Gilbert Arenas is finally back with the Wizards and has been reinstated in the NBA. After a long hiatus from the league with the 50-game suspension following his gun, Arenas is trying to regain the hearts of his beloved fans. The Wizards should keep Gilbert and make him a valuable part of the team.
Despite claims that Gilbert will hurt first-overall pick John wall’s development, Arenas will actually make Wall a better player. The two could even become one of the best backcourt duos in the league. Not many people realize that Arenas has been the Wizards’ leading scorer for the past five years and was the one who led the team to the playoffs in 2005 for the first time since 1997. In addition, Arenas was a three time all star (2005, 2006 and 2007) and started for the East in 2007. Also worth mentioning is that before his suspension early last season, Arenas led the team in scoring with an average of 22.6 points per game.
Fans need to understand that Arenas is still one of the elite guards in the NBA and proved it in his career with the Wizards. Sports columnists such as Michael Wilbon believe that Arenas will be a “cancer” to the team and will only stunt the development of younger players. He also believes that Arenas should be traded as soon as possible. However, this is not how to treat the player who was the face of the franchise for five consecutive seasons.
Arenas can still significantly help the team with his scoring abilities, especially with the addition of Wall. Arenas is an excellent catch-and-shoot player who would coexist perfectly with Wall’s style. As Wall stated in the off-season, the two could mold together perfectly just as the young star worked with Eric Bledsoe at Kentucky. Also, by having Arenas in the backcourt with Wall, opposing teams would have trouble matching up against such offensive threats.
Owner Ted Leonsis did the right thing in publicly ordering fans to recognize Arenas as a valuable member of the Wizards and as an individual in the community. What Arenas has done to the team should be remembered forever and should not be suddenly erased from memory. All Arenas wants is to win games for the Wizards and to redeem himself in the city he carelessly betrayed last year. Welcoming him back as a player is a smart move and the right thing to do.
