It’s time for the Washington Wizards to move on to next season.
The Gilbert Arenas era appears over. The guard pleaded guilty to a felony count of carrying a gun without a license on Friday in D.C. Superior Court. The plea bargain, down from four such counts, comes with prosecutors asking for little or no jail time on a charge that carries a maximum five years. Sentencing is March 26.
It’s a fair deal. Arenas isn’t a bad person, just someone who took a bad joke to its worst degree. Society benefits not from imprisoning Arenas, but by his spending many hours talking with children on why guns are not the answer to disputes. Maybe he’ll save someone’s life.
Meanwhile, the Wiz have clearly shown they’re moving on without their best player. That’s fine. Arenas needs a fresh start whenever he returns from the NBA suspension, which given the sentencing date means probably not this season. So do the Wizards.
Arenas’ departure is just the start of blowing up the Big Three after never fulfilling their tantalizing potential of mid-2007 when reaching the NBA All-Star Break in first place. The last two years haven’t been their fault because of injuries, but this one is a flat out disaster. All three are healthy and the team was still looking like a 20-win season even before the Arenas debacle.
It’s time to officially no longer care about the playoffs for now. The team would have to play .700 ball just to see late April and they’re not escaping the first round even then. You’re more likely to see Rush Limbaugh and Nancy Pelosi skipping down Pennsylvania Avenue together before the Wiz turnaround this season.
Ted Leonsis can’t buy this team fast enough. He’ll need a Hazmat unit to clean house. Aside from keeping coach Flip Saunders, who is new to this mess, everyone else can collect their severance.
The Wiz are hoping to trade Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison before the Feb. 18 league deadline. Both are All-Star players without the drama. Washington reportedly offered Butler to the Los Angeles Clippers for Marcus Camby, whose $9.1 million contract ends this season, to provide major salary cap relief. Cleveland supposedly “begged” Washington for Jamison, who could be the Cavaliers’ missing piece for a championship run.
Neither player will bring a draft pick. The Wiz just want salary space that, coupled with the possible voiding of Arenas’ deal, would turn Washington into the free agent leader this summer. Even without Arenas’ contract, which will surely go to the courts to decide, Washington could gain a younger All-Star to hopefully combine with a high draft pick.
Leonsis, whose pending ownership seems a mere formality, will surely preach patience like his rebuilding of the Capitals. That’s fine. After little success over 30 years, Washingtonians can wait a couple more years to rebuild. But, the time for rebuilding is now.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
