It's a good thing Gilbert Arenas took a little less money to help the Washington Wizards sign some other players, because they're going to need those extra bodies now. Take not NBA fans, the preseason is just under three weeks away. We know you're ready, but one player that won't be is Arenas, who has undergone his third left knee surgery this week. The procedure "to clean out debris" will keep Arenas out of training camp and likely the first two months of the season.
Earlier this summer I questioned whether it was worth the Wizards throwing down over $100 million on Agent Zero, who can't seem to shake his left knee injuries, and this news further confirms my position. I like Gilbert and his phenomenal swag, but guys with this many knee problems in consecutive seasons rarely shake it off. He's incredibly marketable and potentially worth the $111 million investment from a business standpoint, but Washington will never see a positive ROI on the court.
Naturally, Arenas says this latest surgery is no big deal:
"It really isn't that big of a deal, I was expecting to be out for a few more months anyway," Arenas said. "I just had some floating debris in there that was slowing me down. It was irritating the knee so we decided to go in there and clean it out. This should actually allow me to come back faster."
He has a point, although it wasn't actually stated above. This may be no big deal for the Wizards, who have played much better without Arenas of late. Caron Bulter elevates his play and the offense has appeared to run more smoothly in his absence.
For Arenas' sake, I hope he's right and he returns to his old form in December, or more likely, January. He's as entertaining a player as their is in the NBA and his personality is refreshing.
Arenas Has Third Knee Surgery [WaPo]
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