This week's edition of The Juice deals with the issue of taking something you're not necessarily thankful for and making the best of it.
Gilbert Arenas dreams big and soaks up every ounce of life, so all that talking he does is just an extension of living large. It's never going to get old, because every breath of air is fresh. He doesn't do recycled material.
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| Gilbert Arenas can take his time getting back. (AP) |
"It's bad when you miss the end of last season and the playoffs and you do the best you can to rehab and get stronger during the summer and then you come back and it's a bumpy ride," Arenas wrote in his latest NBA.com blog. "I'm just going to sit in my sorrows again ... I need to start thinking about longevity in my career instead of just this injury right now."
Arenas' blog is always a great read because it never fails to be amusing, but that last little nugget offers some serious introspection. He made the mistake of coming back too fast and too hard, an unfortunate product of that whole live his life to the fullest thing. He sees that now. He tore cartilage in a knee that simply wasn't ready for the NBA's day-to-day grind and after successful surgery to repair the tear, will have to spend the next three months doing what he abhors most, sitting and watching.
That said, he has a nice security blanket in place. Although he wanted to opt out at season's end and secure a long-term deal, he'll have the option of playing that by ear now. If he comes back no worse for the wear and picks up where he left off last March when all the knee business went down in the first place, he'll be able to go on as planned and shop his services to the highest bidder, preferably Washington.
He wants to stay. He's happy with his teammates, the organization and the city. Everyone has stood behind him and he'd like to stay put, but this knee scare has him considering his future, as he should. Fortunately for him, this is happening now, when he has the power of his opt-out clause. If this was the last year of his deal, the nature of this business dictates that he'd be low-balled by everybody because of the doubts surrounding that left knee.
Because it's not and he holds the cards, Arenas doesn't have to rush back to prove himself. That's something he can definitely count as a blessing. He can actually afford to take his time, literally.
As far as his team goes, it was only two weeks ago that people were openly wondering about the job security of head coach Eddie Jordan. Now that Washington has won six straight, the last few without its biggest star, the heat is off. The NBA is fickle that way. Because of the scene in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards were able to survive an 0-5 start and will have to remain cool and hold things together until he can get back with roughly a month of regular season games still remaining.
"We expect Gilbert to make a full recovery," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement, "and are confident that our other players will step up and help our team win."
It's helped that Andray Blatche has made the most out of his increased opportunities to step out of his shell, and that will have to continue. Caron Butler scored 39 points in an overtime win over Charlotte on Wednesday night and seems poised to take over as the Wizards catalyst.
Antawn Jamison has carried the team before and can again do plenty of heavy lifting.
Antonio Daniels, DeShawn Stevenson, Roger Mason and Nick Young will try and hold down the backcourt. Defensively, they'll be more than fine, but it wouldn't hurt to have another option who can handle the ball and score. Earl Boykins is still unemployed.
