Ball or Nuthin' » Gilbert Arenas

Magic Make Pressure-Packed Trades for Turkoglu, Arenas

T Lamont — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 04:19:26 +0000

One week before Christmas, the Orlando Magic were feeling the pressure.

Two seasons ago, the Magic made a surprise appearance in the NBA Finals. That year, Orlando dispensed of two teams who fans gave a better chance of advancing to the Finals – the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics (albeit without Kevin Garnett, who was injured at the time). The team from South Florida did it with relative ease, earning a championship date with the Lakers. Although they were unable to cash in on the ultimate prize, a line had been drawn in the sand. The expectations were high, and fans and analysts began to tag the Magic as a franchise to reckon with for the forseeable future.

But what happened next? The business of the National Basketball Association took priority over the continued development of the franchise.

Much of the team’s dismantling came at the hands of Hedo Turkoglu. He was the driving force behind Orlando’s postseason surge in 2009 and, predictably, was in the final year of his contract. What Turkoglu did was no different from what players do frequently – outperform their normal standard level of play, and make a splash in the free-agent market. And the Turkish import did just that, landing an overpriced, 5-year, $53-million deal with the Toronto Raptors.

The Magic, realizing that they now had a playmaker void on their roster, traded for the athletically talented, poorly driven Vince Carter. While he and Dwight Howard might have been a match made in video game heaven, the promise that general manager Otis Smith hoped for never materialized. Orlando perhaps experienced its worse nightmare – that their decision to let Turkoglu walk had turned around and bit them on the backside.

Yesterday, they banked on yet another hope – that the franchise could rekindle the magic that existed when Turkoglu was on its roster. Orlando made two notable trades, and let’s take a look at the potential impact of each one:

Magic get Turkoglu, J-Rich and Earl Clark for Vinsanity, Pietrus and Gortat

Jason Richardson, doing what he does best these days...

Otis Smith gets his man (Turkoglu), but the cost was way too steep. Let’s just assume that Turkoglu was still playing at the level that he did when he left Orlando. In that case, this deal would be understandable. However, even if Orlando got the old Turk back, what the Magic coughed up for him may have still been considered a bit too much.

At this point, we’d be safe to ignore the unproven Earl Clark in this transaction. In addition to Turkoglu, the Suns gave up Jason Richardson for the combination of Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat. Carter and Richardson are high-flying, 3-point shooting scorers who have very similar styles…and in the same offense, should produce very similar results. Right now, that looks like a fairly even swap. But the deal gets sticky from here.

Turkoglu for his former teammates Pietrus and Gortat? That’s basically trading one skill set for another. In the long run the Magic have to ask themselves “do we have anyone on our roster who will attempt to play tough defense against a player like LeBron James?” They did until yesterday. Or perhaps they need to ask themselves “do we have another capable big who knows our system to back up Howard?” Once again, they traded that person away. Pietrus, in particular, is an effective two-way player. His long-range ability also adds a great fit as yet another floor spacer, which is one of the biggest assets on a team built around a bruising center. But since Stan Van Gundy had limited playoff success last year without Turkoglu, he may be willing to part ways with the team’s existing offense to adopt a different scheme. Seeing that Hedo was money on pick-and-rolls, the team may revert to more movement.

Magic get Gilbert Arenas and send away Rashard Lewis

The universe – or at least those in the Washington D.C. metro area – were wondering when the other shoes was going to drop for the Wizards. Washington finally got rid of the high-priced shoe, and they managed to get a fairly good return (as far as talent level goes). So from Washington’s perspective this deal was a must because it allows them to get help at the small forward position (and based on the matchups, possibly power forward), while enabling sharpshooter Nick Young to get more guaranteed burn.

It’s a little more baffling from Orlando’s perspective. Van Gundy will need to quickly decipher how, when and where he will play Agent Zero. Orlando has more traditional positional players filling the point guard (Jameer Nelson) and shooting guard (Jason Richardson?, J.J. Redick)spots, therefore, it remains to be seen as to whether Arenas will be providing firepower off the bench. But one thing about Gilbert – he will be much more assertive in key moments than VInce Carter could ever dream of. And that may be the single attribute that was imperative to the Magic.

Can Arenas' game-changing abilities make Orlando forget about Rashard Lewis' big shots?

Overall Assessment: Orlando may have hurt itself. Over the past year and a half, there’s no evidence that Hedo Turkoglu even remembers how well he played when he was a member of the Magic. Can he really pick up where he left of at the drop of a hat?

The separate deals seems to be solely focused on one aspect of the game – offense. Neither Arenas, Richardson nor Turkoglu pride themselves on defense, yet they got rid of two tough guys who did – Pietrus and Gortat. The new offensively minded players come into town to complement a roster that is already heavily offensive. Including Matt Barnes over the summer, Orlando has now parted way with three key defensive-minded role players.

Is it any wonder why Van Gundy can’t return this team to greatness? Can a team really expect to dethrone the Celtics without rugged defenders? How would Orlando plan to thwart the superior athleticism displayed by the Heat’s trio of James, Wade and Bosh?

With these deals Orlando may have wielded their wands, but it’ll take some real magic for this new unit to achieve the desired goal of an NBA Championship.

It’s Clear…Arenas Wants Out of Washington

T Lamont — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:27:05 +0000

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A few games into the preseason, Gilbert Arenas has clearly been shown the writing on the wall…as in John Wall. And, of course, he doesn’t like it.

The Wizards’ selection of #1 NBA Draft pick John Wall was predictable, and they were hoping that Arenas could handle the demotion of not having the ball at his constant disposal like the professional that he has never been. Well, so far he has been unable to do that.

Arenas sat out of last night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. Knowing that veterans usually don’t lace them up (and if they do, they don’t go hard) in preseason contests, this alone was not a surprise. However, when asked about his absence from the lineup, here’s what the $111-million-dollar man said:

“I told (Nick) I’d sacrifice playing tonight so he can get some time in because I know he’s kind of frustrated he’s not getting a chance to crack the 3 position, especially since we’re going three guards. So I told him I’ll go and fake an injury or say something’s wrong with me so you can start.”

On the surface, this seems to be on par with the traditionally peculiar behavior of Agent Zero. But digging a little deeper would allow us to notice that Arenas was also an inconsistent participant in Washington’s training camp, missing three of the final four camp sessions. Gilbert cited a sore leg and a sprained ankle as the ailments keeping him out of action of those occasions. Nonetheless, Wizards coach Flip Saunders said that Arenas was fined for his revealing, yet truthful remarks (after all, he lied to Saunders about his status).

Arenas did play in the team’s first three exhibition contests, and did what was asked of him. He played his part in the offense, running off of screens (a la most shooting guards) and preparing to catch and shoot or attack off the dribble. But it was also easy to see that Arenas was simply going through the motion, and was a bit disconnected from the emotional, motivated play that drove him to superstar status early in his career.

Arenas has put in a lot of hard work to get to where he is today.

Last night, Arenas was unable to check his ego at the door of the Verizon Center. Instead of focusing on developing chemistry with the team’s new point guard stud, Gil would rather pass that opportunity to someone else – someone who is not commanding one of the biggest salaries in the NBA, as he is. In the blink of an eye, Arenas had abandoned what initially made him special. Beginning in Golden State – after being selected early in the second round (and consequently, not receiving a guaranteed contract) – Gil fought for what was his. He had the utmost belief in his ability and proved it with his play on a struggling team. The Wizards put their trust on the line by offering a talented, but ultimately unproven, guard with the chance to lead their franchise. The journey from Arizona to Golden State to Washington had many obstacles along the way, but Arenas accepted every challenge and conquered them in his own, mercurial way.

Arenas has entertained us with his flashy personality, edgy behavior and refreshing honesty. And some might feel that Tuesday night’s incident was no different. But in some manner, Wall’s immediate ascension to franchise player is irritable to Arenas – and his latest reaction was the only way that he knows how to handle such situations…jokingly.

Washington’s new center of attraction, Wall, is enjoying a productive preseason – and has done nothing short of dazzle onlookers. Along with veteran newcomer Kirk Hinrich, the rookie Wall has been elected as captain of the team. The organizational shift towards youth seems to be a battle that Arenas is unwilling to fight. The Wizards have had unfulfilled seasons over the past few season – each one with the hope of a return to All-Star form by Arenas. Each time, the team’s hopes have gone up in smoke.

Arenas is not naive, and his history demonstrates that he is not one who is unfamiliar with the business of the NBA. He is simply playing the hand that has been dealt. And after receiving a hand that isn’t to his liking, he is about to fold and take his chances with another hand.

But Arenas had better proceed with caution. After all, who knows how many hands are willing to take a chance on him.

Ten Most Disliked Sports Figures??

T Lamont — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:51:03 +0000

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Fox Sports recently posted its “Top 10 Most Disliked People in Sports”…and in more than a few of their choices, they missed the mark.

Let’s review their top 10:

10. Gilbert Arenas

Now obviously, Arenas was a late entry…barely making the cut at #10, which Fox Sports may believe actually makes it legit. But I’m sorry – Arenas in no way deserves to land on this list. Throughout his career, he’s been nothing but a jovial prankster – - trying to live up to a reputation as a carefree rebel without a cause. Well, that finally caught up with him this fall, and suddenly – out of the thousands of notable sports related people – he’s one of the top 1% (or less) of disliked people. I’m not buying it.

9. Allen Iverson

This must be a lifetime achievement award, if you will. Iverson hasn’t done anything of importance on or off the basketball in a few years now. The last unlikable A.I. incident was probably when he beefed about coming off the bench for Detroit (and, as sorry as they are, who in their right mind wouldn’t have beef about that?).

Of course, Iverson has been reckless during his basketball career, being involved with guns, fights, unhappy relationships with coaches, etc…

He’s one of the pioneers of the urban, street style wardrobe that was adopted by many players in the late 90′s and early 2000′s. And the Hampton, Virginia native had others copying his cornrow patterns.

Cornrows and gangsta wear? I guess that image will last in people minds’ for years to come.

8. Alex Rodriguez

With his steroid admission only a year and some change behind him, A-Rod’s championship season did little to get the haters off of his back. He’ll always be remembered as the $252-million man – and the mega-contract only generated more critics (not fans). I even know some Yankees fans who don’t like him.

"What did I do to land on this list?"

7. Terrell Owens

What can you say about T.O.? Generally speaking, people don’t his light-hearted arrogance and creative showboating. I wouldn’t say that his hate factor is very high – but maybe this position is one that fits him OK.

6. Mark McGwire

The former Bash Brother was America’s sweetheart during the magical 1998 home run battle between him and fellow doper Sammy Sosa. But after not giving much comment during the steroids in baseball Congressional hearing, his star began to fade as if it were Big Mac’s batting average. Ironically, McGwire is looking much worse than his blabbermouth ex-teammate Jose Canseco – who admitted the baseball/steroids problem to anyone who wanted to hear it.

5. Jerry Jones

Jones is spurned by those who despise the Cowboys. Although he never does or says anything particularly newsworthy, just hearing him reverberate “How ’bout them Cowboys?!!” is enough to make some people want to place him on the 40-yard line and kick him through the uprights.

4. Tiger Woods

Once again, I’d say that this one is aptly positioned. Nobody would have saw this coming a year ago…but now, how will Woods become the crowd favorite that he was? Or will people be able to move past this incident at all?

3. Ben Roethlisberger

The road from being a hero to being a villain can be a very short one at times. But Big Ben has been building a villainous case for some time now. Roethlisberger can’t seem to pry himself away from the bar scene. It’s time for the organization to take a hard-nosed stance on Ben’s future with the Steelers. For now, Roethlisberger’s earned this spot in the infamous lineup.

2. Al Davis

Davis is too busy cleaning up the colossal mess that has become the Oakland Raiders. Davis has suffered through his bad decisions for a decade – seemingly with the next big hope being available in the upcoming draft. I don’t know why the guy would be disliked so much. Perhaps its the fact, that the Raiders have struggled for so long. Or maybe Oakland fans are the loudest gripers. I’m not sure, but a #2 position is definitely much too high.

1. Michael Vick

No surprise here – Americans love pets. Vick killed potential pets (or, if you will, his own pets). People will remember that for a long time. Unfortunately, there’s not much that Vick can do to get off of this list. Time is the only thing that can help him. And not going to parties where people who were linked to his infamous criminal activities are getting shot.

As long as dogs roam the earth, Michael Vick will have plenty of haters.

Who belongs on this list that wasn’t mentioned?

Kobe Bryant

It doesn’t matter if his Lakers just won their second of back-to-back NBA titles. People either like Kobe or they don’t like him – plain and simple. My wife, who probably knows 20 NBA players by name, can’t stand him. Bryant’s attitude borders on the edge of arrogance or extreme confidence, which will sway one way or the other based on people’s individual perceptions of him. Kobe’s a great player and, unfortunately for him, one of the most polarizing figures that the sport of basketball has ever witnessed.

Barry Bonds

How could Mark McGwire be on this list, but not Bonds? He’s generated so much hatred – mainly because anyone with a television set could have observed the increase in the muscle mass of his head. However, nothing has been proven against him – which infuriates those who hold baseball records to be sacred accomplishments. Bonds is the current all-time and single-season home run leader, and now that the cat is out of the bag (about steroids) his records could stand for some time. Someone probably punched a wall just from reading that.

O.J. Simpson

Long removed from the sports scene, Simpson is hating for nothing related to athletics. Nevertheless, he was a sports figure and is one of the most despised people on the planet. The public doesn’t usually like people suspected of killing other people – off of the gridiron, that is.

Wizards Win NBA Draft Lottery

T Lamont — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:30:55 +0000

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If a franchise is fortunate, a year of futility can be a good thing.

The Washington Wizards, who held a 10.3% chance of landing the top pick in June’s draft, won the NBA Draft Lottery tonight. This will mark the second time that Washington has landed the pick.

And we all know what happened the first time. That’s right – we were introduced to the abysmal Kwame Brown…courtesy of the greatest player in the history of the NBA. How ironic.

But this year’s projected #1 selection appears to be a little more of a sure thing. Kentucky guard John Wall – a multiskilled athlete with great floor presence - will join the recent influx of talented playmakers in the NBA.

John Wall would make scoring a little easier for Andray Blatche.

The 2009-10 season proved to be a real test for the team from the nation’s capital. The Wizards entered the campaign amid lots of excitement as this year figured to be the first in some time that Washington would field a fully healthy team out on the court. But the team didn’t play up to level that was anticipated, and injuries began to slowly take pieces away from the puzzle.

The biggest headline came late in 2009, when Washington’s star player, Glibert Arenas, got into an altercation with guard Jarvis Crittenton involving guns. Gilbert was suspended for the remainder of the year, served some time, and the Wizards went into free-fall mode.

Their disastrous season has them poised the pick the most talented player in the draft. They still have the dangerous (in more ways than one) Arenas on their roster. Josh Howard, who saw little action due to an injury immediately after the Wiz acquired him, has great length, athleticism and versatility. With some impressive scoring and board work late in the season, Andray Blatche proved that he will not be the next Kwame Brown.

So, there’s a lot for D.C. to look forward to – starting with a can’t miss selection that even Washington won’t screw up.

Well…maybe…

Amid Arenas Drama, Wizards Lost Their Focus

T Lamont — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:06:59 +0000

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When Gilbert Jay Arenas was suspended by the NBA - for his unacceptable conduct of brandishing firearms in the Verizon Center – there was a universal sentiment that the Washington Wizards’ 2009-2010 season was practically over.

But in the weeks to follow, the Wizards’ brass ensured that not only was their current season over, but the success of their subsequent campaigns would be limited as well.

On Friday, sentencing was handed down to Arenas…and it was nowhere near as severe as some anticipated. The All-Star guard was sentenced to two years of probation and 30 days in a halfway house. He will also have to complete 400 hours of community service and was required to make a $5,000 donation to a violent crimes victim’s fund.

In other words, he got off scot-free.

And from reports that are coming from the Wizards’ office, the team is planning to move forward with the $111-million man next year. But will they really be moving forward?

As plays stands today, Washington is in the midst of a 15-game losing streak. That’s right, they’ve lost every game in the month of March – the last win for the Wiz was February 28 at New Jersey. But even New Jersey has more reason to be optimistic than the Wizards.

When Arenas returns to the hardwood, he won't have these guys by his side.

That’s because Washington has decimated its roster with two big trades. Perennial 20-8 forward Antawn Jamison was being highly coveted by a Cavaliers team looking to put itself in better position for a title run and to keep LeBron James satisfied. So Jamison was sent packing and Washington received no personnel in return. The Wizards has already packaged three players that constituted the core of the team – forward Caron Butler, guard DeShawn Stevenson and center Brendan Haywood. These three averaged played beyond their averages. Butler is a skilled scorer and former All-Star; Haywood is a rare big man who plays like one (2.1 blocks per game); Stevenson is a defensive specialist who can bang threes if he gets on a hot streak.

All four former Wizards were part of the Washington franchise when there was actually some buzz…during their first playoff battle against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. We all recall the missed free throws by Arenas, which would have put one of the games on ice and possibly changed the course of the series. Ultimately, King James and his band walked away as the winners in that meeting, and the Wiz Kids seemingly haven’t recovered since.

But even though Washington hasn’t been able to break through to the next level, the trades were, to say the least, very disheartening to Wizards fans. As part of its statement to the fans, the Wizards said:

“…we now look forward to moving on and focusing on building this team into the contender that our outstanding fans deserve.”

Well, with Arenas coming back with a lot to prove, who will be there to support him? By getting nothing of value in return for the core of the old team – and yes, Josh Howard has little to no value these days – the Wizards executives definitely dropped the ball. With no tradable assets remaining on a severely talent-starved roster, Washington has basically pushed itself into expansion mode.

Ironically, D.C. needs Agent Zero to return with his guns blazing to make the Wizards relevant once again.