Stevenson Finds His Touch

Wizard Emblematic of Team Thriving Without Arenas

When injuries struck Wizards all-stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler late last season, shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson squandered a rare opportunity.

Rather than displaying his offensive talent in the final year of his contract, Stevenson's consistent shooting touch disappeared down the stretch; he averaged 6.0 points on 19.6 percent shooting as the Wizards were swept out of the playoffs in the first round.

This season Arenas is out again, and Antonio Daniels is expected to miss two to four weeks with a sprained ligament in his right knee. But this time around Stevenson is thriving as the Wizards (13-10) continue to defy conventional wisdom by winning without their biggest star and several other players.

After signing a four-year, $15 million contract in July, Stevenson has scored in double figures in each of the last four games -- all Washington victories -- while making 45.3 percent of his shots.

Stevenson's production in the past three games has come mainly from the three-point line. In wins over Minnesota, Miami and Sacramento, Stevenson has connected on 15 of 30 long-range attempts and many have come during crucial moments, such as the third quarter of Saturday night's 92-79 win over the Kings, when Stevenson made three three-pointers during a 19-7 Washington run.

Stevenson, who struggled with his shooting early in the season and made 15 of 47 three-point attempts in the first 19 games (31.9 percent), does not have a simple explanation for his recent success, chalking it up to a mix of good ball movement, encouragement from teammates and confidence.

"I started off slow last year and I started off slow this year," Stevenson said. "I guess it took me awhile to find a rhythm. I didn't get a lot of shots in the beginning with Gilbert and those guys in there, so it takes time. Now I'm catching the ball and if it's there, I'm going to shoot it."

Adapting to a new role is not unusual on a team that is 10-5 since Arenas last played, and has been without veteran center Etan Thomas all season. Butler and Antawn Jamison have carried the bulk of the scoring load but they've received plenty of help.

Brendan Haywood is thriving as the team's only traditional center and posted his 10th double-double of the season on Saturday night with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Roger Mason Jr. is playing the best basketball of his career and is averaging 12.1 points on 50.8 percent shooting during the month of December. Andray Blatche, Darius Songaila, Nick Young and even rookie forward Dominic McGuire have carved out roles for themselves as well.

Casual NBA fans may look at the standings and wonder how Coach Eddie Jordan's team is succeeding, but opponents see how the Wizards are sharing the ball, hustling on defense and doing all of the little things that add up to wins.

And while nobody would suggest the team is better off without Arenas, there is a feeling that a solid foundation will be in place when he returns.

Arenas is expected to be cleared for basketball-related activity in two months but has established no firm timetable himself, saying that he will come back when the left knee feels "right."

"It will make them better when Arenas gets back and they get a chance to discover themselves," Kings forward Ron Artest said. "When Arenas comes back, his teammates will make things easier for him. He doesn't have to carry the whole load."

Stevenson credits Coach Eddie Jordan for putting players in positions to succeed regardless of what they've been asked to do in the past.

"I always say he's the best coach I've had," Stevenson said. "He just lets you play. I've never had a coach who just lets you play. He might say one or two things on a shot but right now, he knows the people he has, he's putting us in the right positions. Whenever you let your players get a feel for the game, you're going to get great production."

Wizards Note: Team president Ernie Grunfeld is expected to sign a free agent guard to a non-guaranteed contract, possibly today.

The Wizards are looking at several players, but would prefer a point guard with NBA experience. The most likely candidates are Keith McCleod, formerly with the Utah Jazz, and Mike Wilks, who has experience with several teams including the Denver Nuggets, who released him last month.