Another great quote from D'Antoni (upcoming Wiz game)

[Quagmire]

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/9947761

Arenas says Phoenix is off his list, Portland is next
Jan. 22, 2007
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]WASHINGTON -- For the record, Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas doesn't consider Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns as Part II of the Vendetta Tour. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]"No, I already did what I said I was going to do to them," Arenas said. "The next team is Portland. One down, one to go." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Arenas dropped 54 points on the Suns in an overtime victory at Phoenix last month, his way of unleashing his frustrations against anyone who might have had anything to do with his not making the U.S. team for last summer's World Championship. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni and Portland coach Nate McMillan were assistants on that team, which was led by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]In fact, Arenas, who has scored 50-plus three times this season, wrote on his nba.com blog that the Portland game will be his fourth 50-point game. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]"The most important game is on Feb. 11," Arenas wrote. "Well, it's not the most important, but that's the game I'm going to say is my next 50-pointer. ... Tune in. I think ESPN or TNT needs to pick that game up." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]After hearing all this, D'Antoni did the only thing he could -- he cracked an Arenas-worthy joke. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]"I can't wait to see what he does against Duke," D'Antoni said. "He's gonna KILL Duke." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]So, with the revenge angle out of the way, all that's left for Tuesday is a matchup between two MVP candidates -- Phoenix's Steve Nash and Arenas -- in a game featuring the two highest-scoring teams in the league, both in contention for a No. 1 conference seed. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]And there's one more thing. The Suns have won 13 straight. They also had a 15-game streak earlier this season. Guess who ended it? [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]That's right. The Wizards. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]"I'm not even going to address that," Wizards forward Caron Butler said. "Because I don't want to jinx us." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]The Wizards are on a run of their own, a 10-game home winning streak, the longest since the Verizon Center opened in 1997. The home fans have recently been serenading Arenas with chants of "M-V-P," but Arenas has consistently said Nash is the deserving front-runner. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]"He's leading, and that's it. If it ended today, he's MVP. Period," Arenas said. "When you're playing that well as a team, you're going to always be a candidate. He has a great supporting cast. They're on a streak again. When you go on streaks like that, it's hard to knock him from being MVP." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]The Suns don't seem upset by memories of the 54-point game, or by any of Arenas' antics. Like everyone else, they realize it's just Arenas being Arenas. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]"He doesn't do anything that's necessarily disrespectful," Nash said. "I think he plays the game with a great spirit and he certainly is his own person. I think everyone commends the great season he's having." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]AP NEWS[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]The Associated Press News Service[/FONT]

 

[az1965]

Arenas needs to grow up...

 

[playstation]

Arenas needs to grow up...

disagree

i love arenas, hopes he keeps playing obscene and shooting his mouth off...long as we win tomorrow, arenas can drop 50 every night...

 

[az1965]

You may love Arenas, but he is acting pretty childish. This is professional basketball. A lot things happen in this business and he needs to have a thicker skin. Is he going to try dropping 50 on every team and GM who passed him up in the draft?

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

You may love Arenas, but he is acting pretty childish. This is professional basketball. A lot things happen in this business and he needs to have a thicker skin. Is he going to try dropping 50 on every team and GM who passed him up in the draft?

If I was a wizards fan I would sure hope so.

Players playing with a chip on the shoulder can pull off some amazing things. Arenas is consistantly able to find different ways to motivate himself, we is a great attribute for a pro athlete.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

You may love Arenas, but he is acting pretty childish. This is professional basketball. A lot things happen in this business and he needs to have a thicker skin. Is he going to try dropping 50 on every team and GM who passed him up in the draft?

He has already said he has motivated himself in the past by showing off those who passed on him in the draft. In college he wore zero because that's how many minutes people told him he would get at Arizona in an attempt to motivate himself. Whatever works, he's one of the best basketball players in the world and is easily one of the top five quotes in sports right now. Players like Arenas are very good for the game.

 

[devilalum]

Arenas is the second coming of World B. Free.

You think he'll be shootin for another ZERO in the dime column?

 

[Mainstreet]

The quote below initially didn't sit well with me.

"No, I already did what I said I was going to do to them," Arenas said. "The next team is Portland. One down, one to go."

I know players try to find extra motivation in a long NBA schedule, however, I think truely great players should try to bring their best game every night. I see no reason why Arenas shouldn't be trying to plant another 50 point + game on the Suns (much to my chagrin).

However, maybe it is just Arenas being Arenas. I would have really liked to have seen him on the Suns roster.

 

[NativeSun]

Spare me Gil....

The thing I don't get about covering Arenas is, he always shoots a jumper. Rarely does he drive for the key buckets (yes I know he drove to tie the game with us). Why does everyone bite on the drive? Just double him on the perimeter and make him give the ball up.

It's so easy from a message board. Let's see what we do tomorrow.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The thing I don't get about covering Arenas is, he always shoots a jumper. Rarely does he drive for the key buckets (yes I know he drove to tie the game with us). Why does everyone bite on the drive? Just double him on the perimeter and make him give the ball up.

It's been said that Arenas has the quickest first step in the NBA, so defenders probably are playing the drive which is opening him up for jumpers.

 

[az1965]

If I was a wizards fan I would sure hope so.

Players playing with a chip on the shoulder can pull off some amazing things. Arenas is consistantly able to find different ways to motivate himself, we is a great attribute for a pro athlete.

He has already said he has motivated himself in the past by showing off those who passed on him in the draft. In college he wore zero because that's how many minutes people told him he would get at Arizona in an attempt to motivate himself. Whatever works, he's one of the best basketball players in the world and is easily one of the top five quotes in sports right now. Players like Arenas are very good for the game.

Maybe it is ok with you guys but not me. If someone needs idiotic things like these to motivate themselves then they are in the wrong business. So, lets say he was not slated by these coaches (as per him), then he won't be motivated to put a super performance??? There is something wrong about this attitude.

 

[dbUNIT16]

Just double him on the perimeter and make him give the ball up.

That's the idea... only problem is Butler dropped 34 as well

 

[PHX 32]

I just want to shut Arenas up tomorrow night. LETS CRUSH EM SUNS!

 

[Skumbag]

Gilbert immediately became a star point guard at Arizona. He decided to wear the number "0" because people told him he would get "zero playing time".During his freshman year, he scored 20 points in his first game against UCLA. He finished his freshman year with an average of 15.3 points per game. Arizona entered the NCAA tournament as a number one seed, despite the fact that many of their star players were injured. After defeating Jackson State, Arizona lost to Wisconsin 66-59. In 1997, during his sophomore year, Gilbert led Arizona to a final four appearance in the NCAA tournament against Duke University. Duke ultimately prevailed 82-72.

haha ouch... i love DA

 

[Chaz]

In 1997, during his sophomore year, Gilbert led Arizona to a final four appearance in the NCAA tournament against Duke University. Duke ultimately prevaile


Where did you get this?

I think they have their years confused.

Gilbert left school after his sophomore year in 2001.

1997 was the year UA won the Championship against Kentucky.

 

[TucsonDevil]

That Championship Game against Duke was in 2001 - Arizona lost to Duke due to the horribly biased officiating. Jason (forget his last name PG for Duke, hurt in motorcycle accident) Williams? body surfed on Jason Gardner - it was seen as a foul on Jason Gardner.... that was one of many bad calls late in the game. Of course, I am slighly biased myself.

 

[jbeecham]

That Championship Game against Duke was in 2001 - Arizona lost to Duke due to the horribly biased officiating. Jason (forget his last name PG for Duke, hurt in motorcycle accident) Williams? body surfed on Jason Gardner - it was seen as a foul on Jason Gardner.... that was one of many bad calls late in the game. Of course, I am slighly biased myself.

Jay Williams

 

[az1965]

I just want to shut Arenas up tomorrow night. LETS CRUSH EM SUNS!

 

[AzStevenCal]

That Championship Game against Duke was in 2001 - Arizona lost to Duke due to the horribly biased officiating. Jason (forget his last name PG for Duke, hurt in motorcycle accident) Williams? body surfed on Jason Gardner - it was seen as a foul on Jason Gardner.... that was one of many bad calls late in the game. Of course, I am slighly biased myself.

Maybe my memory is slipping but I thought it was a 'non-call' that really affected the outcome. IIRC, it should have been his 4th foul when Williams bowled over Gardner who then turned the ball over. Since this incident occurred with more than half the game yet to be played, it was quite a difference maker for the dukies.

As bad as the refs were, UA lost that game because of Bill Self, IMO. Gilbert played with a separated shoulder because of a very hard moving pick set by Illinois a week earlier. If you watched his teams (Tulsa, Illinois, Kansas) you'd realize that Bill routinely teaches this kind of physical play. He's the Jerry Sloan of college ball IMO.

Although many Cat fans blast the refs for that game, I really believe we were treated a lot more fairly than Maryland had been in their earlier matchup with Duke. I don't remember if that was a Final Four game or an Elite Eight matchup but it was quite a ripoff. I get irritated with NBA refs all the time but I've never once believed that there was a non-basketball agenda involved. I've seen too much stuff at the college level to feel the same way about the NCAA game.

Steve