The echoes of the season, or the last home game for that matter, had not yet dimmed when Gilbert Arenas arrived for offseason duty. Nobody was surprised. Even if only eight hours or so had passed since the Wizards had been eliminated.
So he invented a reason to start working out early, crediting the two missed free throws in the waning seconds of the Game 6 loss to Cleveland for the quick start. Except he didn’t shoot any free throws during his shootaround — and won’t for a couple weeks. Rather, he said, he started questioning his jump shot because of them.
Funny, though, considering he made 46 percent of his field goals in the series, including 14 of 27 Friday.
But that’s how Arenas is: driven to excel. It’s why he won’t be knocked down by missing two critical free throws in the overtime loss; it’s why he’s become an elite player.
“The only way I’ll learn is by error,” said Arenas, whose demeanor never changed win or lose.
“He will use it as motivation for next year,” teammate Antonio Daniels said.
The Wizards have problems: they struggle defensively because of an inconsistent middle; they need more bench scoring and inside muscle. But what they don’t need is a franchise player.
“Without Gil, we’re not in position to win, last year, this year,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “He’s one of the top players in the league and he should be considered when the[All-NBA] teams come out.”
He was a third-team All-NBA selection last season. But he was still not respected enough this season to make the All-Star team by a vote of the fans or the coaches.
Maybe they had the same attitude as adidas, his shoe company, which told him: “We didn’t see you coming,” when asked why hedid not yet have his own commercial (which will be shot this summer, he said.)
As a younger player, Arenas, still only 24, said his game was built around two things: three-pointers and layups.
“I thought everything was a fast break,” he said.
Now, thanks to a consistent mid-range jumper, his game has opened up more.
Yes, he needs to improve defensively. And he probably could become a better leader; it’s why Jordan will revisit his decision to name Arenas a captain.
Arenas has become the complete package: the polite, yet confident, superstar; the engaging, and unpredictable, interview.
“He’ll get better and better,” Jordan said. “He understands the game more. He’s very well mannered. He’s a professional, very coachable, and I’m lucky to be able to coach him. He’s certainly one you hold forever.”
Zero tolerance
» Arenas was chosen to try out for the Olympic team this summer. He said he’ll work out in Washington rather than return to his native Los Angeles as he has usually done.
» Arenas led the NBA in minutes played this season, was second in steals, second in three-point field goals made – and first in turnovers.
