Arenas is on point as Wizards beat Mavericks

DALLAS | Washington Wizards fans have wondered all summer and preseason which Gilbert Arenas they would get for the 2009-10 NBA season. The player who only made cameo appearances the last two seasons while recovering from three knee surgeries? The three-time All-Star, who could score with the best of them? Something in between?

Shortly before his Wizards tipped off the season against the Dallas Mavericks, coach Flip Saunders admitted Tuesday night that he too was wondering.

“I’m like everyone else — I’m waiting to see,” said Saunders, who during the preseason saw a few different versions of Arenas. “I think he’s going to come out and I think he’ll be aggressive in the things that he does. Having not played [completely healthy since April 2007], I’m sure he’s excited to play, and I’m sure he’ll get into a rhythm.”

Saunders and the Wizards got the former MVP candidate as Arenas led Washington to a 102-91 victory over the Mavericks. The guard, playing in his first season opener in two seasons, recorded 29 points and nine assists, fueling the Wizards to their first season-opening victory since 2005.

Three other Wizards also scored in double digits, giving Saunders his first win as Washington’s coach.

It was as good a start as could have been hoped for by the Wizards, who played without two-time All-Star power forward Antawn Jamison.

Fabricio Oberto got the start in place of Jamison, but his game isn’t such that he could equal the production of Jamison, who last season averaged 22.2 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Oberto was effective, however, recording five points, three rebounds and two assists in addition to posting a plus-minus of 15 in 17 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Andray Blatche came off the bench and did his best Jamison impersonation, recording 20 points and six rebounds.

Early on, Brendan Haywood — who, like Arenas, missed the bulk of last season because of injury — got the Wizards going, scoring seven of their first 15 points. The Wizards and Mavericks entered the second quarter knotted at 21-21 before Blatche caught fire in the second quarter, scoring 10 points to help his team take a 56-50 lead into halftime. The Mavericks never came closer than three points in the third quarter and spent the majority of the fourth quarter down by 10 points.

With 6:22 left, Arenas dumped the ball into the paint to Oberto and then cut toward the basket; the Argentine hit the point guard in stride with a zigzag pass as he knifed through the lane and scored on a layup that put Washington up 87-77. The Wizards continued rolling, getting late contributions from Randy Foye (19 points off the bench) and Caron Butler (16 points, eight rebounds).