Five Ways Gilbert Arenas Contributed to the Eddie Jordan Firing
The consensus throughout Wizards world is that Eddie Jordan caught a bad deal with his firing. No one doubts that he can coach, or that he had a group of players that could have gotten it done with him.
But the truth is that the Wizards under Jordan’s tenure have never been a defensive-minded unit. No matter what rotations Jordan could concoct, they never put it together for suitable defensive stretches. They started to gel a little last year with the emergence of Brendan Haywood, but his absence this season proved that the little defensive pride the team did have was delicate at best.
And that delicacy can be strongly contributed to one man, whether he’s on or off the court.
Gilbert Arenas.
Here’s five ways Gilbert’s influence on the team led to the defensive lapses that ultimately cost Eddie Jordan his job.
5. Gil Makes the Wizards a Transition Team - Gilbert Arenas deserves the moniker of Black President, because no one makes transition happen like he does. With Gilbert in to push the break, the Wizards were more prone to play passing lanes for steals and fast breaks opportunities. Without him, the half court set becomes a poison to them, forcing them to play up on screens and clamp down on entry passes into the post.
4. Don’t Underestimate the Hibachi - What does it mean when you can get a guaranteed bucket? More movement on defense from the opponent. Opposing point guards had to keep up with Gilbert as much as he had to keep up with them. Without him, the perimeter offensive game falls on Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, two players better suited working inside-out instead of outside-in.
3. Gilbert’s Blog Star Shines Too Bright – Even if he wasn’t fired now, Arenas and Jordan could not have worked together for longer than two more seasons. His candid comments about poor records, his erratic regard for his injury, and his effusive, yet off-putting nature towards Jordan’s game plans would have caused a coup. And maybe not against Jordan, but against himself.
2. Gilbert is not a team leader – And that’s exactly what Eddie Jordan needed him to be. Like Jason Kidd was in New Jersey, Jordan needed a point guard who could set tempo on the floor and set the tone off of it. The only thing more infectious than his work ethic is his immaturity, and even with players like Butler, Jamison and Etan Thomas on the roster, it’s always a good thing when your best player is the most driven to win on both ends of the court.
1. Gilbert is not there – Maybe the Wizards are 4-8 instead of 1-11 with Gilbert Arenas in the lineup. Maybe he hasn’t gotten back into game shape, maybe he would be taking ill-advised shots, and maybe he would be a defensive liability. But if Gilbert Arenas were in the lineup for the Wizards, Eddie Jordan would still have a job, because in the end, this team and its progress were always reliant upon Gilbert’s ability to produce. It was never about Eddie Jordan. It has been and always will be about Gilbert Arenas.
And for better or worse, that’s the way he enjoys it.
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