WASHINGTON (AP) -Gilbert Arenas is a notorious gym rat who spends countless hours, often alone, practicing every shot in the book.
This summer, the Washington Wizards point guard is certain to imagine making free throws with the game on the line and the opponent's star needling him. That happened Friday night, when he went 0-for-2 from the line with 15 seconds left in overtime while taking trash talk from Cleveland's LeBron James.
Arenas is the indisputable on-court leader of the Wizards and one of the league's emerging stars. He lives for the game-winning shot, but the misses gave the Cavaliers an opening for the winning shot and a one-point victory that ended Washington's season in the first round of the playoffs.
"That is something I can take into the summer," Arenas said, "and use it for motivation. I can't let these two free throws dictate the rest of my career."
The Wizards lost the series 4-2, including three games by a single point.
Arenas will only get better and better, and that bodes well for the Wizards' future. The two-time All-Star, fourth in the NBA in scoring (29.3) this season, has led the team to the playoffs in back-to-back years. That's quite a feat for a franchise that seemed to find a perpetual home in the lottery wilderness.
Friday's game wouldn't even have gone to overtime if Arenas hadn't nailed a 30-footer in the final seconds of regulation, so there was quick forgiveness for No. 0.
"He missed two free throws," coach Eddie Jordan said, "but how many things had he done for us to put us in that position? It's just incredible. He's an incredible athlete and a terrific guy."
The question is: How far can Arenas take the Wizards? And what does the team need to do to help him out?
The Wizards were a scoring machine again this season, averaging better than 100 points, but they lacked two essential ingredients - killer instinct and consistent defense - needed for a team that wants to climb higher. Even if they had won the series against Cleveland, Washington would have been a good candidate to get swept by Detroit - a repeat of what happened in the second round against Miami a year ago.
So Jordan and president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld, who doesn't shy away from making a deal, might do some tweaking during the offseason. The options appear limited: Jared Jeffries is the only regular whose contract is up - he'll be a restricted free agent - but a stronger presence in the post and another player with a nasty but not disruptive attitude could go a long way toward realizing any championship ambitions.
Center Brendan Haywood lost his starting job late in the season and got it back only because of an injury to Etan Thomas. Haywood hinted that he might ask to be moved elsewhere, but he and Jordan seemed to make amends after a couple of impact performances in the playoffs.
Caron Butler is the only regular with the type of enforcer attitude needed to help a team persevere through tough times. Antawn Jamison, the leader in the locker room, has an even-keel personality that is perfect for calming his teammates during emotional extremes, but it's not ideal for lighting a fire under someone who gets complacent or dispassionate.
As long as they have Arenas, Butler and Jamison, the Wizards are good enough to stand pat and keep making the playoffs - though as a lower seed. What is unknown is the player or two who could make that seed a No. 1, 2 or 3.
Such decisions will be made once the emotions have cooled. Even then, the sting of the losses to Cleveland won't fade easily as the summer goes on.
"That's all we can do - keep a photographic memory of what happened," Butler said, "work on all the little things, our conditioning, our strengths, ball-handling, and just come back ready for a whole 'nother level."
Ander474 
