recent games,last night was in a word unwatchable, "matador defense", lazy entry passes, and whats with the poor conditioning the wiz looked as if they were going to drop dead after Philly went up tempo and started to press it gets rougher from here with the Spurs,Nuggets,and the rest of the road good luck Eddie!!!!!.
Posted by DARGREGMAG@AOL.COM | February 6, 2008 1:16 PM