With Wizards Going Nowhere, Gilbert Arenas Probably Should Sit the Rest of the Year

Wizards bosses claimed that the early-season replacement of Eddie Jordan with Ed Tapscott came because the franchise management believe the playoffs could still be reached. At 4-23, Washington is now five games behind Charlotte for 14th place in the East. I think we can rule out the playoffs at this point.

Nevertheless, Tapscott is riding his veterans. JaVale McGee and Javaris Crittenton earned DNP-CDs for the Christmas game in Cleveland. Youthful Dominic McGuire didn't get some time to flourish or wilt until not-youthful DeShawn Stevenson requested to be benched. There's no hope for this season, and the team hasn't yet given the kids a chance to show they can be successful next season. Lose-lose, mates.

As such, this rumor from the Washington Post's Ivan Carter makes a load of sense.

They are only whispers but I'm hearing chatter that Gilbert Arenas and the team is seriously pondering whether to bring him back at all this season.

No offense to D.C., but what exactly would be the point of bringing Arenas back now? Did Dwyane Wade help the Heat much last season? Should David Robinson have made a late push to get back on the court in 1996-97? When you are this bad, there is little to be gained by returning a star with a bad knee.

Of course, this sets the Wizards on a crash course with heavy decision-making this summer. Antawn Jamison isn't exactly young, and the franchise has sunk a lot of cash into the triumvirate of Arenas, Tawn and Caron Butler. At what point should management let those costs be lost and begin to look in the trade market? Can Wizards fans -- and I ask this honestly -- expect to brim with hope if Arenas does not play and the team comes with the same core next fall?