Stepping Up

CLEVELAND, OHIO - As much as I don't want to like him, Gilbert Arenas sure is making it tough on me. He did nothing but impress his critics last year in a hard-fought playoff series with my beloved Cavs, and I think everyone who is a true fan of the game who watched that series gained a new level of respect for the former Arizona star.

Seeing the way that he has come back hungrier in the '06-07 season (much like Lebron James...?) has caused me to admit that "Agent 0" is moving up my list of favorite players to watch in the NBA (Of course he's not going to rise above Kobe, well unless he is traded to the Lakers, wears the number 8, goes to trial for supposedly.... I'd better stop here). Seriously though, isn't that what you want from your star player, to come back better and stronger every year? Don't you want him to be so upset about losing a playoff series that he spends the entire offseason striving to come back and win it all the next year?

After another abysmal performance by the Cavs last night, the Wizards are now tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference (Which is a hell of a feat considering neither team would be seeded in the top 6 in the West if the playoffs were to start today). Monday night in Utah, Arenas hit what in my opinion was one of the sweetest game winning shots I have ever "Witnessed." It wasn't the degree of difficulty, or the pressure situation (the game was tied so a miss didn't mean a loss), but rather it was the premature celebration displayed right when the ball came off his fingertips (see above picture). Bottom line: I'm a sucker for players with a chip on their shoulder (A "Nobody Can Stop Me" attitude doesn't hurt either), and lately I've been struggling to find one in my hometown.

photo courtesy of espn.com