Arenas tentative as he tries to get accustomed
The group of Wizards that Gilbert Arenas returned to this season was always destined to bear little resemblance to the team he left behind when he was suspended in January, especially after it was dismantled at the trade deadline. It promised to be as much of a challenge for Arenas to adjust to new teammates, in particular John Wall, as it would be for whomever else the Wizards brought in to learn how to play with him.
That equation got more difficult thanks to the preseason groin and ankle injuries that delayed Arenas’ return until last weekend, just another hurdle to manage for the 1-4 Wizards.
“We’re trying,” Wizards guard Kirk Hinrich said. “It’s tough when a guy misses so much time, especially a guy like Gilbert. Almost everything used to be run around him. It’s just a big adjustment. I’ve been talking to him, trying to figure out when I’m out there with him — I know where he wants to get the ball but just trying to develop that kind of chemistry.”
Arenas said he’s 10 pounds overweight from where he started training camp after scoring 13 points off the bench in Saturday’s loss to Cleveland. But even if he gets winded earlier than usual, his jump shot is as seductive as ever. Arenas (15.5 ppg) has hit seven 3-pointers and 10 of 26 shots overall in two games.
“I just don’t want to seem like I’m shooting too much too early,” Arenas said. “I just really got back into the rhythm. I haven’t really gotten any practice time, so I’m just trying to ease on in there.”
Wall has shown no reluctance to get him the ball, and one of Wizards coach Flip Saunders’ concerns is Wall and Arenas both deferring too much.
“At times, I thought he turned down shots that he should’ve taken and we end up as a team getting a worse shot,” said Saunders, who left Arenas on the court for the final 16:18 seconds against the Cavaliers, a move that came at the expense of small forward Al Thornton, Washington’s leading scorer and all-around best player in the game.
But Saunders revealed his preference for a three-guard lineup with Arenas, Wall and Hinrich before Arenas went down midway through the preseason. The struggling Wizards frontcourt has done little to dissuade him from fast-tracking Arenas back into the fray.
“It’s a matter of getting him acclimated with the group,” Hinrich said. “We need him, and we need his scoring, and we have to all make a conscious effort to try to make him a big part of what we do down there.”
