With the regular season a little over a month away let's talk some hoops! 
Here's a major story right out of the shute:
Arenas to Miss Camp, Season's First Month (Updated)
Gilbert Arenas confirmed Wednesday that he underwent a surgical procedure this morning that "cleaned out some debris" in his left knee and won't be ready to play for the Wizards until early December. Arenas, who has undergone two surgeries to repair the left knee in the last two seasons, has been limited during the rehab process all summer and said he has planned all along on not participating in training camp or the preseason.
Arenas, who signed a six-year, $111 million contract this summer, will miss training camp, the preseason and at least the first month of the regular season. The Wizards open the regular season Oct. 29 at home against New Jersey and play a total of 14 games in October and November.
"I just had some floating debris in there that was slowing me down," said Arenas, who seemed to be in good spirits. "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."
Team president Ernie Grunfeld said later Wednesday that the Wizards were aware of the surgery. He said the decision was made to clean the knee out when Arenas experienced some pain and swelling after "ramping up" the intensity of his rehab workouts in recent weeks.
Grunfeld also made it clear that the team signed Arenas to his long-term deal this summer with the understanding that he was going through the rehab process and might not be ready for the upcoming season.
"We thought the possibility was there but we're looking at the big picture with Gilbert," Grunfeld said. "He's 26 years old and we're confident that he will be able to return and resume his career."
Arenas was limited to 13 regular season games last season and missed the final eight regular season games and the playoffs the previous season after tearing the left meniscus in the knee during a game against Charlotte on April 4, 2007.
The Wizards have two point guards on the current roster -- Antonio Daniels and Dee Brown -- and has precious little space underneath the luxury tax threshold. It would appear, as of right now, that the Wizards will go into the season with this group and wait for Arenas to get healthy.
The team has set no timetable for Arenas' return.
Other notes:
- Grunfeld repeatedly made it clear that the team has set no timetable and that Arenas will return only when he's ready.
- I asked Grunfeld about going into the season with Antonio Daniels and Dee Brown as his two point guards entering the season. Remember, a key piece to last season's team -- Roger Mason Jr. -- is now a Spur.
"Yes we do (feel comfortable)," Grunfeld said. "We went through the same thing last year and we had success. We have other guys who can handle the ball. We have a two-guard offense anyway and we don't primarily rely on just a point guard, so I feel good about where we are right and now and think that we'll be a very competitive team."
- For those of you wondering whether the Wizards would consider a move for Jamaal Tinsley of the Indiana Pacers, forget about that. Larry Bird has made it clear that he wants Tinsley out of Indy, but the guy has three years and $21 million remaining on his deal and I'm told that the Wiz have no interest.
- A few hours after I posted my report, the Wizards released a statement detailing the specifics of the procedure Arenas underwent today. It was called an athroscopic lavage, otherwise known as a "washout," and was performed by Dr. Marc Connell, who also performed the first two surgeries on the knee.
"After Gilbert's normal course of rehabilitation was ramped up, he experienced some swelling and discomfort in the knee," Connell said in the statement. "A subsequent MRI showed that the knee was surgically sound. The decision was made to perform an arthroscopic lavage procedure, during which a moderate amount of debris was removed after saline solution was washed through the knee. The presence of the debris is common with the nature of his previous injury. This was a proactive procedure that will enhance his rehabilitation process."
Here's a major story right out of the shute:
Arenas to Miss Camp, Season's First Month (Updated)
Gilbert Arenas confirmed Wednesday that he underwent a surgical procedure this morning that "cleaned out some debris" in his left knee and won't be ready to play for the Wizards until early December. Arenas, who has undergone two surgeries to repair the left knee in the last two seasons, has been limited during the rehab process all summer and said he has planned all along on not participating in training camp or the preseason.
Arenas, who signed a six-year, $111 million contract this summer, will miss training camp, the preseason and at least the first month of the regular season. The Wizards open the regular season Oct. 29 at home against New Jersey and play a total of 14 games in October and November.
"I just had some floating debris in there that was slowing me down," said Arenas, who seemed to be in good spirits. "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."
Team president Ernie Grunfeld said later Wednesday that the Wizards were aware of the surgery. He said the decision was made to clean the knee out when Arenas experienced some pain and swelling after "ramping up" the intensity of his rehab workouts in recent weeks.
Grunfeld also made it clear that the team signed Arenas to his long-term deal this summer with the understanding that he was going through the rehab process and might not be ready for the upcoming season.
"We thought the possibility was there but we're looking at the big picture with Gilbert," Grunfeld said. "He's 26 years old and we're confident that he will be able to return and resume his career."
Arenas was limited to 13 regular season games last season and missed the final eight regular season games and the playoffs the previous season after tearing the left meniscus in the knee during a game against Charlotte on April 4, 2007.
The Wizards have two point guards on the current roster -- Antonio Daniels and Dee Brown -- and has precious little space underneath the luxury tax threshold. It would appear, as of right now, that the Wizards will go into the season with this group and wait for Arenas to get healthy.
The team has set no timetable for Arenas' return.
Other notes:
- Grunfeld repeatedly made it clear that the team has set no timetable and that Arenas will return only when he's ready.
- I asked Grunfeld about going into the season with Antonio Daniels and Dee Brown as his two point guards entering the season. Remember, a key piece to last season's team -- Roger Mason Jr. -- is now a Spur.
"Yes we do (feel comfortable)," Grunfeld said. "We went through the same thing last year and we had success. We have other guys who can handle the ball. We have a two-guard offense anyway and we don't primarily rely on just a point guard, so I feel good about where we are right and now and think that we'll be a very competitive team."
- For those of you wondering whether the Wizards would consider a move for Jamaal Tinsley of the Indiana Pacers, forget about that. Larry Bird has made it clear that he wants Tinsley out of Indy, but the guy has three years and $21 million remaining on his deal and I'm told that the Wiz have no interest.
- A few hours after I posted my report, the Wizards released a statement detailing the specifics of the procedure Arenas underwent today. It was called an athroscopic lavage, otherwise known as a "washout," and was performed by Dr. Marc Connell, who also performed the first two surgeries on the knee.
"After Gilbert's normal course of rehabilitation was ramped up, he experienced some swelling and discomfort in the knee," Connell said in the statement. "A subsequent MRI showed that the knee was surgically sound. The decision was made to perform an arthroscopic lavage procedure, during which a moderate amount of debris was removed after saline solution was washed through the knee. The presence of the debris is common with the nature of his previous injury. This was a proactive procedure that will enhance his rehabilitation process."
