"If Gilbert is 70 percent, we're going win a lot of games. If Gilbert is 80 percent, we're going to be No. 1 in the East. If he's 100 percent, we might win a championship."
D-Steve states the obvious.
6 months ago
Unselds
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Obvious?
I haven’t heard anyone say “No. 1 in the East” or “championship” before.
I like that quote. I think he’s going out on a limb and challenging the team and/or himself.
Unfortunately his history of backing up boastful claims is pretty spotty.
by MR on Aug 3, 2009 1:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
Arenas at 100% would make this team very dangerous, but I still don’t know if they’d be able to win the East. But I sure hope so.
by Matt K. on Aug 3, 2009 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it's possible
Gil at 100% is almost as good as Wade, and he managed to win 45 or so with a Heat team that doesn’t have half the talent we have. I wouldn’t bet money on it and I think the Cavs and Celtics will both easily win 60+, but it’s definitely possible.
by pantslessyoda1 on Aug 3, 2009 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I like it
Nothing wrong with being confident, Lebron is so cocky and egotistical he has to rotate heads throughout the week in order to even keep it contained. I say the more confident we are the better. Im bored of the “humble” 19 won games attitude by our team. Its time to forget the humbleness go out there start playing solid basketball, win games, bring back the fans, and light the hibachi again.
For the records if Arenas is 100% healthy prepare for an amazing season.
DAGGGGER!!!
by Unxpekted on Aug 3, 2009 3:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I don't think this team lacks for confidence
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 3, 2009 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
True. I wish they gave an award for confidence
We’d be in contention every year.
by Pryme on Aug 3, 2009 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly
I sometimes think we have too much of it. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing it. I remember watching Bullets/Wizards teams who knew they were gonna lose. But I sometimes feel like this team thinks higher of itself then it’s proven. I don’t like hearing the “we were right there with Cleveland” statement from the players. I feel like it should be the fans saying that, not the players.
by CJHutch on Aug 3, 2009 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The obvious part
is that Gilbert makes this thing go. The rest is just window dressing.
by Unselds on Aug 3, 2009 3:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
It's only obvious to those in DC
when Arenas went out, the “experts” were all about how the Wiz will be a less selfish (read: better) team.
by Pryme on Aug 3, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
You are so right on that point. I remember all that talk. They called Gilbert talented but selfish. I hate all those national media types that love to down talk all Washington teams. Actually, that is a big pet peeve of mine.
by Unkle Wheez on Aug 3, 2009 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
agreed - BUT
they did make the playoffs without him – but not without Haywood. I personally don’t take that to mean anything more than 1) haywoods value is clearly under-appreciated and 2) any team missing starting center and PG will be bad.
but hard-core arenas detractors point to this.
"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler
by little stevie colter on Aug 3, 2009 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that the Haywood effect
had more to do with defensive anchors being more important than scorers. Like, one way or another, you’ll find a way to score at least 90 points if you’re an NBA team with an even remotely talented offensive player on your roster.
by pantslessyoda1 on Aug 3, 2009 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes but
it wasn’t “without Haywood”. It was “without Haywood AND Arenas”. Not really a fair comparison.
by hotplate on Aug 3, 2009 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
AND DSteve AND Mason AND Daniels
each of those players was either absent or a shell of their 07-08 selves.
We’ve been over this before.
by MR on Aug 3, 2009 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
yes yes
i agree with all of these counter-points – just playing a little devils advocate.
"a crab dribble is when you travel" - caron butler
by little stevie colter on Aug 3, 2009 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Knock on wood
I think if Gilbert misses the entire season we’re still a 7-8 seed.
Not for nothing.
by MR on Aug 3, 2009 3:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Confidence
Lack or not its something we need more Arenas and he alone brings confidence
Something to enjoy on your workday (monday)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChxDKYsuzU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43VUMk1C9Wo
by Unxpekted on Aug 3, 2009 5:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Doubters and haters
are so wrong about Arenas. It’s because it’s easier to say he can’t come back after a serious injury. Watching him every game of the season shows you he is a gamer who always gives your team a chance to win. He works hard. He has overcome every obstacle the doubters have set for him. His only flaw as an athlete is that he works too hard to get back on the court. What other criticism is there of his game? Not a great defender is valid, but I believe he will add that to his game. It took, ahem, MJ a couple of years to get that going too. (I am not saying Hibachi is MJ)
by Unselds on Aug 3, 2009 9:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Wade?
Im sorry but Dwayne Wade is not better than Arenas
by Unxpekted on Aug 3, 2009 10:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Wade is better
By a pretty significant margin. Wade would have won the MVP pretty much any other year last year.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 4, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
At this point, your statement is correct....
Two or three years down the line, it might be a different story.
If Gilbert’s last knee reconstruction holds up and Wade’s body keeps taking the physical pounding his style of play requires, things could look different downstream.
But right now Wade is right up there with Kobe and LeBron, and that is a level that Gilbert just had not attained before he went down.
by khrabb on Aug 4, 2009 5:46 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I just disagree
I think the Wade MVP talk was overblown and undeserving.
I put Wade above Gil at the moment, but I wouldn’t call the margin significant. I just think Wade has had advantages in his career that Arenas hasn’t (Shaq, media love, Riley).
by MR on Aug 4, 2009 6:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wade does everything better than Gil except shoot threes
Better passer, more efficient scorer, better defender, better at shooting from mid-range. It really isn’t about media love.
Wade had no advantages last year — his team’s second-best player was a washed-up Jermaine O’Neal — and they still won 43 games.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 4, 2009 7:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The only thing Arenas does better is score
Otherwise Wade is overall, a better player…..
Although, if Arenas does ANYTHING on defense this year, and increases his Assists by 1 or 2, it would be close.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Aug 4, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I basically agree
I’m not really a fan of Wade (although I can appreciate how good he is), but the one thing I love about the guy is that he proved that an elite guard can come back from multiple severe injuries and not just be as good as he once was but actually play better. I’m genuinely concerned about Gil’s quickness deserting him, but if Wade could come back from what I believe were knee problems, Gil definitely can.
by pantslessyoda1 on Aug 4, 2009 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wade’s problems were left knee and left shoulder surgeries
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
by Rook6980 on Aug 5, 2009 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wade
Compare Arenas in his 06 to Wade last year.
Personally when healthy
MJ>Kobe>Arenas>Lebron>Wade
by Unxpekted on Aug 4, 2009 3:44 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Maybe I take that back but definitly when Arenas is healthy he is up there and after watching Wade this past year i just cant see him as near the 06-07 Arenas
by Unxpekted on Aug 4, 2009 3:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Guys
The Arenas>Wade stuff is homerism. Here’s a comparison of their first six years in the league, after which Arenas’ injury problems happened. There isn’t one category Arenas is ahead of Wade.
There’s no shame in that. Wade put together one of the greatest NBA seasons ever this year (30.4 PER, 40.3% assist rate, 57.4 TS%, 11.6 TO% in leading a terrible Miami team to 43 wins). Arenas is in the next tier, but he’s no Wade.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 4, 2009 3:55 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Err...
Arenas had a better 3pt% and FT% (per game and per 36 minutes). But you still make a good point.
by Pryme on Aug 4, 2009 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ok, true
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 4, 2009 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yep
Not to mention that Wade’s a better defender, too. At the same time, there’s really no shame in that; MJ was better than Reggie Miller, but it’s not like Reggie was just some scrub because there was someone better than him.
by pantslessyoda1 on Aug 4, 2009 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Mike Prada I disagree
Personality
Arenas>Wade
Player
Arenas>Wade
Let’s compare stats:
Points per game:
Dwayne Wade 27.2
Gilbert Arenas 29.3
Rebounds per game:
Dwayne Wade 5.7
Gilbert Arenas 3.5
Assists per game:
Dwayne Wade 6.7
Gilbert Arenas 6.1
Blocks:
Dwayne Wade 0.8
Gilbert Arenas 0.3
Steals:
Dwayne Wade 2.0
Gilbert Arenas 2.0
3s made:
Dwayne Wade 0.2
Gilbert Arenas 2.5
FG% (and FG’s attempted per game):
Dwayne Wade 49.5%/18.8 attempts
Gilbert Arenas 44.7%/20.7 attempts
FT% (and FT’s attempted per game):
Dwayne Wade 78.3%/10.7 attemps
Gilbert Arenas 82%/10.0 attempts
Turnovers:
Dwayne Wade 3.6
Gilbert Arenas 3.7
Games played in ‘05-’06:
Dwayne Wade 75
Gilbert Arenas 80
The Verdict:
Gilbert Arenas wins.
You’ll probably see Dwayne Wade drafted much higher in most fantasy basketball leagues, but stop for a second before you pull that trigger. Wade’s stock is sky high because of popularity and because of how well he performed in last year’s NBA playoffs, but numbers-wise, he isn’t really worthy of a top 2-5 pick as a lot of people might suspect. High turnovers and lack of three point shooting really hurts fantasy owners in leagues with this type of scoring system in place. Now, if turnovers aren’t a factor in your league, you might consider taking Wade higher, but don’t buy into the hype without really taking a look at what he really brings to the table.
Gilbert Arenas is not without problems. He has improved his FG% in each of the last three seasons and last year shot a respectable 44.7% from the field. Still, that doesn’t compare to DWade’s near 50% average. Both Wade and Arenas are extremely turnover prone. Both have been at the top of the league for most turnovers in the past couple of seasons. Both score a whole lot; both are near the top of the league in steals per game; both get a pretty good amount of assists; Wade has a slight edge in rebounding, but Arenas’ 3.5 boards per game isn’t bad for a guard; Wade has a minor edge in blocks, but really you’re not going to be looking to your guard who averaged 0.8 blocks per game last year as being a determining factor in that category anyway.
The real difference-maker, in this case, is three pointers made. Again, if your league is set up differently you might not reach the same verdict. However, with this scoring structure, Gilbert Arenas beats out Dwayne Wade, despite what Yahoo sports experts might tell you. Wade shot 17% from the three point line which was the big reason for his low average of 0.2 threes made per game. Arenas on the other hand is a real gunner, which is a major benefit to your fantasy team. 2.5 is near the top of the league. If you’re a casual fantasy player, think of it this way…2.5 threes per game is somewhat equivalent to a player scoring 25-30 points per game. On the other hand, 0.2 threes per game is probably more equivalent to someone scoring 4-8 points per game.
What do I mean by that? Like I said before, in rotisserie, the statistical categories are all equal…meaning if you win in points you get the same amount of points as if you were to win in steals even though points are generally a higher number. So, by hitting 2.5 threes a game – near the top of the league – you’re getting a huge lift in threes.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/jun/21/20060621-121241-6084r/?feat=article_related_stories&page=2
-—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Pookie vs. Agent Zero
Born just 11 days apart, a case can be made for each player.
Dwyane Wade carried the 2005-2006 Miami Heat to an NBA championship, but his frequent injuries and inefficient three point shot have held him back.
Gilbert Arenas, a prolific blogger and Halo player, also happens to put up great stats. He missed most of the 2007-2008 season with a knee injury, but has been durable for most of his other seasons.
Since half of Gilbert’s games played last season were basically a rehab assignment, we’ll use 2006-2007 stats to compare the two. In that season, Arenas was All-NBA 2nd team, Wade was All-NBA 3rd team. The previous year, the honors were reversed.
Wade: 27.4 PPG, 7.5 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.1 SPG
Arenas: 28.4 PPG, 6.0 APG, 4.6 RPG, 1.9 SPG
These numbers are certainly comparable. If you add in an argument about Wade’s higher FG%, you can counter with Gilbert’s better 3PT%. Wade assisted on a higher percentage of his possessions, but also turned the ball over far more.
Many of Wade’s teammates on the US Olympic team say he’s healthy and better than ever. But could he break down again? Arenas had a summer to recover from his latest injury. Will the upcoming season be a showcase of each star’s return to prominence?
Arenas>Wade
Everyone can have their own opinion though.
by Unxpekted on Aug 4, 2009 6:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You've been around BF long enough to know throwing per-game and traditional stats at me is weak sauce
1) This isn’t a fantasy league.
2) The Wizards played at a much faster pace than Miami, so Arenas had more possessions to put up his per-game numbers. He also put up more shots and didn’t shoot as many free throws (it’s not about percentage, it’s about how often you get there. Wade got there more).
3) Wade is more efficient offensively (higher TS%, etc), especially when you account free throw attempts. The TS% difference isn’t huge, but Wade gets more easy buckets at the line.
4) Defense. Major, major difference here.
5) It ain’t 05/06
You look at the stats that matter over their careers — the per-36, the efficiency stats — and Wade beats Arenas at practically everything. PER, TS%, REB%, AST%, win shares, etc.
Again, there’s no shame here. Comparing Arenas to Wade is like comparing Chris Bosh to a prime KG. Prime KG is a step above, but Bosh is pretty damn good too.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 4, 2009 10:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Riley > Eddie
Shaq > Haywood
That stuff matters too.
That said, you’re probably right anyway.
by MR on Aug 5, 2009 6:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Again I agree to disagree
1. A player should never be defines by his ability to get to the free throw line. This is a very important/helpful/productive element but saying a player is better than another by using this as support is invalid.
2. It aint 05/06 but we need to compare these players in a “reasonable” fashion. Im not going to put up Arenas’ numbers on the day he returned from surgery vs. a healthy wade its ludacris. When they were both primed and playing well, and I do my numbers, Arenas seem to beat Wades in areas I personally find more important.
3. Ill certainly give you defense, again, defense doesnt completely make one player better than another. In actuality you can more so categorize Arenas as the more offensively efficient player with better shooting skills, clutch play, and hands down more efficient when it comes to points scored (buzzer betters). You can say Wade is a less accurate but point savvy, better penetrating, more defensively active player.
To say Wade beats Arenas because of statistics that run into a players career when he was injured to me isnt accurate.
And just for the record. To me if you put Wade v. Arenas in a street ball game v. each other. Hands down Arenas comes out the victor. With assists no longer being an important statistic, his three point efficiency and depth at scoring would help him win.
I personally think Arenas could and hopefully this year will prove to lead a better team to the finals over the Miami Heat. If you prefer Wade its totally cool though!
Cant wait for the new season
by Unxpekted on Aug 5, 2009 5:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You do realize the stat comparison I used was Arenas before he got injured, right?
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
by Mike Prada on Aug 5, 2009 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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