After a summer spent wondering whether a backcourt pairing of John Wall and Gilbert Arenas could actually work, the Wizards showed it might be no problem in their preseason-opening win at Dallas.
Wall finished with 21 points, nine assists and four steals, making his quick and competitive presence felt at both ends of the floor. And Arenas added 12 points, complementing the rookie with controlled play and signature perimeter shooting.
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“Right now I’m out there to hit open shots, teach John the ins and the outs of the game and then eventually go on and move on. I’m on my way,” Arenas told reporters. “This is the NBA. There’s few players that stay in the same city, so right now the city is John’s. I’m not here to fight anybody. I’m here to play alongside of him. He’s Batman. I’m Robin.”
Through Arenas later clarified he’s not looking to get out of town, it’s actually a plus for the Wizards that he has so readily accepted the change and lesser focus on him. Given the trouble he had last year, not only off the court but balancing playmaking and distribution as a point guard, his new role is best for what Wizards coach Flip Saunders said could be one of the top backcourts in the league.
But a guy who used to be one of the most vibrant players in the NBA is spending an inordinate amount of effort trying to prove he’s David Blaine and can prevent himself from enjoying a single minute this season.
“I lost all feeling a long time ago,” said Arenas, which explains why he leapt off the bench with a celebratory smile when Lester Hudson nailed his game-winning 3-pointer against the Mavericks.
The fact is, Arenas was unable to maintain the “I’m not the entertainer anymore” attitude during a failed media boycott last year, and he can’t rely on towels and pulled-down caps to shield his eyes and cover his smile from now until April.
It’s clear he’s content to play Boy Wonder. But if he didn’t focus so much on playing Boy Woe-is-Me, he might actually enjoy helping the Wizards get better this season and pleasantly surprise a few people along the way.
