Does Gilbert Arenas realize what’s at stake?
After bringing guns into the locker room, serving 30 days in a halfway house and being slapped with a 50-game suspension, Arenas needs to be on his best behavior.
But so far, he’s up to his old tricks, and the Wizards have to be wondering what’s next.
Tuesday’s revelation that he lied to coach Flip Saunders about a knee injury in order to give playing time to Nick Young was yet another example of Arenas — in attention-deficit syndrome mode — being desperate to steal the spotlight from John Wall, who was well-received by fans as the star of the Wizards’ preseason home opener.
Undermining authority? Making the organization look bad? Poisoning relationships? The Wizards and Arenas have been there before. Ask Eddie Jordan or Caron Butler.
With the team striving for a fresh start under new owner Ted Leonsis, it’s time for the Wizards to get out of the Gilbert Arenas business.
Wall is Washington’s new franchise player. He seems to have the good sense not to follow the example set by Arenas. But just to make sure, they should unload their locker room cancer.
As much of a knucklehead as Arenas has been in Washington, he still carries weight as a charismatic force. Remember Arenas’ six-gun salute in Philadelphia and his enabling teammates — even highly respected, level-headed Antawn Jamison — joining in on the act?
Do you really want Arenas influencing Wall or the rest of his teammates? Do you really want him representing the Wizards? As long as he remains in Washington, he will be the face of the franchise, like it or not.
What purpose is served by hanging on to Arenas? The Wizards are going nowhere this year. Do they really think that if he puts up 25 a game, some team would take on that contract, that reputation, that day-to-day uncertainty that comes with him on its roster?
It is time to cut him, eat the contract, admit the mistake and move on.
