Arenas and Van Gundy Struggle to Find Common Ground

[NickAnderson 14]

Stan holding him back

[Chase 209]

Stan holding him back

 

Ya... I bet 3 knee surgeries has nothing to do with it.

[Murphy13 185]

It could be that Arenas isnt fully healed...although it seems to me it may have more to do with conditioning than being actually injured.

 

It reminds me very much of the struggles Redick had a few years ago, with the major differences being that Arenas is an established player(as Marc already mentioned) and the fact that Arenas' skill set is superior to Redick's. Hopefully Arenas has his wakeup call and spends the rest of this season(and offseason) working on getting into exceptional shape...and then debut next season with uber role player status.

 

Once he carves out his niche like Redick, Anderson, Bass, etc. did he will do just fine here. It is certainly useful having a backup that is capable of filling in as a starter if a mid to long term injury were to hit.

[Franchero MVP 391]

I dont understand. If he was doing good at the beginning while playing his own "free style" as Stan puts it, and we were winning, why is Stan being harder on him? I understand that he has to be reigned for bad turnovers and bad play, but LET THE MAN PLAY and develop a groove.

 

He's never going to be playing at a comfortable level at 10-12 minutes a game. He's not just going to magically come in, put up points and assists in that much time, and leave the game. If anyone, especially Stan, is expecting this, you might as well ship him back to WAS for Lewis.

 

This is the regular season. This is where we iron out our play. Who cares if it takes a couple of losses to get him to play the way we want him to. If we dont do this now, its gonna hurt come playoff time.

 

Expand his minutes, loosen the leash, and let's figure out how to utilize him. Simple as that.

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

That's the thing. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we acquired Arenas. We knew he'd put up bad shots, he'd have dumb turnovers. However, in the midst of all that, we were hoping that he'd be the guy attacking the basket and taking over games offensively. The problem is that he's being punished for the bad shots and turnovers before he can get into a rhythm and do what he does best. He's even admitted that in Washington, they didn't run plays and have sets, they just played ball.

 

It seems like Stan is trying to have Gilbert become a player that he's not and never has been. You live with the bad with a guy like Arenas because he's a very talented player capable of carrying a team. He's like a robot out there afraid to do anything.

 

If Stan allows him to do what he wants he will hurt the team more than help it. Bad shots are just like turnovers, you are giving up a possesion for a shot that is not likely to go in. Gilbert is a talented player who is capable of carrying a bad team for a season or a good team in spurts when he is hot. If you leave shot selection up to a guy like that he can also shoot you out of a game. This is why a lot of people freaked when we traded for him.

[TrueMagicFan07 674]

I don't know, guys. In my opinion, there are other things that factor into the reasons why Gil is not playing up to his capabliities (other than Stan). Sure, the guy is nervous.

 

1. Gil is uncomfortable because before his injuries and the drafting of John Wall, he was "the guy" on the Wizards team. They had some pretty good seasons when he, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison were all healthy.

 

2. There was no dominant center on the Wizards team and the style of play was totally different than the Magic's (no inside/out).

 

3. Gil can't find his rhythm because with Bass playing PF (in addition to not being a 3 pt. shooter), and plays in and around the paint to post up and or attempt 15 footers, it's difficult for him (Gil) to do his thing because things get a little cluttered in and around the paint.

 

3. Gil was use to having the ball in his hands. Now, at times, he is expected to defer to Hedo.

 

4. As one poster said, it will be difficult for Gil to find his rhythm if he does not get enough playing time.

 

5. Stan needs to find a way to get Gil going, because I think he can pay big dividends down the stretch.

 

*As a side note*

 

I also noticed that when Gil joined the team, Jameer didn't seem too happy. He appeared to be tentative and passive when on the court. Behind the scenes, there may have been some grumbling and concerns as to how this was going to work between Gil and Jameer.

 

So, now, Gil has become hesitant because he does not want to "upset the apple cart". Remember what Carter said when he first joined the Magic? He said that he just wanted to fit in.

 

Edit: Over the years, when I'm visiting in the Washington D.C. area, I have watched a lot of the Wizards games when they play other teams in the league, as well as when they play the Magic.

[30Assists 342]

I think the dude's just out of practice. Remember how bad Bass was last year? Can you imagine our team without him this year?

 

I'm optimistic on Arenas. Maybe not for this year, but he should be better by next.

[nbr 15]

Have to question the acquisition if we're looking to mould him into something he's not.

[Berto 338]

He is who we thought he was, and Stan's not letting him off the hook.

 

Now if you wanna crown him, then crown his ass.

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

He is who we thought he was, and Stan's not letting him off the hook.

 

Now if you wanna crown him, then crown his ass.

 

I throw a fit just like that every time I start talking about Gilbert.

[Fluffy Guru 1]

Gilbert was favoring his leg during the Celtics game. His knee must be worst than he lets on.

[Passenger57 65]

This isn't an easy adjustment for anyone,'' Van Gundy said. "When Rafer (Alston) came in (two seasons ago), he knew I was an A-hole. He was used to it. When Gil first came, he was playing well, and we weren't putting a lot on him. He was playing free. But the more we put on him, the harder it's been. I'm not saying it's my fault, but it's my responsibility to help make it work.'

 

This is my favorite bit from that article. Stan isn't afraid to call out anyone, including himself. I do think Stan needs to get all of his experimentation out of the way during the regular season. That way we don't have to try any crazy stuff in the playoffs that we haven't practiced, like when he decided to go zone during the Boston series. The best thing Gil can do to improve his position at this point is to push the ball up the court as much as possible. Stan is his closest to happy when we're getting scores in transition.