Wizards Go With Triple Option

Larry Hughes is now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Washington Wizards (18-21) are beginning to form a new big three without the playmaking guard who left via free agency over the summer.

The current Washington trio of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler has combined to average 64 points per game this season, making it the second-highest scoring trio in the league.

"I think we are really starting to click," Jamison said. "We are starting to understand what it takes in order for us to be successful, with everyone getting touches. They don't know who to give all of their attention to. You concentrate on two guys, and there is still another guy who can get 20 points a night."

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, Chris Webber and Andre Iguodala are combining to average a league-best 64.8 points for the 76ers (20-20), who are in seventh place among Eastern Conference teams, one slot ahead of the Wizards.

One key to Washington winning six of its last 10 games has been the strong play of Butler, who joined Arenas and Jamison in the starting lineup Dec. 21 and is averaging 19.8 points on 43.3 percent shooting in the last 10 games.

Jamison also has been more productive of late, bouncing back from a rough December during which he shot 36.2 percent and averaged 15 points per game. In 10 January games, Jamison is shooting 50.3 percent and averaging 20 points.

In the five games since Coach Eddie Jordan reinserted Jamison into the starting lineup at Atlanta on Jan. 14, Jamison is averaging 23.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. In each of the last four games, Jamison has posted at least 20 points and 10 rebounds and he's also playing with more energy on defense.

"I guess he doesn't want to feel the wrath anymore," Jordan said, referring to Jamison's defense. "He knows that the talk is over. Actions speak now. My actions are going to be determined by their actions. That's going to dictate who plays and who starts and who we count on the most."

The Wizards clearly are giving more effort on defense of late and appear to be playing with more cohesion on both offense and defense. Even in Sunday's 93-82 home loss to Memphis, the Wizards played solid defense -- the Grizzlies shot 43.4 percent -- but were done in by a cold-shooting second half.

Arenas, Jamison and Butler combined to score 65 points on 24-of-53 shooting, but the rest of the team scored 17 points and the Washington bench, short of late without center Etan Thomas, was outscored 43-10.

With the new big three playing at a high level and guard Antonio Daniels becoming more of a factor at both ends of the court, such an effort should be more the exception than the rule.

"They have three pretty good players," New Orleans Hornets Coach Byron Scott said following his team's 110-99 loss to the Wizards on Friday. "They have a lot of good players but they have three they really rely on, especially on the offensive end and those three had pretty good nights against [the Hornets]. You can't trade baskets, or think that you are going to outscore a team like the Wizards."