Gilbo update

I never got the chance to run into Gilbert Arenas at the NBA Finals, but Washington Times reporter Mike Jones stumbled into him in the hallway during Game 4. Arenas told Jones that he plans on spending this summer working out with the famed trainer Tim Grover, who worked with Michael Jordan and helped Dwyane Wade resurrect his career last season and finish third in MVP voting behind LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Although I didn't get Arenas, I did talk for a while with Grover. He told me that he expects Arenas to come to his Attacks Athletics facility in Chicago in about two weeks. Arenas has committed to coming and Grover said while he hasn't seen Arenas's medical records, he estimated that it will take at least a two month commitment for Arenas to get the necessary training required. He added that several stars overcoming left knee injuries, including Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O'Neal, are expected to be in Chicago this summer.

The Wizards support Arenas's decision to train elsewhere and will likely send someone up to Chicago to keep an eye on him, which is similar to what the Heat did with Wade last season. With Arenas already back to his playing weight from five years ago, maybe Grover can help him return to that all-star, all-NBA form again. And, given how Wade bounced back to the form that made him Finals MVP in 2006, this might be the best move for Arenas, who hasn't had much luck with his rehabilitation since injuring his left knee in April 2007.

Gilbert running, no timetable for return

Gilbert Arenas has been practicing full-speed with the Washington Wizards for more than a week as he works his way back from his latest knee surgery.

The extent of Arenas' participation had been kept under wraps, but he spilled the beans Tuesday when he told The Washington Post: "I'm out there feeling like the old Gilbert Arenas again."

"I'm running, jumping, dunking, feeling good. No pain, no swelling," Arenas said, according to a posting on the newspaper's Web site. "My balance is back, my speed is back. The only thing I have to get used to again is being around other bodies out there on the court. I'm working on getting timing back. The only thing I'm not doing is playing in games."

Team spokesman Scott Hall confirmed that Arenas began practicing with the team last week, when the Wizards (13-43) reconvened following the All-Star break, and has gradually increased his workload since then.

Interim coach Ed Tapscott said Monday that Arenas had started to do "some shooting and some running up and down the floor" during practice.

Arenas hasn't played all season because of a knee injury that required three operations in a span of 18 months -- which also means the three-time All-Star has yet to play since signing a six-year, $111 million contract with the Wizards last summer.

The Wizards are assuming Arenas will play at some point this season, though president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld said the team was not pressuring Arenas to come back soon.

"If he's healthy -- not if, when he's 100 percent healthy, he'll be back," Grunfeld told the Post. "It's going to be a decision from our medical staff and depending on how Gilbert feels. When the medical staff gives the clearance, he'll be back. He's not going to be rushed. We're hopeful that it's only a matter of time."

Said Arenas: "The way I look at it: I rushed back twice and got hurt again twice, so this time, I'm going to take my time and make sure."

Arenas wants to be doubly sure he is fully recovered before getting into a game situation again, because he believes he is responsible for the consequences of his premature return, which ended in his current layoff, the dismissal of Eddie Jordan as coach, and the team's worst season in the history of the franchise.

"If I wouldn't have rushed back last year, Eddie Jordan wouldn't have been fired," Arenas told the Post. "No way we start 1-10 if I'm right. Eddie would still be here."

Arenas like Grant?! NO!

Everyone's over-reacting. It's true, I questioned whether this wouldn't hamper the Wizards' 2008-09. But all the "new Grant Hill," "waste of cash," "franchise is shot" talk is just ridiculous. First, some wise words from Ivan Carter:

-According to the folks I've spoken with, Arenas indeed followed the plan prescribed for him and has not pushed the knee as he did last summer. According to him, the knee has simply been bothering him and he made the decision to clean it out so that he can resume rehabbing and come back more quickly than he may have thought earlier.

- Keep in mind that today's news came as such a shocker because neither Arenas nor the team gave any impression that his rehab process was going at a pace that would lead to a return later than the opener. Apart from a few blogs and some short chats than included little detail, Arenas was silent this summer. I personally tried to get details about his rehab several times but he wasn't talking.

There's more there that, while not exactly uplifting, underscores the main point here: This is not out of the ordinary for someone coming back like Arenas is. And in the wake of Amare, Gilbert's comeback isn't nearly as much of a historic, or uphill, feat. Which is why it's stupid to see Hill's or Penny Hardaway's names thrown around. Those were a lifetime ago, medicine-wise. Since then, we've seen Stoudemire go from immobile to All-NBA in less than a year. And let's not forget that Greg Oden fellow -- the Blazers are still taken to be a future power on the strength of Oden, and yet no one's presuming this plan could crash and burn.

People like tragedy, excitement, upheaval, and good copy. Especially when it's about a player as magnetic, divisive, and thrilling as Arenas. He might not be back on the court at one-hundred percent right away, but Gilbert Arenas will return, and resume his career sooner rather than later. It's not about him, his outsider's personality, or his gonzo work ethic -- it's a simple fact of where sports medicine has gotten us to. There's just no reason to presume the world will end -- except for the fact that indulges our masochistic tendencies as fans.

Gilbert Arenas TV Show Leaked?

On August 19, Gilbert Arenas called into WJFK’s ‘Big O and Dukes’ show and spoke about the possibility of his own reality show: “Ya know, it’s funny. I got a — you ever seen the show, ‘Rob and Big?’ The producers want to do a reality show on me — the first NBA player to do a reality show. But then I thought about it — I was like, my life is really not that exciting. Ya know, so, I’m thinking about it, because, ya know, I have players like Nick [Young], who’s goofy, so we can do paintball shooting and see who can get hurt on the grotto jumping into the pool…”

And now…thanks to some unscrupulous member of the media…details of Agent Zero’s reality TV show has been leaked on the Internet. I actually don’t have a problem with this because I suspect the show wasn’t really “leaked” but was real-fake-leaked in a clever PR stunt…all six episode summaries below…I, for one, plan on watching the show just to see Gil’s million-dollar pool and the Vasectomy episode.

Season 1 | Episode 1: “The Bed and Breakfast”

Gilbert Arenas is determined to open a quaint Bed and Breakfast called ‘Nacho Pillows,’ except he has no money after installing a million-dollar poolside grotto. So after meeting with his financial consultant (Dominic McGuire in glasses), Gil decides to hold a big ol’ garage sale. Overwhelmed by the amount of miscellaneous junk he has in storage, Gil calls in his good friend Nick Young to help him sort through the mess. They attempt to catch a bullhead shark with BBQ tongs. Hijinx ensue.

Season 1 | Episode 2: “The Birthday”

Gil turns 27 and receives a Terra Wind Amphibious RV from all of his teammates. (Well, except for Pecherov — he opts out of the group gift to buy Gil a previously viewed “Avenging Angelo” DVD.) Darius Songaila tries to organize a secret post-shoot around party for Gil, but Coach Eddie Jordan quickly squashes those plans because they have a game later that night. Furious, Songaila quits the team, flies back to Lithuania, and gets into the hotel management business.

Season 1 | Episode 3: “The Big City”

The Wizards take a bite of the Big Apple when they travel to New York to play the Knicks. After an embarrassing loss to the hometown team, the Wiz try to relax with a dinner at Andray Blatche’s favorite haunt, the macabre Jekyll & Hyde Restaurant. But the good times are shortly interrupted when Brendan Haywood becomes convinced there is an evil spirit trapped in his pumpkin tortellini. Gil eats the meal to prove him wrong. The next day, they all go to a taping of The View.

Season 1 | Episode 4: “The Vasectomy”

Gil thinks about getting a vasectomy, but it proves to be a tougher decision than he initially thought. Pecherov has unsteady hands. Meanwhile, DeShawn Stevenson calls in sick to work on his own Wikipedia page. (”DeShawn Stevenson, born April 3, 1981 in Fresno, California, is a warrior, man, a true warrior.”)

Season 1 | Episode 5 | “The Race”

Gilbert and Nick head to a professional car race to check out the new Indy Car team Gil just bought a stake in (Team Phantom). Nick begs Gil to let him take the car for a spin, but Gil says no. (”You’re horrible at Mario Kart, Nick!”). Of course, that doesn’t stop young Nicholas. While Gil is busying singing the national anthem, Nick takes the car out onto the track and somehow ends up in the race. He finishes fourth.

Season 1 | Episode 6: “The Fast”

Can Caron go without Mountain Dew for an entire day? That’s what Gilbert wants to find out. Gil tells every Wizards player, coach, trainer and vendor one very simple message: “Don’t give Caron a Mountain Dew.” It’s a long day, but in the end the All-Star forward logs 24 extreme-beverage-free hours. Unfortunately, though, by the time the fast is over he’s addicted to crack. Caron fails a drug test and is suspended three years. The Wizards fail to make the playoffs. Gil hosts a progressive rock concert in his solarium.

Open at Home With Nets, Face Cavs on Christmas

After an offseason spent retaining Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, the Washington Wizards will open the 2008-09 season at Verizon Center on Oct. 29 against the New Jersey Nets and visit their nemesis, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Christmas night.

The Wizards released the 2008-09 schedule yesterday, revealing an 82-game slate that includes 11 games on national television. Among the nationally televised games is the Dec. 25 meeting against LeBron James and the Cavaliers, who have eliminated the Wizards from the postseason the past three seasons.

The Wizards first appear on national television on Nov. 12 against the Utah Jazz.

Washington fans will see the defending champion Boston Celtics at Verizon Center only on Dec. 11. The Wizards visit Boston for the first game of 2009 (Jan. 2) and the final game of the regular season (April 15).

The Los Angeles Lakers, who lost to the Celtics in the NBA Finals, come to Washington on Dec. 5.

"Milwaukee sucks" reaction lol

It's been a very good month in Milwaukee. Summerfest and Bastille Days ended successful runs. The Brewers landed CC Sabathia and the Bucks traded for Richard Jefferson.
Because of these marquee names and events, Milwaukee, a city that we all know and love, is getting a ton of national publicity. Even some from an NBA star and blogger Gilbert Arenas, of the Washington Wizards.
I'm never one to believe that Milwaukee has the greatest national reputation. The fact is that cities our size usually fly a bit under the national media radar. That's fine.
But, reality is that too many people (sports "stars" included) have outdated or flat-out wrong impressions of what Milwaukee is. Add Arenas to this list.
Arenas writes a regular blog on nba.com called "Agent Zero: The Blog File." It's mildly entertaining, especially for big NBA fans like myself. Seems, though, that he isn't a big fan of the Mil.
In his July 14 blog, he writes about the many free agent signings and trades in the NBA, among other things. About new Bucks forward Richard Jefferson, he says:
"Richard Jefferson going to Milwaukee .... HAHAHA! Oh man, now that is funny. When I heard that, I started laughing. Oh man, did I start laughing. You know why? Because every player hates Milwaukee. Nobody wants to live in Milwaukee. I'm sorry, Milwaukee, to come down hard on you, but no one in the NBA wants to play in Milwaukee. From him going from New Jersey, actually from New York (because he lives in New York), from New York to Milwaukee is like going ... let's just say it's not going to sit well with you. That was a funny one when I heard that one. I know Yi is happy though."
"Every player" hates Milwaukee? Come on, Gilbert! It's no secret that Milwaukee isn't New York City or Chicago. But we aren't some two-cow town in Iowa either. It's tough, yes, for many corporations and sports teams to recruit "stars" to smaller market cities. But, the days of "Bush League" are gone and Milwaukee can and is competing. See forbes.com, which ranked Milwaukee the ninth best city for young professionals.
So, I take Arenas' comments with a proverbial grain of NBA salt and chalk them up to naivety and, frankly, a pure lack of first-hand perspective as to what Milwaukee is and isn't.
Arenas, by the way, just signed a new deal with the Wizards. It's reported to be a six-year, $111 million contract.

Wizards' Stars Have Not Shined

Washington started the playoffs with Gilbert Arenas' draining 3-pointers while his teammates traded hard fouls with Cleveland. That lasted all of one half.

Though the Wizards have kept up the hard-fouling part, it seems the Cavs have been the only team scoring. They come to town for Thursday night's Game 3 holding a 2-0 series lead.

"For us to come out undisciplined and unfocused is a big disappointment," Wizards forward Antawn Jamison said. "We need to find a way to get into a rhythm when the game is going their way. We need to attack the rim better."

While Washington's complementary players have talked (DeShawn Stevenson) and fouled (Brendan Haywood) their way into the headlines, the Wizards' stars haven't made much of an impact.

Jamison, Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas have combined to average just 43.5 points in the first two games, making just 33 of 86 shots.

On the other end of the court, LeBron James is averaging 31 points, eight assists and 7.5 rebounds while stretching his career playoff record against Washington to 10-2. Not bad for a guy Stevenson called overrated.

James also covered Arenas more in Game 2. The 6-foot-9 swingman helped hold the Wizards star — who struggled with a sprained wrist — to just seven points on 2-of-10 shooting.

If they want to get back in the series, the Wizards will need to pay less attention to defaming James and more to making shots. Washington — which set a team record with 575 3's in the regular season — was just 9-for-40 from behind the arc in the first two games and made only 39 percent of its shots from the floor.

"The series is not over with," Jamison said. "They did what they were supposed to do ... and now we have to defend our home court."

Arenas Would Take Pay Cut for Jamison

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas said last night that — while he still plans on opting out this summer to sign a max deal — he is willing to take a pay cut so the team can re-sign Antawn Jamison, who will be an unrestricted free agent.

"Just sign Antawn first, and I'll take the pay cut," Arenas said. "That way, we can keep the team intact. I want him to be a done deal first, then I'll go after that."

Arenas has one year left on his $65 million deal, but he previously said he would opt out to sign a six-year deal that would pay roughly $14 million a year. Jamison is making $16.36 million this season.

The Wizards traditionally manage to avoid taking a hit from the NBA luxury tax, which penalizes teams whose payroll exceeds the predetermined tax level. Teams pay a dollar for each dollar their payroll surpasses the luxury tax.

But to re-sign both Arenas and Jamison, Washington likely would have to take a hit. Team president Ernie Grunfeld has said the Wizards will do whatever they need to do to re-sign both of those players.

Team president Ernie Grunfeld has said the team will do whatever it needs to do to re-sign both players, but Arenas offered his solution last night.

"We've been together six of my seven years, so we understand," Arenas said. "We know what's at jeopardy, so I told them give [Jamison] what he wants, and I'll take the pay cut. I know he's part of my success. I'm part of his success. We have this 1-2 combination, and it's effective in this league. We know we make each other better, and someone has to sacrifice. This might be one of [Jamison's] last contracts, and hopefully I'll get another one. At the end of the day, if I don't, I know I did the right thing."

Jamison, who will turn 32 next season, is averaging 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. Arenas, who averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in eight games this season before undergoing surgery on his left knee, said signing for as many years as possible is greater motivation for him than dollars if the Wizards can re-sign Jamison.

Slumping Wizards Have a Long Way to Go

The all-star break can't arrive fast enough for the slumping Washington Wizards, who matched a season-long five-game losing streak with a home loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
However, before the Wizards have a chance to catch some rest and, perhaps, get some of their key players back from injury, they will embark on a challenging four-game road trip that opens tonight in Denver.
The trip continues with games at Phoenix (Sunday night) and Golden State (Monday night) before wrapping up in Los Angeles with a game against the Clippers on Wednesday.
The Wizards (24-24) may be without all-star Caron Butler tonight against Denver (29-19) after the forward aggravated the left hip injury that forced him to miss three games last week.
Butler sat out Wednesday's loss to the Spurs and is officially listed as 'day-to-day' but was experiencing severe discomfort following Tuesday's loss in Philadelphia. The team athletic trainer and Butler could decide to rest him until the hip heals, although the Wizards are 1-4 without him.
In the locker room after Wednesday's game, several players talked about playing without Butler as if it were inevitable.
'We are playing without Caron for a couple of games but we have enough to get it done,' all-star forward Antawn Jamison said. 'We realize the importance of these next four games before we break and get ready for the second half of the season.'
After missing two games against Toronto last week and another against Utah, Butler returned to face his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers, on Sunday and played 39 minutes after not going through a full practice all week.
If Butler misses more games, his teammates will have to find a way to snap the losing streak on their own, and many of them saw positive signs in Wednesday's competitive 85-77 loss to the defending champion Spurs.
The Wizards led 58-57 entering the fourth quarter and received a strong effort from Andray Blatche, who started for Butler and finished with 16 points, a career-high 15 rebounds and two blocks.
'We played better, and even though the outcome wasn't what we wanted, we know that if we play like we did [Wednesday night], we can win some games,' said reserve guard Roger Mason Jr. 'We can be encouraged by that.'
After falling to 0-5 with an ugly 118-92 home loss to Denver on Nov. 9, the Wizards bounced back to win the next six games. However, Butler was the team's leading scorer in three of those games and injured guard Gilbert Arenas was in the lineup for the first three. Arenas plans to return to game action sometime after the all-star break.
Experiencing success on the trip -- and without Butler, success might be going 2-2 -- could hinge on the contributions of players such as Blatche, Mason, Darius Songaila and rookies Nick Young, Oleksiy Pecherov and Dominic McGuire.
Blatche has been particularly affective as a starter. In five games as a starter (Blatche made one start for Butler on Dec. 22 when Butler was out with sprained ankles), the third-year forward-center has averaged 15.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and three blocks in 34.5 minutes while shooting 50 percent.

Wizards Need Agent Zero ASAP

Impossible is Nothing.That's what injured Washington Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas promotes in his Adidas advertisement. Perhaps a return to the hardwood this season will be impossible for Arenas, or maybe there's nothing to worry about at all. The former may suit the Wizards best even though it's much like chewing on tin foil with fillings in your molars. Arenas has been sidelined for quite some time this season because of knee surgery -- the second in the last seven months. He underwent surgery in April to repair a torn lateral meniscus, then had another procedure performed in November to repair a partial tear in the left medial meniscus. Sounds like Mr. Arenas is having some problems with that left knee. He has only played in eight games this season and is averaging 22.4 points for the Wizards, who are 14-11 without their best player on the floor. According to the former Arizona standout, he is pain free and expects to return "sometime between the middle of February to the middle of March." By that time Washington could be prepping for the NBA Draft. It is, however, 17-16 so far this season and sits 3 1/2 games behind the Orlando Magic for the top spot in the Southeast Division. If Arenas was healthy, who knows where the Wizards would be right now. Washington had a two-game winning streak stopped with Tuesday's 92-84 setback to the Houston Rockets in the finale of a short two-game homestand at the Verizon Center. The Wizards, who have dropped six of their last 10 games, are 10-8 in D.C. this season. The Wizards will play six of the next 11 games on the road, starting with the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on Friday, January 11. They are 7-8 as the guest in 2007-08. In other teams news, All-Star Caron Butler is leading the team with 21.9 points and 4.6 assists in 32 games this season. Butler has scored 20 or more points 20 times this season and has hit the 30-point mark on three occasions, including a career-high 39 points against Charlotte on November 21. Butler, who suffered a season-ending hand injury before the playoffs last year, is on pace to become the first player since Michael Jordan in 1991-92 to average at least 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game with a .500-plus field goal percentage.

Long time no... nothing! :)

But here I am, back from the dead. hehe
No, just college duties and stuff like that...

Anyway, Gilbo's season so far? 22 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast... Well, he could do better!

But, as you know, HE'S OUT FOR TREE MONTHS, CRYING OUT LOUD :(((((

From NBA.com:

Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard Gilbert Arenas underwent surgery on his left knee. The surgery was performed at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, DC by Wizards' team physician Dr. Marc Connell.

"I repaired a partial tear of Gilbert's left medial meniscus," said Connell. "In addition, he had a nonweight-bearing articular surface defect in the trochlea treated by microfracture. We are optismitic that he will be able to return to action in three months."

"Gilbert worked extremely hard this summer to be ready for the beginning of the season," Grunfeld said. "This is very unfortunate because he was starting to play at high level prior to the injury. We expect Gilbert to make a full recovery, and are confident that our other players will step up and help our team win."

Arenas underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning and then had surgery later this afternoon at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Arenas will begin rehabilitation next week, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Arenas played and started in eight games this season, averaging 22.4 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 39.3 minutes per game. He scored 30 and 27 points in wins against Indiana and Minnesota, respectively, but experienced some soreness and swelling in his left knee after the game against the Timberwolves. Arenas missed Washington's last two games against Portland and Philadelphia.

Wizards will definitely have a hard time without him. But I am sure that when he gets back, he will be even better than before :)
And until then, I will not have much to write about... Which is good in a way hahaha.
OF COURSE NOT, JUST JOKING!!!!

Getting Back Into Game Condition

Michael Lee of the Washington Post visited the Verizon Center, where nearly all of the Wizards (minus those playing in Europe, or at the Rookie Transitions Program) are assembled and scrimmaging. Lee writes on his blog:

Gilbert didn't appear to be slowed down much by his left knee, which was covered with a black brace. He didn't really try to burst toward the basket too much, settling for jumpers instead. He certainly hasn't lost his ability to talk trash, though. He hit a game-winning jumper, then stared down the guy who was guarding him (one of those dudes I don't know) and asked him, "Where's my newspaper?" Somebody handed Arenas a magazine with his picture on the cover. "You know what this should say?" Arenas told the guy, pointing to his name on magazine. "Lights You Up."

Gilbert Arenas Wants to Be Animated!

Inspired in part by the popularity of his blog, Gilbert Arenas is bringing Gilbertology to a library, TV and laptop near you. In addition to writing a hoops-themed self-help book, the quirky Wizards guard will be the gaming guru in a video series for FoxSports.com, and is pitching a reality series that would place him in Simple Life-like settings, tentatively shooting next year. Agent Zero is also developing a cartoon series centering on himself as a child. How that would differ from his real life is unclear.

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Hibachi Picture Contest

inwFrom NBA.com:


Are you Hibachi enough? We saw Gilbert Arenas turn on the Hibachi during the season, now it's your turn to show us your hibachi combined with some creative photography skills. Take pictures of yourself, your family, or your friends in front of your hibachi, grill, or barbecue pit. Feel free to make these pictures as creative as you would like, it doesn't hurt to show us your Wizards spirit, but just remember to have fun!

SUBMIT YOUR PICTURE: To submit your "Hibachi" picture please prepare an email addressed to wizardspromotions@washsports.com. In the subject line please enter "Hibachi Contest Entry." In the body of the email please include the following: First Name, Last Name, Street Address, City, State, Zip, Age, Phone Number, and attach your image file (.JPEG).
***Please keep image file size below 3MB, if larger we cannot guarantee that we will receive your entry***

THE WINNER: The winning picture will be posted to our site and others will be posted throughout the duration of the contest. Good luck! The grand prize winner will receive a signed Gilbert Arenas jersey!

USE OF PICTURE: By entering this contest, you agree to have your submitted photograph displayed on the washingtonwizards.com website with your first name and city of residence displayed. All late entries will not be considered. By submitting you also agree to receive the Wizards E-Newsletter, Wizards Wire.

I apologize...

I know that many of you (more like EVERYONE) don't like the commercials on my blog (like on any other), but I'm affraid that it's a thing I can't be withut because it makes me money. :-)
And we all know that no one knows one who doesn't love it!
So please don't be mad at me and keep visiting my blog.
Hope you enjoy it!
And hey, you can even click on an ad!! :-D
And also, if you like making money, you can join Cashfiesta using the big annoying banner on the middle of your screen, or, if you are lazy to scroll up, you can click on this: http://www.cashfiesta.com/php/join.php?ref=achileus

Thank you for reading this!

U.S. men's team gets surprise scrimmage opponent in Arenas

Seventeen months ago, Scottie Reynolds played his final basketball game at Herndon High. On Thursday he scrimmaged against Gilbert Arenas.
Practicing with the U.S. men’s Pan American Games team against a squad of current and former professionals at Verizon Center, Reynolds even hit a couple of 3-pointers while being guarded by the Washington Wizards superstar and second-team All-NBA pick.
“It was all luck,” said Reynolds. “It was beginner’s luck. I ain’t making nothing of that.”
Arenas’ spot decision to take part in the scrimmage and Reynolds’ shooting were the highlights on the first of three days of practice at Verizon Center before the team departs next week for Brazil.
“Just going against him ... it brought the best out of me,” said Reynolds. “I hope I get to play against him again.”
Georgetown center Roy Hibbert and Maryland forward James Gist, both rising seniors, complete a total of three local players on the 12-man U.S. roster.
“Talent-wise, I think Roy is off the charts,” said U.S. head coach Jay Wright. “James, early at trials, didn’t show much. But every day he just does more and more.”
Wright, who is Reynolds’ head coach at Villanova, was happy to see his rising sophomore star shine after not talking to him during trials.
“I told him, ‘I want your teammates to know that you earned it,’” said Wright. “And he did. It was tough on him because he struggled a little bit. But he showed great leadership, great toughness. He didn’t shoot the ball well in trials, but as you saw today, he’s been shooting the ball great since we picked the team.”
The U.S. opens preliminary play July 25 against Uruguay, then meets Panama on July 26 and Argentina on July 27. The competition’s semifinals will be held on July 28 and the final will be July 29.

Gilbert Arenas Quotes (smart words :-)

“Everyone wants to play against the world champs and see where they stand as a team, ... We get a glimpse of them early to see where we stand as a basketball club. We're not at that level yet but we're trying to get there.”

Chucky hit those four 3s in a row to get us back in the game, ... We would never have been in the game if Chucky didn't step up.”

“I watched the replay five times and it wasn't a foul. It was a foul on him. I didn't even get the charge. He was falling before I even got there. When a rookie ref gets put in that situation -- somebody who weighs 215 going against somebody who weighs 165 -- it's an obvious call to make.”

“[Lewis' All-Star bonanza got us wondering if Arenas had a similar clause in his contract. After all, he too was a former second-round pick. But unlike Lewis, Arenas signed a contract with the Wizards in '03 that used up all of Washington's available salary cap space at the time. NBA rules don't allow teams to add incentive clauses that exceed the available cap space.] In Gilbert's case we negotiated a contract where the Wizards used all their available salary cap room to sign [him] to guaranteed salary, ... As a result no bonuses were available.”

Gilbert Arenas on NBA live 2008 cover!

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Better defense is high-scoring Arenas' next goal

Gilbert Arenas is vowing to be a better defensive player when he completes his comeback from season-ending surgery on his left knee.
Arenas
"This summer I have to work hard to get my knee back to 100 percent and make sure my legs are stronger than they were last year," Arenas said Thursday, when he made the All-NBA second team.
"Working on getting my knees stronger will help improve my defense, too, because I can get down and play defense for a longer period of time."
During the season, Arenas and Wizards coach Eddie Jordan clashed publicly about Jordan's desire for better defense.
Arenas joined Elvin Hayes as the only players in franchise history to receive an All-NBA honor three consecutive seasons.
"It's a real accomplishment," Arenas said in a statement issued by the Wizards, "and a lot of the credit has to go to my teammates."
He was a third-team selection after the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons.
Arenas finished third in the league in scoring this season, averaging 28.4 points, and helped the Wizards reach the playoffs for the third straight year. But he missed the postseason after having knee surgery April 5.
He scored 30 or more points in 35 games and 50 or more points in three, including a franchise-record 60 against the Los Angeles Lakers in December.
With Arenas leading the way, Washington ranked fourth in the NBA in offense at 104.3 points. But the Wizards also allowed 104.9 points per game -- more than all but two teams in the 30-team NBA.
"We have been playoff contenders for three years in a row, but that is not good enough anymore. We want to get to the Eastern Conference finals," Arenas said Thursday. "We can score with anybody in this league and we proved that this season, but we know now that the way to get better is to get better on defense. I'm going to get stronger so that we can do that."
Arenas also said he's ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation.
"I can walk without crutches, I can walk up the stairs, and I'll probably be able to get on the treadmill next week," he said.

Arenas Says that Next Season He'll Be Better Than Ever

All-star guard Gilbert Arenas says he plans to spend this summer rehabilitating his surgically repaired left knee, not lobbying for major changes to the Washington Wizards' roster.
Arenas, who met with reporters before last night's Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Verizon Center, said he plans to come back "better than ever" next season. He has been out since tearing meniscus in his left knee against Charlotte on April 4 and underwent surgery the following day.
"I have a long summer, I'm not going on vacation this summer," said Arenas, who will be featured on the cover of the popular video game "NBA Live" when it is released in October. "We'll stay here and make sure this knee is 100 percent. I'm going to come back stronger than I was last year. Faster. I have to work at it."
Arenas said he hopes the Wizards keep their core group together.
With Arenas racking up huge scoring games and hitting game-winning shots, Caron Butler playing at an all-star level and Antawn Jamison adding scoring and rebounding, the team went 22-9 in December and January and rose to the top of the Eastern Conference.
Arenas and Butler joined Coach Eddie Jordan in representing the Wizards at All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas in February and Washington came out of the all-star break looking like a team that could win between 45 to 50 games and make a deep playoff run.
Those hopes were damaged by injuries to Jamison and Butler and really took a hit when Butler went out for the season with a broken bone in his right hand on April 1 and when Arenas went down a few days later.
"At the end of the day, I still want to give this team one more shot when we're healthy," Arenas said, "because we were one of the top teams in this league for a while there and we showed that we can be a dangerous team."
Arenas has two seasons remaining on his contract but could opt out following the 2007-08 season if he and the team do not agree to an extension. Arenas has repeatedly stressed a desire to compete for a championship and has said he fears falling into a position similar to those experienced by perennial all-stars Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett in recent years -- great players with big contracts who got stuck on non-contending teams.
"I have one more year to see how everything pans out, so going into next summer it is going to be: Either this team is going where I think it can go, or is it my time to move on?" Arenas said. "In December and January, we were one of the best in this league but you always need to improve. It's hard to say what players need to go and what players need to stay because over the course of the year you fall in love with all of them, so that's the big man upstairs' decision. I can't make that decision. Whoever comes on that floor with me, I'm going to go to battle."
Arenas said he won't offer opinions to President of Basketball Operations Ernie Grunfeld, who kick-started the franchise's resurgence shortly after taking over in the summer of 2003 by signing Arenas.
"No, I'm a player and I think that's where players get mixed up sometimes," Arenas said. "In this league, there are players, there are [general managers] and there are coaches. Whoever steps on that floor, that's who I roll with."
Arenas said doctors have told him that he could be cleared to resume full basketball activity by August. He is leaning toward not training with the U.S. men's national team as it attempts to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.