Leave Gilbert Arenas Alone

The Wizards are over .500, and predictably enough, some people are questioning the worth of Gilbert Arenas. David Friedman, leading the charge, now thinks Gil is overrated; Thank You Isiah squelches that tide.

Over at Yahoo!, Kelly Dwyer has several reasons for the Wizards' improvement, none of which involve trashing Gilbert Arenas. In fact, one explains why the "Ewing Theory" illusion happens in the first place:

Yes, teams like the Knicks or Patriots play better without a fading Patrick Ewing or limited Drew Bledsoe, but it's only because the superstar in-question's absence forces a coach to stop going with easy answers (dump the ball into Pat at all costs, stand around; let Drew drop into the pocket, watch him not move for eight seconds, and then throw the ball) and work to find easy scoring opportunities for the as-yet unheralded teammates. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison have been All-Stars before, so they're hardly under-the-radar guys, but they can move and work without the ball and score efficiently. Without the hassle of having to tell his enigmatic superstar to stop dribbling and/or shooting incessantly from 25-feet away on the right elbow, Washington coach Eddie Jordan can actually run a pro offense with several options now.

Read the whole article, but this point is key. The Wizards' recent play isn't a referendum on Arenas, it's firming up a foundation for his eventual return.