Both McGrady and the Rockets front office have agreed to work out a deal, one that will likely come within the next week or so, with the intentions of landing McGrady in a new home before the All-Star break.

McGrady may not be the same player he was two years ago, and whether he can still carry a team on his back is definitely in question. However, he is fully healthy, and did show in limited action this season that he is still a capable scorer if given the opportunity.

The question is, who wants him?

Considering his price tag ($23 million), McGrady will likely be taken by a team that will get him off the books after this season in an attempt to get rid of their own bad contracts. This makes it very likely that T-Mac ends up with a bottom dweller.

Here's a look at the top teams that will either be a good fit for McGrady, have something the Rockets could use, or would pull the trigger on the deal simply for cap relief in 2010.

New York Knicks

New York is actually the most logical landing spot for McGrady, and with a number of young, talented players to move around, Houston would be doing themselves a great service to work something out with the Knicks.

McGrady would go into an offense that would immediately utilize his remaining strong suits, and he'd still be an elite scorer, regardless of whether or not his skills and athleticism are deteriorating.

Houston would likely have its picking of a few players, but to land any serious talent like Nate Robinson, David Lee, or Al Harrington, they'd have to throw in another player or two.

Rookie Chase Budinger would appear valuable to the Knicks, as he has the athleticism and outside shot to thrive in an up-tempo offense, while Aaron Brooks would arguably be better suited to run the Knicks' point than Chris Duhon.

A swap of McGrady and Brooks for Nate Robinson and Al Harrington is just one of the many logical, and quite realistic trade scenarios, which could (and likely would) include other players that hold expiring contracts.

Outside of an ugly deal with New Jersey, New York has to be the top team Houston is considering making a deal with, judging by available talent.

New Jersey Nets

The Nets are said to be hanging on tight to their "core" of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, but have apparently left the remainder of their roster open for bidding. 

And why wouldn't they? The Nets have three wins at the time of this article, and very few of their pieces are players that would make a significant dent in a contender's rotation.

However, Chris Douglas Roberts would certainly hold some value, as would the crafty Courtney Lee. Houston wouldn't want to give up more than McGrady to pull off a deal, but if it involved either of the "core" players, talks could quickly become more serious.

Philadelphia 76ers

No, Philly isn't going to trade Allen Iverson for McGrady. In fact, making a move for McGrady could make them relatively competitive right away, and then set them up for some big moves with Iverson and McGrady coming off the books next season.

Regardless, the Sixers are disappointed with Elton Brand, and rumors are swirling that they feel they've seen all that Andre Iguodala can do, which could make him available.

Needless to say, there really aren't any 76ers players that are "untouchable" these days, and that includes center Samuel Dalembert.

No deal is imminent, but the chatter between the teams hasn't been quiet.

The Wild Card: Milwaukee Bucks

No one is talking about Milwaukee as a participant in any potential deals with Houston, but it's no secret that the Bucks are trying to rid of their own veteran shooting guard in Michael Redd.

Milwaukee also isn't picking up the option on second year forward Joe Alexander, so it's a faint possibility that the Bucks could package the two for McGrady.

Both McGrady and Alexander would come off the respective teams' books after the season ends, and Redd would get his wish to play for a team that will likely be in the thick of the playoff race.

Luke Ridnour is another piece that could be added to the puzzle, as his solid play the past two months has his value quickly rising.

For more NBA news and Fantasy advice, go here.

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I’m as straight laced as they come. I’m a twenty-six year old white guy who doesn’t have a gun, a tattoo, a piercing, or a rap album (Limp Bizkit doesn’t count right?).

As a matter of fact, you’ve probably seen loaves of white bread with more street cred than I have. I’m the exact type of person that is suppose to hate the NBA  because of its “culture”.

Guess what, I don’t.

As a matter of fact I love the game and know that not even a majority of the NBA  players are, what many call, thugs. The fact that Gilbert Arenas brought handguns into the Washington Wizards’ locker room doesn’t change my mind.

When Arenas decided to use his locker at the the Verizon Center as a safe deposit box by storing four handguns in it, regardless of what story you believe about the events that followed, he not only broke NBA  rules and District of Columbia laws, he opened the flood gates for the “NBA  is overrun with criminals” debate.

Don’t believe me? Check out Michael Ozanian’s article on Forbes.com . He point blank says “Many NBA  players carry guns and the league is full of thugs” because of Arenas’ actions. That statement is from a respected media outlet like Forbes, a website and magazine that prides itself as a place for the ” World’s Business Leaders” (although that does translate to “old, rich, white men”, so I guess it makes sense). Ozanian’s area expertise? It’s not as an NBA  insider or a Socioeconomics expert. He is a “corporate earnings, economics and sports team valuations” expert. I guess the “thugs” in the NBA  neighborhood must be dropping the property value for the owners.

Ozanian wasn’t alone in his assessment of Arenas and the NBA , he just happened to be one of the first to express it. He along with numerous other writers, cable news talking heads, and commentators on radio and blogs, championed the “just another example of the NBA  lifestyle” argument.

The problem is, it’s an example of complete and utter stupidity, not an indictment of the NBA .

This isn’t a race issue, an NBA  issue, a professional sports issue or a societal one. It is an issue of personal intelligence and how much of it Arenas is lacking.

Arenas’ explanation is he took the four guns out of his home and to his place of work because he didn’t want them near his children (ever hear of a gun safe, you can get them for $100). Apparently he forgot that the NBA ’s collective bargaining agreement expressly prohibits players from bringing guns to team facilities. Not to mention the federal and state gun laws he broke. Both things are extremely dumb but not as dumb as deciding to use unloaded guns to play a “joke”, as he called it, on a teammate.

His Twitter messages, jovial comments to the media and nonchalant attitude about the situation just solidify the assertion. Rather than seriously addressing the situation he continues to crack jokes and act like, well like Gilbert Arenas. The act is cute but wears quite thin in the midst of a serious and criminal issue.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is photographic evidence of how serious he’s taking the situation. Would an intelligent man in the midst of a gun controversy be photographed doing this?

(the picture was taken earlier this week)

The ironic thing is, this event doesn’t even make Arenas a “thug”. By definition a thug is an aggressive and violent young criminal. Arenas only seems to fit the young part and will soon fit the criminal part.

To use Arenas’ situation to define the NBA  is like using it to say myself and every other person to attend the University of Arizona is as unintelligent as him by association. Regardless of what those who attended Arizona State say, it’s isn’t true.

Dissect the Arenas situation all you want. Criticize him every chance you get. Arrest him and suspend him. Just do it for the right reasons and not for being a thug.

Arenas took the guns away from house so they weren’t near his kids. Now the NBA  and law enforcement have to take them from him for being one.

Apparently zero isn’t just his number of choice, it also about as much thought as he puts into his actions.

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Don’t get it twisted, Mr. Stern. The two are unequivocally related.

I’m not going to hold Gilbert Arenas over a bonfire and act like he is the poster child of guns, violence and warped behavior in the NBA.

By now you are most certainly aware of Arenas’ mess, so I’ll spare you all the details. The rumors that Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton drew guns on each other appear to be false, but the reports that Arenas brought unloaded firearms into the Washington Wizards’ locker room and set them out on a chair for Crittenton to see are true.

In no way am I letting Arenas off the hook. What he did was so incredibly stupid and unfathomable for a guy who signed a contract worth more than $100 million, is supposed to be the face of a franchise, and has much more to lose than most people in the world.

Arenas’ subsequent one-liners, jokes and his pre-game mock of the situation Tuesday suggest he isn’t taking this issue nearly serious enough. Of course, he said all the right things in his statements, but really it’s a non-issue to him. He’s finding humor in an act that’s not at all humorous, not to mention the Washington, D.C. gun laws he broke in the process.

Whatever punishment David Stern deems necessary will be justified.

But, honestly, an occurrence like this was bound to happen eventually. It’s shocking, but it’s not that surprising.

It is human nature to test boundaries and push authority. When young, wealthy and famous adults have access to guns and other temptations, there will be some lines crossed. In honor of the league, you can tattoo that on your forehead.

Stern wants to better address the issue of players carrying guns, and that’s great. But the nature and history of violence doesn’t sprout from thin air. What Stern needs to pay equally as much attention to is the issue that caused much of this debacle in the first place.

Arenas and Crittenton allegedly disagreed on a gambling debt, which led to Arenas laying out his firearms. Given the NBA’s rich culture of gambling extravagance, it only made sense. If the league wants to cut down on violence off the court, it must address its history of gambling.

Gambling has been around forever, so this is nothing new. The fact that Arenas allegedly lost somewhere around $50,000 playing cards on a team plane is in line with the behavior of decades of NBA players. Every team has players that play cards and partake in other forms of gambling during their down time.

We don’t have to dig deep for anecdotes. Google “Michael Jordan” and “gambling,” and you can entertain yourself for hours. Jordan infamously found himself in controversy when, on the night before a playoff game in 1993, he was seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Jordan’s tales of reckless blackjack binges in Las Vegas are legendary, and his thirst for gambling may have been even greater on the golf course. We are talking millions and millions of dollars won and lost through wagers.

In ’06, Charles Barkley admitted he’d lost approximately $10 million from gambling, including an outrageous $2.5 million in six hours in one night. Barkley refers to his gambling ways as a “problem.” Jordan does not.

The problem doesn’t begin and end with NBA players. Tim Donaghy forever placed a magnifying glass on referees when he spent time in jail for betting on games he worked.

Peruse the annals of baseball, football, golf, whatever, and you will find connections to gambling.

The issue is tricky to address because society wants you to believe that gambling itself is bad. I don’t buy that. I don’t blame athletes, or anyone with a lot wealth, for wagering big. Financial responsibility is on you.

For athletes, gambling is to be expected because the bets really aren’t about the money. What is $50,000 to Jordan? Nothing.

Gambling, for athletes, is about the obsession for competition. If there is a way to win something, you can expect athletes to join in.

I’d argue that it’s this exact nature that makes professional athletes what they are. Jordan, Barkley, whomever, don't need to win. They have to win. It’s their nature.

When most people’s minds would say, “It’s OK, back off, get ‘em next time,” an athlete’s mind says “Never.”

Athletes are born and bred with the mentality to win at all costs. Americans demand that of their sports heroes. On the court, on the field, winning is their livelihood. Win at all costs.

When that is the nature of a competitor, gambling is merely an outlet for that fire.

Problems arise because the culture that comes with gambling is one of greed, power and criminal behavior.

Matters of money quickly deteriorate any semblance of common sense, and that is when fights break out and guns break loose. Include the elephant in the room—alcohol—and you can easily see how “fun with the boys” turns volatile and, sometimes, fatal.

There’s a reason why the Mafia is forever linked with the evolution of Las Vegas: Mob bosses run casinos and hotels because they fall prey to wads of greenbacks.

There’s a reason why organized crime doesn’t operate out of your local used bookstore. Who wants a battered, $3.50 copy of Moby Dick ?

Where large sums of money can be quickly made is precisely where criminal activity will live. That’s Las Vegas, that’s gambling, and that’s where we find many of our athletes when they are away from practice and games.

The chain of gambling, guns/violence, and professional athletes isn’t a difficult one to connect.

I love to shoot pool as a hobby. I enjoy the game and, like competitive athletes, I relish the competition of it. But you watch catch me dead even in a family-run pool hall at 1:30 a.m. It’s not billiards that’s the problem; it’s the culture.

Just because Gilbert Arenas made a stupid mistake doesn’t mean all athletes are waiting for their opportunity to self-combust. The vast majority of athletes that own guns are responsible and take the responsibility of owning a weapon very seriously.

We all have the right to bear arms, and the NBA has done a good job with protecting against issues like this one. I’m not sure that there is much more David Stern can do on the matter of guns in conjunction with NBA players.

But what Stern can do is look at the culture that leads to such issues.

Once Stern recognizes, and admits, winning wagers tempts athletes as much as winning games, then he may be on the path to further cleaning up his sport.

You can reach Teddy Mitrosilis at tm4000@yahoo.com.

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After a long day of studying and seriously evaluating his skills, Alando Tucker impresses me with a variety of skills that resemble one of a Wolves player on the roster right now, and that's Ryan Gomes.

However, Alando Tucker and Ryan Gomes are completely different players, but are similar in height, weight and some variety of skills.

Alando Tucker possesses a skill set in the post, a very decent mid range game, and is a tough defender.

In the triangle offense, Alando Tucker can mesh very well, and seeing how Ryan Gomes uses his post up game to initiate the offense, it gives some type of insight as to what Tucker will be able to do.

Alando Tucker will likely make his debut against the Golden State Warriors, and his defensive intensity will be needed against other wings.

He's Washington University's all-time leading scorer, and his D-League numbers are through the roof, showing that he has the potential to be somebody in the NBA.

"He did a good job in practice today, he understands the game, he get's there, even if he doesn't know exactly what's going on, he knows how to play, and he's picking up things that we're doing" Kurt Rambis said.

"He's picking up stuff quickly, he still has a lot to learn, he's coming along, he's still asking questions which is a good thing".

With the Timberwolves bench currently sporting Wayne Ellington and Sasha Pavlovic as the primary shooting guards behind Corey Brewer, and Ryan Gomes as the primary small forward behind Damien Wilkins, there's a few open spots for minutes.

The Bench Play

The Minnesota Timberwolves' bench is very inconsistent, but has a few bright spots to look forward to.

Ramon Sessions, Wayne Ellington, Ryan Gomes, and Ryan Hollins are those few bright spots, but in some games, those bright spots seem to dimmer.

Ryan Hollins has started to make progress, but with inconsistent minutes, he has been ineffective due to his own problems of getting in foul trouble, which is making it hard to rotate him with Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Early in the season, Hollins used to play 20+ minutes, and grab 3-5 rebounds, absolutely dreadful. But the progress is there, and the Wolves will need his eight point-nine rebound effort in his last game more consistently.

Wayne Ellington has started to flourish, and in his last five games, he's averaging eleven PPG, shooting over 50 percent from the field and the three-point line. If Wayne keeps up his production, he could see time as a starter if Corey Brewer starts slumping.

Ryan Gomes should start scoring double figures soon, but he's out of rhythm and shape as of late due to an ankle injury. The Wolves will need his production and energy off the bench.

Ramon Sessions can fill up a stat sheet in rebounds, points, and assists, but I've argued that by him being the backup point guard to Jonny Flynn limits his abilities, and that Jonny Flynn would be a great sixth man that's primarily good for scoring.

One key player that needs to step up will have to be Nathan Jawai. He's shown flashes of scoring, and rebounding, and the Wolves need another post player off the bench.

If the bench can pull it together, the Wolves can win a few more ball games, because sometimes the starters just can't get it together.

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Griffin is working his way back from a stress fracture in his left kneecap, but is eyeing a January 20 return, which would likely have him seeing limited minutes off the bench against the Chicago Bulls.

Fantasy Perspective

Griffin will need some time to break into the flow of the NBA game, and on top of that, he may not have a solid role off the bench. His status in the rotation is clearly in question, and it will be interesting to see how much he is impacted by the physical nature of the NBA after being away from any top level basketball since the summer.

Griffin did have a fine showing in the NBA Summer League, however, and should find himself among the top rookie performers once he gets going.

The Clippers are doing a find job on the inside with an impressive Chris Kaman and a still serviceable Marcus Camby, but there's no doubt Griffin's youth and athleticism will be a welcomed addition to the front line.

From a fantasy perspective, Griffin is a high risk/moderate reward. We're not sure what we'll get out of him from an offensive standpoint just yet, and we're fairly certain he'll have at least mild defensive issues when he first starts out.

However, the reward would be over 15 points per game in a solid role, along with good rebound and block numbers. The mere possibility of Griffin making a splash in the fantasy realm in the next month has to have him on any struggling team's radar.

Verdict

Pick him up if your big's aren't getting it done. Griffin may not go off immediately, but he's definitely worth stashing on your bench.

For more NBA news and Fantasy advice, go here.

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-Lynyrd Skynyrd

Gilbert Arenas is a quirky guy with a great sense of humor. The Wizards were aware of this when they signed him to a six-year, $111 million contract two years ago.

Washington saw Arenas as, not only the face of the franchise, but the voice as well. Now that he's making a statement, nobody is listening.

Washington team owner Abe Pollin changed the name of the Washington Bullets to the Washington Wizards in 1995. Pollin felt uncomfortable with the name that brought to mind violence and Washington DC's high crime rate.

When Pollin died on Nov. 24, 2009, the team was left in ownership limbo. It is widely believed that Washington Capitols owner Ted Leonsis will take over the team in the near future.

When Gilbert Arenas was called out for keeping guns in his locker at the Verizon Center, he was quick to point out that the guns were unloaded. This must have been Gilbert's way of expressing his frustration with the lack of "bullets" in the Verizon Center.

Sure, he hasn't come right out to say that he wants the team to change their name back to the Bullets. He doesn't have to. It is an unwritten understanding that Washington DC is tired of the Wizards moniker.

During the years as the Bullets, Washington had a proud history. Players like Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe, and Elvin Hayes led the Bullets to seven division titles, four conference titles, and the 1977-78 NBA Championship.

The Wizards experiment, on the other hand, has been a failure, starting with trading Chris Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe. Since that move, the Wizards have continued to make poor decisions.

In 2000, the team decided to bring Michael Jordan in as the president of basketball operations and minority team owner. Jordan couldn't resist the urge to play and put himself back on the court in 2001.

During his tenure in Washington, Jordan used the first overall pick in the NBA Draft on highschooler Kwame Brown. Brown proved to be a bust. Jordan traded Richard Hamilton  to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse. MJ also put Larry Hughes and Tyronn Lue on the bench during their better years.

All this lead to Abe Pollin firing Jordan. This led to the Wiz rebuilding, becoming a playoff team, and since, dropping back to the cellar.

Gilbert Arenas has been the leader of the Wizards in recent years. Arenas has a large personality, earning him the nicknames "Agent Zero" and "Hibachi" (literally translates to "bowl of fire") over his years with the team.

Arenas has had his qualms with the organization and seems to need constant reassurance that the team is behind him. What better way to let Gilbert know that Washington supports him than giving him back his bullets.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves play the same way on the road, and at home.

Although it's just a small sample for this season, where the Wolves have only won seven games, last season was completely different.

Last season the Minnesota Timberwolves won 24 games total, and 13 of them came on the road, one more than at home.

Certain NBA teams have a huge reputation of playing at home at the highest level of intensity, and even bottom dwellers can compete with the best NBA teams. The Sacramento Kings, the Portland Trailblazers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are notoriously known for winning at home, using the crowd's energy and intensity to win ball games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves although have won only seven games, they have defeated the Denver Nuggets, the New Jersey Nets and the Utah Jazz on the road. At home, they've defeaten the Washington Wizards, the Sacramento Kings, the New Jersey Nets and the Utah Jazz.

To put everything in perspective, the Wolves can win tough games against tough teams in their respective arena. Last season, the Wolves defeated the Utah Jazz, the Miami Heat, and the Phoenix Sun's on the road. In that same season, the Wolves for the most part defeated teams at home that they were "supposed" to beat.

Is this a good thing? For the future anyway?

I don't know, maybe it's a matter of luck or coincidence. It's an encouraging yet discouraging sign, that the Wolves cannot win more games at home then on the road.

On one hand, if the Wolves were a team that could win at home instead of the road, the Minnesota fanbase would be great, and they'd win 35+ games. On another hand, if the Wolves were a team that won on the road, they'd win the same number of games, and if they were a team that won games both on the road and at home, they'd win more games.

Is it a formula for the Wolves to come?

What if the Wolves gain more talent, and continue the trend, and is able to win the same number of games on the road that they do at home?

Could be nice.

Thanks for reading!

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Gilbert Arenas was one of those players, getting drafted in the second round out of Arizona, and becoming a force to be reckoned with by his second season in Golden State. Considering other Arizona guards who were drafted higher (Khalid Reeves, Damon Stoudemire, Jason Terry), Arenas did pretty well for himself.

By his third season, he got his big contract from the Wizards, became an All-Star, and made the Wizards perennial playoff contenders, and eventually grew into a superstar.

He became one of the faces for the league. His scoring prowess, his enigmatic but unique personality, as well as his on-court antics made him a blast to watch. From his predictions for scoring against certain teams, to his trademark "hibatchi", to his pre-celebrating his game winners, he was a breath of fresh air for the league.

For a little while.

After a few years of success, his attitude bordered on cocky and arrogant. The Wizards were always in the middle of the playoff mix, but never were really contenders, and never made significant improvements over the years. However after years and years of failure, dating all the way back to the day they were the Bullets, they couldn't afford to lose him.

When it was time for a contract extension, I respected the fact he was loyal to the organization that believed in him and propelled him into national fame and acclaim. His loyalty was reciprocated by being offered a six-year, $127 million extension, despite missing almost 70 games with a knee injury.

He impressed me by taking $111 million instead. Not that impressed, but how many players in any sport volunteer themselves to take less money after receiving an offer? Not many.

The Wizards' patience and perseverance persisted as he missed 80 games the following season. This current season he finally returned, not quite the same, but still possessing the electricity and passion to take over a game. Washington, however, still remains in mediocrity.

Then came this past weekend, where we hear of Gilbert Arenas and career sub Javaris Crittenton having a "faceoff" in the locker room at the Verizon center. Here a few things that disturb me about this whole situation:

1. I never understood why rich people gamble. The whole dispute was over $25,000 Arenas owed for a card game. Whats 25K to Arenas, who makes $20 million a season. Why do it?

2. Gilbert was the one who allegedly owed the debt, so why would he feel the urge to pull out first, especially on Crittenton who makes a whopping $1.48 million this season as opposed to Gilbert's 20. Dummy.

3. Athletes with millions of dollars have no reason whatsoever to carry guns with them. They could well afford to hire security. Instead they walk with their chest poked out with a clip on their hip.

What if, god forbid, one of these athletes have to use their gun. Suppose they miss their attacker and hit a bystander or a kid? They never foresee the consequences. Or they do, and just ignore them, feeling their wealth will get them exonerated.

4. How stupid can a person be to bring a gun to work? Plaxico getting locked up should have deterred others from having guns. Guess not. It was rumored that he had four guns in his locker.

And considering Arenas already has a gun conviction from 2003, it makes him a bigger idiot. To have a gun at home or in the car is one thing, but who are you going to shoot in a locker room?

5. Gilbert is a superstar veteran. He should be mature enough not to do something like that. As a franchise labeled them their centerpiece, he should have had more sense.

6. Arena's nonchalant attitude infuriates me, especially his last statement that it was a "misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate". Having a gun pointed at you is no joke. Ask former Nets player Jayson Williams. He knows.

Things are pretty bad when even Al Sharpton thinks he needs to be punished severely. Even Stephen Jackson, who was suspended last year for guns, said he would be smart enough not to bring the gun to the workplace.

If the altercation happened in the parking lot, or some party, its one thing. But to have them in the locker room, in the workplace is inexcusable. There's no way to justify or defend that. Im so disappointed.

I hope David Stern makes an example of him.  Even when Ron Artest ran into the stands we understood why he did it, even though he was wrong. After it is said and done, Mr. "Hibatchi" is cooked. Burned out. Finished. So the team that waited for him, paid him, believed in him, ultimately was destroyed by him.

Now Agent Zero is now just a plain zero. Worth absolutely nothing. As DeNiro said in a Bronx Tale, " there's nothing worse than wasted talent". Enough said.

Character. Commitment. Connection. That's the motto on the Wizards website. Somebody must not have read it.

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Well, tell that to embattled Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas.  

The picture says it all, as Gil decided to continue to make light of his current legal situation last night during warm-ups by doing exactly that.

As a quick recap: Arenas is facing a likely suspension from the NBA and possibly felony gun charges for bringing three guns from his home to his locker at Verizon Center in D.C. and using them to "play a joke" on teammate Javaris Crittenton. 

At first, Arenas didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the situation, instead joking about it on his Twitter account .  He rang in the new year with this Tweet : "i wake up this morning and seen i was the new JOHN WAYNE..lmao media is too funny," and followed it up with "i understand this is serious..but if u ever met me you know i dont do serious things im a goof ball this story today dont sound goofy to me."

After meeting with legal authorities on Monday, Agent Zero released a statement that had a much more repentant tone than his Twitter posts from over the weekend.   

"As I have said before, I had kept the four unloaded handguns in my house in Virginia, but then moved them over to my locker at the Verizon Center to keep them away from my young kids," the statement read. "I brought them without any ammunition into the District of Columbia, mistakenly believing that the recent change in the DC gun laws allowed a person to store unloaded guns in the District. On Monday, December 21st, I took the unloaded guns out in a misguided effort to play a joke on a teammate. Contrary to some press accounts, I never threatened or assaulted anyone with the guns and never pointed them at anyone. Joke or not, I now recognize that what I did was a mistake and was wrong. I should not have brought the guns to DC in the first place, and I now realize that there's no such thing as joking around when it comes to guns—even if unloaded."

But then a day later, he cocks his index fingers and thumbs in the shape of guns, with a huge smile plastered on his face.

You really understand how serious this is, Gilbert?

Here's how serious it is: You signed a six-year, $111 million deal before the 2008-09 season, coming off two knee surgeries.  The 11-23 Wizards, who are pretty clearly going nowhere this season, have no incentive to try keeping this core of Arenas-Jamison-Butler together.  

And while Jamison and Butler are tradeable assets (the Cleveland Cavaliers would jump through flaming hoops to pair Jamison alongside LeBron James), Gil's injury history and questionable behavior, paired with his mega-contract, make him one of the most untradeable players in the NBA.

So why joke around about a gravely serious situation, giving Wizards management more doubt about your long-term future with the team?

The Wiz have likely already begun investigating the possibility of voiding Arenas' contract , saving themselves nearly $90 million over the course of the next four and a half years.  

Thanks to the NBA collective bargaining agreement, which states that if a player "at any time, fails, refuses, or neglects to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character, and good sportsmanship..." the team can void his contract without reproach.  That's the same collective bargaining agreement that banned firearms from all team-related activities, including bringing them on site to a team's arena.

And now, instead of keeping his mouth shut (who in God's name is his lawyer that's not advising him to do this?!), Arenas has been firing off (no pun intended) through the media.

But by trying to recreate the Any Given Sunday touchdown dance before yesterday's game against the Sixers, Arenas demonstrated that he clearly isn't taking this gun matter as seriously as an owner would expect.

In a story that just keeps getting weirder by the day, Arenas justified his actions on his Twitter account following the game.

"I know everybody seen the pregame pics...my teammate thought to break the tention we should do that..but this is gettn way to much," he wrote . He followed it up with another stroke of brilliance : "I wanna say sorry if I pissed anybody off by us havin fun...I'm sorry for anything u need to blame for for right now." 

Gil...do yourself a favor, take responsibility for your actions, and realize that stunts like pointing finger guns at your teammates aren't going to help your situation any.  I can't imagine people are blaming you for the Titanic sinking, for 9/11, or for the plane that almost blew up on Christmas...but you've rightfully caught flak for bringing guns into your workplace. 

Any average citizen that pulls out three guns at his workplace and puts them near a fellow employee, even as a joke, would be fired instantly.

So Billy Hunter, president of the NBA's Player Association?  I think it's time to start gearing up for a looooong battle.

Because if Arenas keeps pulling stunts like the one he pulled last night, the Wizards would be crazy not  to attempt to void his contract. 

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Golden State has earned the reputation as one of the more entertaining teams in the NBA because if anything is certain, bundles of points will be scored, the game will be fast-paced and energetic, and the Warriors will probably lose.

To comprehend the ability to retain a strong fanbase in the midst of perpetual mediocrity escapes me, but the Warriors do have some positives to rest their laurels on.

For one, they are second in the NBA in scoring, averaging an eye-popping 106 points per game. Who cares if they allow a league-high 112, their contests are sure to never lack for a dull moment.

Golden State is also first in the league in steals at 9.8 per contest, but they allow 8.4, which means even though they create turnovers, they are just as likely to give the ball back due to miscues of their own.

The contrasting numbers don't end there. The Warriors shoot 47 percent from the field, but give up 49 percent, they average 21 assists, and surrender 23, so I'm pretty sure you get the picture.

Their defensive efforts are humorous, to say the least as no other team in the league gives up 110 points per game and few teams allow the opposition to shoot for such a high percentage.

The New Jersey Nets are the worst team in the NBA, and even they surrender 10 fewer points than the defensively challenged Warriors.

The Warriors do have some talented players like Monta Ellis, Anthony Randolph, and rookie Stephen Curry, but from whom do they garner direction? Head coach Don Nelson? General manager Larry Riley? Or perhaps, owner Chris Cohan?

None of them have provided much of an answer as they have for the most part, looked as clueless as the product they are responsible for has on the court.

It's a sad realization of truth for a franchise a few years removed from the postseason and a victory over the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

That proud moment has become a distant memory and the Warriors seem to be further from a playoff berth than ever before, especially considering they compete in the crowded Western Conference.

After their one-point loss to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night they sit firmly entrenched on the bottom level of the Pacific division, pretty much out of sight from the teams above them.

That loss to Denver is similar to recent losses suffered by the Warriors, and even wins against teams like the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns, due to the offensive potential of Golden State.

Their offense is capable of scoring against any defense, and it keeps them in a majority of games, but their utter lack of anything resembling defense has proved to be their downfall.

In order to become a better defensive team the Warriors would need to undergo a complete change in culture, with an emphasis on defense, but coach Nelson has seemed reluctant to concentrate on that aspect of the game at all.

Coupled with their lack of a strong presence in the post, the Warriors' defensive deficiencies have added up to a clear path to an undetermined destination, with no resolution in sight.

An article was recently written that said the Warriors should strive to finish above the Sacramento Kings in the standings, and currently they sit five games below that goal at nine wins and 24 losses.

That aspiration alone defines how far the Warriors have fallen and the realistic chances they have of emerging from the quicksand their fleet feet have been unable to keep them from being mired in. 

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