Gilbert Arenas' Maturation Evident in His Words

There is an article in today’s Post that grabs the attention of Washington Wizards fans and Gilbert Arenas loyalists.

This article tells the truth about the state of the Wizards, the stagnation of development for young players, and Arenas’ assessment of his place in the madness.

And this article will be the first sign of great things to come for the Wizards.

We’re talking about a guy who chronically joked about the most important election in our lifetime, only to reverse course after the outcome was what we all never dreamed it could be.

But this interview with Mike Wise invites us into a more serious Gilbert Arenas, a player who really wants to be effective in the long term, and mean something to the teammates around him.

On getting back to being his old self

“As far as being the player I was, I’m not worried about that,” Arenas said. “I am still that player. It’s not like I was a big jumper. It’s not like I’m worried I can’t do a 360, half-spin; I never could. I was a shooter who knew how to score. I knew how to get to the rim and get fouled. None of that is going to change.”

- On the the young Wizards’ lack of development

“Nick, Javaris, JaVale — I felt personally that they didn’t get better this season due to the fact I wasn’t around,” Arenas said. “All of us are at fault, but I blame myself for them three not getting better.”

Of course it wouldn't be Gilbert without fanning the flames of underachievement with his own views on personnel decisions. In his mild-mannered way, he criticizes the Wizards for stocking picks and youth while other teams in the conference collected veterans.

He has a point, but the point is lost on the how the Wizard veterans, plagued by injury, unwillingly failed to deliver on their end of the bargain.

In the end, Gilbert proves that his time away from the court has darkened his mood on the trappings of youthful wealth and fame, and appears more focused on leading a team that can contend. Most players go through this, where their careers, once defined by the points they could score and the money they could earn, reform to a place where legacy and professionalism are the ultimate goal.

Let’s be glad that the Wizards’ best player is discovering this now with the Wizards, as opposed to later while asking for a trade out of Washington.