Four quarters of Gilbert Arenas to put in the bank after the Wizards dropped their sixth straight game, losing 106-103 to Detroit. Not all of them are worth 25 cents:
First quarter: After proclaiming before the game that Agent Zero had returned, Arenas opened the game with six missed shots. Despite passing well, he bricks consecutive three-point attempts, and matched up for the final shot of the quarter against Will Bynum, who only generously comes in at 6-feet, Arenas decides to drive and miss an off-balance shot over multiple collapsing defenders.
Final line: 0 points (0 for 6), 4 assists, 2 rebounds
Actual value: Maybe a dime, and we’ll add a nickel to that because of the assists.
Arenas: “I don’t know if I’m just sitting out there watching. There’s always a half or a quarter where I don’t shoot or I don’t score. Before in Eddie [Jordan]’s system, he needed me to score 30. In this system I don’t have to so me sitting, not shooting for a whole quarter doesn’t really bother because we have other players that are scoring. But then when I try to get into that rhythm, I don’t have that feel so I have to try and find a way to keep myself in the game the whole time.”
Second quarter: With Earl Boykins in the game, Arenas slides off the ball but it’s still nearly seven more minutes before he gets on the scoreboard, corralling a nearly errant pass from Mike Miller and knocking down a jumper at the 5:38 mark. Twenty-nine seconds later, he makes it two in a row and starts warming his hands, and then he line drives a three from 33 feet, leaving him bouncing with attitude at the halftime buzzer.
Final line: 7 points (3 for 5), 2 assists
Actual value: The full 25 cents, since it’s bringing the Wizards back to life.
Third quarter: Arenas sets the tone, with a runner right out of the game and two huge three’s a short time later. He’s orchestrating the break with long and short passes, and picking his spots for pure unselfishness, giving up the ball to Boykins for a wide open three. One turnover is cancelled out by a steal. This is the Arenas that Flip Saunders needs.
Final line: 8 points (3 for 4), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
Actual value: We’ll buy that for a dollar.
Arenas: “I find myself doing more thinking than I am just reacting off my instincts. Players in this league, they react. I was a reactor. Now I find myself being a thinker. Just the Miami game [in which he had 12 turnovers], I’m concentrating on getting assists, averaging 8 assists, averaging 9 assists because I want to be labeled a point guard. I catch myself trying to force assists. Today I was like, you know what, forget the assists, forget the turnovers, I’m just going to go out there and just do whatever. I end up getting 10, like [holy guy].
Fourth quarter: After entering the game with 8:33 to play, Arenas doesn’t take a shot until there’s 3:30 remaining, getting fouled only to promptly “boink” his first free throw off the front rim. He misses two more jumpers and loses the ball on a non-call attacking the rim. By the time he buries a three with 1.9 seconds remaining, the majority of the sellout crowd at Verizon Center is already headed toward the exits after watching him clang at attempt off the rim eight seconds earlier.
Final line: 4 points (1 for 3), 1 rebound, 1 assist
Actual value: No more than two cents, what everybody thinks they should contribute.
Arenas: “I know I can take over fourth quarter’s like I’ve been doing. But I don’t want to take away from the team. D-Steve got mad at me today because in the fourth quarter I only took three shots. He says, ‘Before this wouldn’t have happened. You would’ve took over the fourth quarter, even if you had to take every shot.’ But I feel I don’t have to do that this early because of [the offensive weapons] we have.”
