Preseason Preview

Oh boy, where to start? The Wizards have been a disappointment from top to bottom. They have had injury problems with Antawn Jamison missing the first nine games of the season and Mike Miller having only played in 12 games due to various injuries. The Wizards, who were expected to be in the middle of the playoff mix, are sitting at dead last in the Southeast at 14-26.

And of course, there is the Gilbert Arenas fiasco. Arenas was suspended indefinitely by David Stern after his gun incident and subsequent behavior (finger guns pictured to the left (Getty Images)). On Friday, Arenas pled guilty to a felony firearms charge and awaits sentencing which could include jail time. It remains to be seen what all this will mean for the Wizards, both this season and in the long term.

Ready to Breakout vs. Reality: Andre Blatche still shows signs of his potential, but has yet to breakout. Blatche’s points per game are down slightly from last year, but when Jamison was injured Blatche showed he could perform, scoring 30 in the Wizards third game of the season.

Over the Hill vs. Reality: Antawn Jamison’s injured shoulder did carry into the beginning of the season, but since coming back he has proved that he is by no means over the hill. His numbers are as consistent as ever, averaging 22.7 ppg and 8.9 rpg.

Worst Moment: Whatever the specifics are, there is no doubt that the Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton locker room gun incident on Christmas Eve has been the worst moment for the Wizards. It has dominated basketball headlines for weeks, resulting in Arenas’ indefinite suspension and his eventual guilty plea to felony charges. Arenas won’t be sentenced until March 26, but it’s unlikely he’ll play again this season and possible he’ll never play for the Wizards again.

Best Moment: Opening Night on October 27, the Wizards knocked off the Mavericks in Dallas. At that moment it looked like all the preseason talk about Washington being the most improved team in the NBA would be right.

Best Case Scenario: It’s hard to say with so many different possibilities surrounding the Arenas situation. Unfortunately for Arenas, the Wizards best case may involve voiding his contract, trading away Jamison and/or Caron Butler, winning the draft lottery and getting John Wall.

Worst Case Scenario: The Wizards don’t make any moves, hoping the ship rights itself, only it doesn’t and they miss the playoffs, don’t hit in the lottery, and are stuck with no cap room to make moves in the offseason.

Trade Target: Several contenders would be interested in Jamison, Butler, and Brendan Haywood. The Wizards would be smart to trade away some of these assets for cap space, draft picks, and youth. Also, if they can’t void Agent Zero’s contract, it’s likely the Wiz will shop him around the league.

NBA Midseason Reports