Who needs an ace when you have a fistful of options?
The Washington Wizards aren’t freefalling without injured star Gilbert Arenas. Unlike last season’s meltdown when Arenas and Caron Butler were injured, the Wizards have enough to hang around .500 until Arenas supposedly returns in February.
But it’s not easy. It will take everything Washington has plus no one else getting hurt, but the Wizards showed they can win without Arenas during the 102-88 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday. After the 20-point lead was trimmed to 85-79, four different players fueled a 13-5 run to seal the game.
It was a victory over the NBA’s worst team, but the Wizards are now 8-5 sans Arenas following a 4-1 homestand. Butler is averaging 22.8 points per game, Antwan Jamison is producing 21.4 with seven consecutive double doubles, the team’s most in a row since Rod Strickland’s eight in 1998. Six players scored in double figures versus Minnesota with Good Counsel grad Roger Mason popping 17.
“Someone asked if each night a different guy is stepping up? Everybody’s stepping up,” coach Eddie Jordan said. “Everybody is playing pretty well and working hard. Sharing the ball, really concentrating on the defensive end and concentrating on rebounding. …
“We need Gilbert; we aren’t going to kid ourselves. We are happy with the way we are playing, but we can play better.”
The Wizards don’t need to be great in coming weeks. Indeed, the next eight opponents sport losing marks starting tonight in Miami. Only two are even close to .500. Washington (11-10) can actually gain a cushion before the harder games next month when missing Arenas will really show.
“We are holding down the fort until he comes back,” Butler said.
Ft. Blase maybe. It’s nice that the Wiz aren’t automatically losing without Arenas, but they have lost one thing — star power. Watching Washington beat Minnesota was so boring the burrito giveaway drew more cheers. The Wiz are grinding more than Murray the butcher.
There’s no one to consistently nail a three, especially at the buzzer. It’s plodding and pulling. Jamison making his quiet moves, Brendan Haywood doing enough underneath. Butler is the one to watch, but Agent Zero he’s not.
Of course, there are misguided critics who wonder if life without Arenas is better given his adversion to playing defense. Maybe this stretch will mold the team more to Jordan’s liking. Frankly, those people are nuts. Life with Arenas is much, much better than this version. The Wizards get props for doing what they have to do, but it’s boring. That said, boring wins beat losing.
Just two more months until Arenas returns … hopefully.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
