Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas will be out for three months.
Gilbert Arenas had surgery on his knee late last season. He probably should have kept the receipt since he had to undergo two different surgical procedures on Wednesday to reduce the swelling and soreness. The knee has been bothering GIlbert Arenas all season. Of course, you wouldn’t know it by watching him play since he was still able to produce 22 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals a game.
As expected, Gilbert Arenas had plenty to say about the situation. He talked about doing the surgery now as opposed to risking his long term durability. Some may foolishly think that he’s being selfish, but we’re pretty sure that the guys that’s paying him millions of dollars would rather have him for the long term.
While the Wizards managed to win without Gilbert Arenas, they do realize that those two wins were over the Portland Trailblazers and the Philadelphia 76ers. Right now, that’s not necessarily an impossible feat. The Wizards aren’t foolish enough to think that it won’t be difficult without Gilbert Arenas. However, it’s not entirely impossible for them to stay afloat while their leader is out.
Right now, the Wizards have forward Caron Butler and forward Antawn Jamison averaging a combined 41 points a game. With Gilbert Arenas out, those two guys are certainly going to be getting more shots per game. They should be able to bump their combined average to about 45-50 points a game.
Guard Antonio Daniels will step into the starting lineup to fill in for Gilbert Arenas. As primarily a backup this year, Antonio Daniels is averaging 6 points and 4 assists a game. He’s doing that in 25 minutes of play. With more minutes available and more shots available, we’re pretty sure Antonio Daniels can up his average to 12 points and 7 assists. He might even score more than that. The former lottery pick has never been shy about launching the ball.
When looking over the Wizards bench, there’s not really anyone that stands out as being capable of doubling their scoring average. The best the team can hope for is that everyone collectively increases their averages.
Without Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards aren’t going to be as fun to watch. Nor will they be as fun to listen to. However, they’ll still be in the hunt.
