WizBlog RSS FeedOPEN WORKOUT WITH ARENAS (PART I)
After being followed around in his workout and training sessions, Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas sat down with reporters Friday inside the Verizon Center practice court and shared his story about how he has worked arduously to come back from his knee injury, his teammates, the defensive focus in the training camp and much more…
Wizards Guard Gilbert Arenas
On dealing with his injury:
“When you get hurt, all you can do is reflect on what did and what you want to do. As I was sitting back watching the games and reflecting on what I have done my first seven years in the league, I realized that you need to cherish it more. At any moment it can all be taking away from you. This game is not guaranteed forever. I took this summer to really concentrate on getting myself healthy again.”
On re-gaining his confidence:
“I have been playing with the guys in pickup games and I have been burning past them. There is no longer any doubt in my mind. When I began doubting myself earlier in the summer and my recovery from the injury, I just began to push myself harder. I started playing at Barry Farms and the first week there I could not touch the nine-foot rims. In the second week I was able to touch the rims. The third week, I was able to dunk one handed. The fourth week playing at Barry Farms I was dominating — scoring 45-50 points in games. When I started playing pickup at Verizon Center my confidence was back.”
On the team:
“We did not have Etan (Thomas), Darius (Songaila) and Michael Ruffin for the first half last season and we were still the number one team in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star Break. We added a pretty good scorer in Nick Young off of the bench. He is a great shooter and he can create on his own. This year everyone is coming in healthy, so we do not have to worry about teaching players during the season our style of play.”
More on the team:
“We have three guys that score 65-70 points a game combined. We have three scorers and playmakers and defenders with Brendan and DeShawn (Stevenson) in the starting lineup, and we have added scorers of the bench with Nick Young and Dominic McGuire.”
On the defensive focus in training camp:
“We are playing defense this year. I talked to Coach (Jordan) today and he said we will not be focusing too much on our offense in training camp. We focused a lot in the past on learning the complicated offense that we never really had a chance to focus a lot of the defensive end. This year Coach said he was going to simplify the offense in training camp so we can focus more on the defense.”
On his ‘Takeover Reloaded’ theme for the upcoming season:
“I am coming back with the same vengeance. Nothing is going to stop me. Coming back from this injury I have to prove myself again. I have to prove that I am an MVP candidate and that I am one of the best point guards in this league. I am going to come out with the same passion and fire that I come out with every year.”
September 29th, 2007 at 6:38 PM
Mostly, it sounds great. I just hope he is as focused on making the guys around him better as he is his own MVP qualifications. I would like to see him try fewer low percentage shots and low percentage passes.
September 30th, 2007 at 8:32 PM
Yup, that’s what we need. Gilbert is *not* a high-percentage shooter; we need a more controlled game out of him.
But… we’ll only get that if we get more from other players. Where is that new upside going to come from? We know what we’re going to get from AJ, Caron, the centers, DeShawn and Antonio. None of that is going to change much — why would it?
So, it’s Songaila, Blatche, Young, McGuire & Pecherov. Those guys are likely to split up about 50 minutes per game. Can they give us enough in those minutes to really improve the team? What do you guys think?
October 1st, 2007 at 4:57 PM
he shoots better with one hand