Magic Recipe?

Two years removed from an NBA Finals appearance in which they lost in five games to the eventual back-to-back World Champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Orlando Magic get a much needed makeover to go along with their new arena. Whether or not the pieces fit, is yet to be determined. With the Celtics continuing their dominance, and the Heat finally finding its groove, Orlando general manager Otis Smith worked his magic (no pun intended) in hopes of keeping up with the rest of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference. After an early season skid that not even 'Superman' Dwight Howard could stop from happening, dropping 5 games in a 6 game span, Smith traded Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Michael Pietrus to the Phoenix Suns for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark.

The blockbuster moves didn't stop there, as Rashard Lewis was sent to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Gilbert Arenas. Though it may not be the biggest acquisition of them all, it may be the most surprising, as it seemed the Wizards couldn't give Arenas away after last year's gun incident that resulted in an indefinite suspension that saw the self-proclaimed 'Agent Zero' miss a good portion of the 2009-2010 NBA season. When being told about the acquisition of Arenas, Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy said he was unsure on how he'd fit him into the system, which may include him coming off the bench. With plenty of talent in the point-guard department with the likes of J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson, that may not be a bad thing, leaving Stan Van with a number of options.

Although the lethal three-point shooting weapon of Rashard Lewis will be sure to be missed, the big man presence of Marcin Gortat has to be Orlando's biggest loss considering how much of a drop in size they'll suffer, making it easier for teams like the Celtics to utilize their bigs. The biggest addition on the other hand, is Hedo Turkoglu who played a key role in the Magic's Eastern Conference Championship in '09. Since leaving the squad, Hedo has run into some trouble with the organization he formally signed with last year as a free agent (Toronto Raptors), before being traded to the Suns where his numbers have only regressed. While it's unknown if Turkoglu can reincarnate himself back into stardom for Orlando, the deal was worth a shot considering how much of an upgrade they got in Jason Richardson over the elder Vince Carter.

Agent-0 Suspended On Gun Charges

Over the past few seasons, Gilbert Arenas has been known throughout the NBA as one of the league's most premiere ballplayers. However his foul play off the court and in the locker room has caused quite a stir. Just before the new year approached, we received word that the Washington Wizards guard had admitted to storing unloaded firearms in his locker at the Verizon Center, where the Wizards play their home games. The reason however, is one that's been juggled around and changed numerous times. Such explanations have reached the surface as Arenas first told officials the guns were in his locker to try and keep them away from his children at home. But now it's been reported that he and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton had got into an argument over gambling debts on Christmas Eve. It's also been reported that Crittenton had an unloaded gun of his own in his locker.

As serious as the matter is, Arenas and fellow teammates have joked about the matter time and time again. When being asked about it in a post game interview, Arenas said he didn't think he was doing anything wrong since the guns were unloaded. Something else Arenas doesn't know, is that not only did he violate NBA rules against bringing firearms into an arena, but he also violated D.C. ordinances as well. The fact that Arenas broke the law is one thing, but given he did it in the nation's capital, his punishment could be that much more crucial when it's all said and done. NBA Commissioner David Stern had planned on letting the legal process play out before disciplining Arenas, but Stern was forced to react a lot sooner when Gilbert and fellow teammates made a joke about the whole thing during pregame introductions. As players began to surround Arenas, he then pretended to shoot them with guns made from his fingers.

After the incident, it was official that the NBA had suspended Arenas indefinitely without pay until its investigation is complete. The day Arenas was suspended also happened to be his 28th birthday. How disappointing it must be for both Arenas and team ownership, considering Gilbert missed all of last season and big things were expected from him and the team this season. Instead, the Wizards find themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 12-24 record. Coincidentally, the Wizards were named the Bullets once upon a time, until league officials declared the name sounded a bit violent. Also, revolving his gun charges, Arenas has been better known throughout the league as Agent-0. A nickname he earned by wearing the #0 on his jersey. But has he taken his nickname a bit too seriously perhaps? There's no telling what was going through Arenas' head at the time, but it's almost certain that he regrets the incident ever happened.

As players now begin to get pummeled with questions by detectives, it'll be interesting to see what new information is found, if any. The latest aside from the gun fiasco, is that the Wizard teammates have been known for playing pranks on one another in the past. Pranks that go as far as shitting in other player's shoes, another joke in which Arenas is guilty for. But all joking aside, & with gambling most likely the cause, it's only a matter of time before the league as a whole begins to consider banning gambling. The New Jersey Nets have already made sure such problems don't plague their team as they've outlawed gambling. Will other teams begin to follow in the Nets' footsteps?