Is Gilbert Arenas Finished?

In 2006-07, I made Gilbert Arenas the central player of a championship run in what is now SIX SHOOTER.  That was my first year competing in fantasy sports, and there was alot of buzz from the media, and there were multitudes of information sources with video and all sorts of media features.  That was a fun year.  It was all new to me, and the figures and internet coverage blew me away.

I had been away from basketball since the waning days of Bird in Boston in the early nineties.  I just hadn't found any reason to really care about the game since that time.  And entering the SIX SHOOTER (LFLBBall in those days (I never did find out what that stands for)) draft, I knew nothing about Gilbert Arenas.  For some reason, though, I had him targeted with the 9th overall pick.  Honest truth was that I just liked his name...and I had a hunch.  Something was telling me that I might be able to compete at this game.  

Looking at the draft that year and the way it set up, I developed a plan.  I wanted Arenas with the 9th pick and to take Michael Redd 2nd and nail down the guard spots with superior firepower.  I was lucky and got Arenas and Redd, but the centers were all but gone, and I started to lose faith as the draft moved through the 3rd.  I grudginly took Ben Wallace, not that Wallace was a bad guy to have in those days, he just wasn't the firepower I was hoping for to get started at the position.  I had been hoping I could draft him in the 4th.

I still had my mind on the 3 pointer as the draft went into the 4th, and I was able to get Mike Dunleavy.  I know it's hard to believe where these guys were going, but each one of them ended up having a good year.  But the best pick of the draft for me was in the 5th round.  That pick was David Lee.  He was amazing in that breakout year.  The only problem was that Lee wasn't center eligible...in 06-07, he was a SF/PF.  I was big time stuck at the center position.  I got the steal of the draft picking up Stephen Jackson in the 7th round, but I would not add another center until the 10th round, Jorge Garbajosa.  Add Leandro Barbosa, my 6th round pick, and Tim Thomas, my 12th rounder, and this team was loaded with junkballing 3 point bombers, including Garbajosa.  But when the draft ended, I still had a total of two centers, Wallace and Garbajosa, "the garabage man".   Here is the full draft of that team:

As the year wore on that year, I was totally blown away by the numbers of Arenas and Redd, who had huge years.  Somehow I managed to get Nene Hilario, who helped with some boards.  I think it was actually a waiver pick up, but getting Nene sort of sealed things, and the team just took off.  I had had a hunch, but I really wasn't expecting the results I was getting, especially right out of the gate.  I had only one loss, a 5-6 defeat, to the team I eliminated in the finals, A Good Knick's Team, but I also registered 8 double digit (10 or more) cat win weeks in that run.  That league started week 6, so there were only 16 regular season weeks.  In fully half of the games I scored 10 or more of 12 cat wins.  Again, totally unexpected.

Before the draft that year, I had done some homework.  I had read around, and I knew what was being said about the players.  But my instincts were telling me to stick by my guns.  I was focused on dominating with superior 3 point shooting, points, and rebounding.  By default I knew that would mean I should be competitive with steals, but I also wanted to try to snatch some blocks...hence the Ben Wallace pick.  The strategy also involved making some even riskier picks, but I was able to make them pay off that year.  Tim Thomas knocked down 136 3 pointers that year and pulled down 315 DRB.  Garbajosa knocked down 65 3 pointers and grabbed 282 DRB.  Mike Dunleavy put up 1000+ points and buried  70 more 3s.  He also had 347 DRB.  Stephen Jackson added another 1100+ points and 100 3s.  I was getting supreme production from the SG and SF.  And I was getting the added benefit of PF eligibility with Thomas and center eligibility with Garbajosa.  It was a very good combination.

For sure, this was a team that broke the rules.  As soon as you can, get your big man...that's the rule.  Then keep getting bigger.  I have had to learn to respect that viewpoint, but there is definitely a case here for seizing the moment, too.  This was probably moreso a case of a lucky hunch than anything, but I did know I was crazy to try it.  I guess I just didn't know enough not to try it might be the best description, though.

The NBA was much more interesting in those days to me.  There were great characters.  Allen Iverson was still putting up numbers.  Actually, in the following year, he was the 2nd ranked player by my POWERBALL index.  He had a great year.  It's too bad he ended up in Detroit.  Anywhere else, and I think Iverson could possibly still be in the NBA.  Baron Davis had 1200+ points.  Things were definitely better at the PG in those days.  So what about the future of Arenas?

He's in Orlando now, and, with all the major press hits he's taken over the years, I have my doubts we will see him make another run at greatness in the NBA.  I wish I were wrong about that, because I do think it's possible, and I do love Arenas' style.  He turns 30 this year, and he could easily break back into the big time if things went his way.  I just don't see how, right now.  The NBA is so much better to me with Arenas' gunslinger antics in the mix and producing like he did in 06-07.  For now, I guess I am left to just hope...

Come on Gilbert give us some of that 0 we know and love so much!