Gilbert Arenas used to be a perennial All-Star and one of the NBA’s best scorers, now he is having a hard time cracking Orlando’s rotation.
Analysis: I really thought a change of scenery would be good for Gilbert and he could at least be a passable fantasy option. After a horrible injury stretch the last few years and a minor incident with some guns, Gilbert has been what some might classify as an unpredictable fantasy option. He has still been okay in spurts, but injuries continue to derail any progress he makes. He is currently out with a strained knee, not very surprising. Coming off the bench for Orlando I thought Gilbert would get a chance to be an impact player, playing limited minutes. Providing a scoring punch, tossing out a few dimes, and knocking down a trey or two a game would have made Gilbert a worthwhile fantasy option, however that has not been the case, he’s averaging 8 points a game on 35% shooting and 26% shooting from downtown. With Gilbert approaching 30 years of age the cause for concern only increases further. In his past 3 seasons combined before this one Gilbert played in only 47 games. This is the single worst factor for fantasy players, because even if he could produce, which he doesn’t do very well anymore, he can’t stay on the floor.
Projection: Gilbert will never return to his old scoring ways that made him a fantasy darling. The only reason that picking up Gilbert is justifiable is if he’s on a hot streak. It feels like ages ago, but in back to back seasons Gilbert did average close to 30 points. If he catches fire pick him up off the waiver wire, but he is no longer deserving of a fantasy roster spot.