Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards Need to Man Up
Gilbert Arenas‘s comments in the locker room after last night’s disappointing loss to the Miami Heat were almost as deflating as his 12 turnovers. “I don’t know what the hell is going on around here,” he told reporters. “I don’t know if some old player put a curse on us back in the day. I have no idea.”
Yes, Washington is dealing with some disappointing injuries right now (including Randy Foye spraining his ankle in the first half last night), but they are clearly are feeling sorry for themselves and it’s turning into losses. Quickly. And if Gilbert and Caron Butler don’t put a stop to it ASAP, a once-promising season will be over before it even gets a chance to start.
The basketball issues are obvious – Washington was throwing the ball all over the gym last night. After starting off strong offensively (they shot a white-hot 69 percent from the field in the first quarter), they fell apart in the second half. They started to have some success getting back on track when the game was tight in the second half and the Wiz sowed it down to get Caron Butler some open looks off of screen-curls on the wing, but then inexplicably went away from the hot hand.
The other issues though are definitely more concerning. You can tighten up your offense and focus on taking care of the ball, but being beaten mentally from the jump? Not quite the easy fix. When Foye went out last night, taking yet another offensive weapon out of the Wizards’ mix, you could almost see the mental toll being exacted on the Wizards. With Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller already out with injuries, and the general feeling that their team is “cursed” because of the debilitating injury issues of the past several years, you could just see the air being let out of the Wizards’ team.
The “woe-is-me” vibe that they’re giving off is like blood in the water for opponents. After Washington’s hot shooting disappeared and the turnovers started piling up, you could almost see that everyone in the arena, including the Wizards, was waiting for Dwyane Wade to put the game away. And then the Wizards just let him do exactly that, allowing Wade to give them 40 for the second time in less than a week!
Absolutely unacceptable. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves and letting Dwyane run roughshod all over them, someone needed to step up and make a big shot, make a big stop, deliver a hard foul, something. Not so much. Easier said than done with Wade, I know, but more turnovers, more bad shots, more complaining to the refs is pretty much all that followed, while Wade delivered the death blow to a team that never really thought they were going to win the game, even though it was still relatively close with a few minutes to go.
Washington is due to get Jamison and Miller back any day now, but unless the general air about the team changes, I doubt that it will matter much. Jamison might be the guy to get them back on track, and I’m sure that he realizes that something needs to happen, and happen quickly, before the season’s a wrap in November.
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November 11th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Doesnt help when ur floor general sets a franchise record for TO’s..
thats UNACCEPTABLE..
November 11th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Jake says:
Besides Caron, the rest of the Wizards can just keep crying. Go Heat.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Rare Air says:
What happened to Hibachi’s gameplan of just playing and not talking?
He kept his trap zipped all preaseason long just to drop that weak quotable after doing his best TJ Ford impression with 12 TO’s????
Not looking good at this point for the Wiz, WAY to early in the year to start talking like that Gil.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
sh!tfaced says:
No need to press the panic button right now. This team has yet to play (together) with it’s full lineup at full strength. So worries for the Wiz just yet.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Jake says:
Honestly, I think there was to much put into this teams head at the begining of season as well as the offseason. Many were claiming they were Final “dark horses” before they played again. Granted, this team has the talent to be good – they just haven’t been for so long. They need to suck this up, get healthy, and leave it all on the court. AS for Gil not know “what the hell is going on”, it’s 12 TO’s thats going on Gil. 12.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Sideswipe says:
Once Jamison and Mike Miller come back it’ll be fine. Not counting them out yet.
November 11th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
jay says:
this team is an enigma…still very early but i was expecting this team to be a little better!!! i know they have injuries but very disappointed in this team right now..i was thinking this team would be a lot better!
November 11th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
K-Dub says:
i thought he was drop a bad one or two…not one w/ 12 TOs. they’ll wake from this crap sleep walk they been call ball.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
IG says:
What happened to Caron? 15 ppg? 4 assists in 7 games? That is unacceptable.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Yoooo says:
Man lay off Gil. With the night he must have had it’s no wonder he didn’t jump off the roof after the game.
Finding out Shaq has been Lazy-Eye-Level with the box you’ve been cherishing and making babies with is an easy distraction for ANY man. Ugh. Then you’re playing his old team, probably thinking about what you would do to him if he was on the court (off the court he won’t want any problems, clearly). Last night doesn’t count in my book. His head was clearly elsewhere….
And she’s pregnant AGAIN… And she’s your FIANCEE… And it’s SHAQ…
I’m more worried the next shot he takes will be at himself
November 11th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
dmitry of jersey says:
the wizards are ALWAYS a player or 2 bein healthy away from legit status. it will never happen… they need to blow it up
November 11th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Heckler says:
aint nothing to worry about. long season.
when they get fully healthy, they’ll be solid. maybe like a 6th seed or something.
at the trade deadline, they should get marcus camby from the clips. they need some defense on their frontline. they also need to get a post scorer for the bench.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Boo Boo the Fool says:
@Yoooo
my dude just called me and asked me if i knew about that shit i was like hell no!!! thats crazy tho man i see why gil been wildin….. that gives that foul shaq gave to gil in the preseason a whole new meaning lmao
November 11th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
McBuckets says:
Don’t know whats goin on with the Wiz..Maybe it’s te fact that Gilbert Arenas has a lot on his mind since the recent leak of Shaq and Arenas’s fiance creepin around in the hotels…Oh I can’t wait for Cleveland and Wasington to play now!
November 11th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
jeremy says:
gilbert wasn’t even supposed to play last night because of a calf injury but 15 minutes before the game he decided to suit up.
November 11th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
jeremy says:
and now foye, james, and crittenton are out so they have 1 pg
November 11th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
the cynic says:
Maybe this team should finally get a point guard(foye, james, crit, and arenas are all midget 2 guards)
November 11th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
The Journeyman says:
wow the emails between shaq and gil’s girl is blahhhh
lol it aint right but that’s life
November 11th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Whaaaaa?? where are these emails?? Shaq with his girl?? damn thats just cruel..
After ur fiancee f#$ks a dinosaur there aint no going back to that..
November 11th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
LakeShow84 says:
DAAAMMMNNNNN..
Thats some cold shit.. 3 babies or not that woman was stupid TRIFLIN..
DAAAMMMMNNNN..
See that women?? thats why half us dont take ur serious.. and count me amongst the non trusting ni$$as…
DAAAAMMMNNNNN tho lol
November 11th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
WinDelRoj says:
100 Million………………..
November 11th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
QQ says:
Still early, but you get the sense everyone’s favorite ‘comeback’ team of the East isn’t really THAT good in the first place.
Oh, it has Gilbert Arenas in the helm. I see.
November 12th, 2009 at 2:30 am
EXPO336 says:
HOW BOUT GILBERT NEEDS TO WALK AWAY….FROM THE WIZARDS…BC THEY ARE LIKE A BLACKHOLE NO ONE GETS OUT….
November 12th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
uh huh says:
Nick Young and Mcgee have to play. Mike Miller isn’t the answer. Brendan Haywood is terrible. Eddy Curry is better than him. Caron is hurt. Gil just needs to be himself. You’re still catering to everyone else. Be you. Do what got you hear & earned you that money. He deserved. Coming from the second round he’s amazing. He’s an olympian,great player,teamate and showmen. The N.B.A. needs him and vice versa. The losing isn’t on him. 1 he isn’t a point guard. He played the 4 in college. He can pass but needs to be more of a combo. He’s looking pass wayyyyyy toooo much. Blatche doesn’t get it and is softttttttttttttttttttt. Mike Miller is oldddddddddddddddd. Flip is confused. Stevenson is useless fake hustle d. Dahntay Jones is better than you. L.Hughes is better than you. LOL. Damn. More time in the gym less in the tatoo parlor. I miss the old Gil. HIBACHIIII