Tom Knott: This season is just a big Zero

The question of Gilbert Arenas‘ return is hardly a question with a seven-win team.

Why hurry back to a season of dread and despair?

The only question is whether the Wizards will be able to exceed the 18-62 record of the 1961-62 Chicago Packers, the name under which they were born.

The Wizards seem well-qualified to post a franchise-worst record.

Bad teams lose winnable games because of peripheral players missing shots in the waning seconds instead of core players. In the Wizards’ latest failure, that was Mike James and Nick Young missing shots instead of Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison.

That would not be the case if Arenas were on the floor. That means the three-time All-Star Arenas, not the one with an uncertain future sitting on the bench in street clothes.

The Wizards cannot be sure whether that person ever will resurface. The bet, as time marches forward, is the three-time All-Star Arenas will be relegated to the dustbin of history.

After three knee surgeries and two gutted seasons of false timetables, Arenas is chasing a ghost. It just so happens he turned 27 years old last week. It could not have been the happiest of birthdays.

What exacerbates the situation is the $111 million that was tossed to Arenas last summer. If this were the option year of his contract, it is doubtful Abe Pollin and Ernie Grunfeld would have acted so benevolently toward Arenas.

There was the hope, if not assurance, last summer that Arenas was on the road to recovery and that all would be well in Tony Cheng’s neighborhood this season. That was before he underwent a third knee surgery in September and pushed his return date back to December, then to January and now to anyone’s guess.

Even Arenas is guessing after yet another setback and cursory check of the standings.

“Seven wins,” he said.

He is talking of playing basketball in the summer league now.

By then, he could be talking of being ready by the start of training camp.

This is the drill with Arenas now, unfortunate as it is for him and the franchise. The circumstances are dire.

Story Continues →