Given my need to drive the 100 miles back home before it was so late that I would’ve been a hazard on I-95, I saved the task of looking back at the Wizards’ preseason opener until this morning.
My thoughts:
(1) The return of Gilbert Arenas continues to offer intriguing twists and turns. Recapping the last 10 days: Arenas said he wasn’t the entertainer anymore, promised no jokes and few three-pointers and got riled up about the categorization of true point guards; the Wizards tried to play the jedi mind trick on some reporters after they saw him limping early in training camp; he sat out a bit due to a jammed finger on his off hand; and then Flip Saunders predicted he’d play 8-10 minutes against Memphis.
Arenas’s line: 24 minutes, 5 points, 10 assists, 2 steals, one block, 3 turnovers, one leap over the scorers’ table, one shot to the groin, a couple heating compresses, and one surgical glove (used to apply oil to his left leg as he kept it warm while he was on the bench during the second quarter). Sprinkle in a couple bad shots, some missed free throws, and more serious looks than smiles and that would sum it up nicely.
(2) Whatever the Wizards’ second unit ends up being, it could be formidable. Randy Foye and Mike Miller led the reserves on Tuesday and got more and more comfortable as the game wore on. Maybe it was the Memphis backups that weren’t exactly stellar – could that team be any more inexperienced? – but it was a nice start. The only member of Washington’s bench that didn’t come out with a plus was Fabricio Oberto (-2). Foye was +12, and DeShawn Stevenson was +10 despite some foul trouble.
(3) Homework: defensive rebounding, layups and free throws. The Wizards shot 39.8 percent from the field and made just 67.4 percent (29-for-43) of their free throws, including a 3-for-9 showing by Arenas. They were also outrebounded, 60-45.
“There’s no question rebounding-wise, we were atrocious,” said Saunders. “If we rebound and make free throws, it’s really a bad game.”
“I thought our defensive rebounding was poor,” said Brendan Haywood. “A lot of times we made that initial stop to cut off the drive, but then when the shot went up, there were a lot of bodies that were left unaccounted for, and we have to clean that up.”
(3) Training camp got a thumbs up. “We didn’t come in saying let’s just get through training camp,” said Antawn Jamison. “We came in saying let’s find a way to execute, just playing night in and night out.”
“Honestly, I’ve been so anxious for this moment,” said Caron Butler, “just to shake off last year, just to get out there and just be in front of a crowd, a different system, a new coach, new voice, and have all my soldiers out there healthy. I’ve been waiting on this moment, and it felt great. Obviously, it felt even better getting the win, and I can’t wait for opening night in Dallas.”
