Le Basketbawl

This was the season that things  were going to turn positive again for the Washington Wizards. After suffering for the last couple of seasons Wizards the team’s star guard Gilbert Arenas is finally pain free and starting to get back to the player that caused so many opponents headaches when he was at his best. Unfortunately the team is still doing far lees than even mediocre with a 7-16 record.

 Asked by a reporter how he would have responded if he had been told before the year started how poorly the Wizards would kick off the season the veteran was visibly dis-pleased. He responded “I would’ve laughed. I would’ve said, How many people got hurt?”

Washington has lots of talented players on their club starting with their three stars Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler. Now Jamison did miss a chunk of time at the beginning of the season, however the injuries excuse has gotten old for fans of the team. They have seen what this club is capable of when running smoothly and they want to see them perform like that again.

The “Washington Post” asked the veteran guard if he feels  any  pressure this season. Arenas fired back “It’s only pressure whenever somebody mentions my name, they mention one-eleven. They don’t just call me a basketball player. They put a number behind it, like that defines who I am. There is no pressure playing the game of basketball. I’m a basketball player. I haven’t played this game in two years. I haven’t been in situations where I get to take game-winners. I can’t take game-winners in practice. I can’t shoot free throws in practice that simulates the game. There’s no crowd. There’s no nothing, so I’m learning as I go. I’m getting back and feeling the vibe again. People don’t understand that. It’s like, if you’re a bodybuilder and you stop lifting for two years, then go back in there and try to lift 400 pounds, you’ll break your arm. I’m happy where I am. I see progress (23) games into the season. I know where I need to be.”

Arenas although just shooting at about 40% from the floor has had a  season average of 21.0  points and 6.9 assists per game. Yet this team that  looked like a safe bet to make the NBA playoffs this season is on pace to  be Lottery bound. Rumors have been floating around the last couple of weeks that All-Star forward Caron Butler may be on the trading block. If that is the case any realistic hopes of this team ending the season with a winning record and making the Post Season would drop radically.

The Wizards back in the middle of the decade looked like they were on the verge of being a perennial power in the NBA Eastern Conference. Unfortunately it is looking more likely that their legacy will be as “The Greatest Team That Almost Was.”