It makes perfect sense that Gilbert Arenas would be linked to a possible return to the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. That they would sign him might be a bit harder to believe. Both are no longer as formidable as before despite the talent they possess on paper, and there’s no telling what they are capable of, though a championship this season seems increasingly unlikely.
At his peak, Arenas was one of the most dynamic guards in the NBA. But it has been five years since he played at that level, and with each one that has passed, it is more evident that the Wizards’ poor estimate of his value helped lead to the mess that Washington finds itself in.
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But there’s an irresistible attraction to what made Arenas a star, and he was still averaging 22.6 points and 7.2 assists before his suspension-shortened 2009-10 season ended. After that layoff, however, his production dropped with the Wizards last year before his move to Orlando finally exposed how far he really had fallen. He averaged 8.0 points and 3.2 assists and shot 34.4 percent from the field (all career lows) in 49 games for the Magic, who were happy to pay him $62 million not to show up this year via the amnesty provision in the new collective bargaining agreement.
At 30 years old, Arenas sets off alarms on and off the court, but the Lakers wouldn’t bring him in for charity reasons. They would have just two questions: First, can he shoot and pass, and second, is he worth it?
It bears repeating: He wasn’t to Orlando.
– Craig Stouffer
