Gilbert Arenas

I have more faith in the Washington Wizards right now than I have had in them at any point in my lifetime. After a thrashing of the Sonics and a pretty solid win over the Spurs, the Wizards look like a legitimate player in the Eastern Conference. Bringing in Eddie Jordan and Ernie Grunfeld was inspired hiring by the front office, and they need to re-sign Jordan right now. It shouldn't be too hard given he is a DC native and likes his current group of players.

Gilbert Arenas is turning into an MVP level talent. I'm always suspicious of point guards that like to shoot too much, but Arenas is a winner and a team player. This is a guy who has increased his scoring average every year of his career (10.9, 18.3, 19.6, 25.5, 28.5), and has also seen his teams improve every single year (GS 21-61, 38-44; WAS 25-57, 45-37, 5-1). This is a special player, and Antawn Jamison is right in saying he still doesn't get the respect he deserves.

The one missing piece for the Wizards is a low post threat. Brendan Haywood is turning into a formidable defender, but he doesn't have the offensive touch. They could use a solid big man who can consistently take it to the hole. Of course, that isn't a commodity that is easy to come by. And no, Kwame Brown was not the solution. That guy is a bum and a cancer, and getting rid of him was a fantastic move.