Over the last week or so, there’s been a lot of discussion over at Free Darko about the effect of playing two players with similar skill sets as a way to complement each other.  As Bethlehem Shoals put it:

I can’t remember if I’ve said this before, but I totally believe that the way to neutralize a star players’ limitations (or quirks) is to pair them with a similar player, not his logical opposite. Think Arenas/Hughes, or the Wade/Mayo thing that didn’t happen, or the Wade/Gordon rumor. Redundancy is the new complementary, unless you’ve thought really hard about the latter. And it seems like that could very easily bleed into the kind of philosophy I’m talking about, since there’s no reason that minimizing weaknesses has to take priority over stockpiling strengths.

No one can deny that the Arenas/Hughes pairing was a successful one.  In their 3 years together (1 in Golden State, 2 in Washington) the two of them teamed up to become the best backcourt duo in the league. Gilbert’s only trip to the second round of the playoffs came with Larry at his side and Hughes’ best season came with Gilbert that same year.

Since they’ve parted ways, they haven’t been able to recapture the magic.  Gilbert got a better 2nd option in Caron Butler and his numbers have gone up since Larry left, but he hasn’t been able to get out of the first round.  Meanwhile, Larry Hughes also found a better Batman to his Robin in LeBron James and he’s been able to make it farther into the playoffs, but his production has dropped off significantly since he left D.C.

Of course, there are other factors behind the failures that each of them have faced since they went their separate ways.  Gilbert’s only had one healthy season since Larry left, and Hughes’ game just wasn’t a good fit alongside LeBron’s.  But there’s no denying that the two had a unique, duplicative chemistry that helped both players.

While each player enhanced the other’s strengths, the one major weakness the two shared (man-to-man defense) reared it’s ugly head in the second round of the ‘04-’05 Playoffs when Dwyane Wade averaged 31 points as the Heat swept the Wizards out of the playoffs.  Because both of them were better suited to play off the ball, neither one had an answer for the slashing Wade.  Even though it was a flawed pairing, there’s no doubting that it was a successful pairing, even though it didn’t fit the tradition yin/yang pairing where each player’s strength balances out the other’s weakness:

Why did Hughes/Arenas sort of work? They couldn’t man up to save their lives, but they created a ton of turnovers by playing off each in passing lanes. Something that, incidentally, neither has matched since 2004-05. Now, it’s not like they were the same player: Hughes is a better rebounder and has a mid-range game, Arenas is deadlier off the dribble and bombs from anywhere. But the point is, their differences were incidental. What allowed them to work together well was their similarities.

So what allowed the two of them of work together where other duplicative combos failed?  I think there’s two factors involved:

1. Likemindedness - When you have two players with similar skill sets playing together, the natural reaction for both players is to see it as competition for one spot rather than work together to maximize their strengths.  Gilbert and Larry realized that they would only be as successful as their running mate, so they knew that they would have to find ways to make each other better.  It helped that the two of them were good friends during their time together and they continue to to have a close relationship to this day, so the need to show the other that they were the alpha dog was never an issue.
2. The system - The Princeton offense that the Wizards run doesn’t rely on a strict point guard, shooting guard classification as much as other teams, so their flexibility was an asset to the team, rather than a detriment.  If these new redundancy combos like Marion/Beasley and Randolph/Wright are going to work out, the coaches have to find a system that caters to their flexibility.

With all of that said, am I advocating a trade to bring Hughes back to D.C.?  Absolutely not.  Hughes is older, slower than he was back then and makes waaaaaaay too much money for it to be a viable option.  I just think that Shoals makes a very valid point that redundancy can work when it’s done the right way with the right personnel.

Is this the next signature shoe for Gilbert? The Adidas TS Creator debuted during the playoffs this year with players from the “brotherhood” wearing them but not Arenas. He chose to wear his TS Lightswitch Lows but plans to wear these this upcoming season. At least that was the plan…

Over the last few days, there’s probably been some bizarre visions floating around in your mind about what Gilbert’s pool is going to look like.  Now, thanks to the power of technology, the Bog, and a Wizards fan who had an in with the people building the pool we no longer have to imagine:

Of course, you still have to imagine that shark tank, at this point, but you can see the direction that the pool is headed toward.  You can check out some more pictures here.  One can only hope that someday a high-res picture of that mural with Gilbert standing in front of the Capitol and the White House with a pit bull will someday be available to the masses.

By now, you should know that the Mothering Hut is the place to check out for all sorts of Gilbert-related clothing, whether it’s his presidential campaign shirt, or this blingtastic item.

Today, they released added some new shirts to the fold (groans) including this beauty which should become an instant classic:

If you want to get your hands on this one, head over here.

Yesterday, Agent Steinz caught up with Fred Smoot to talk about a vast array of topics.  Mostly, the conversation centers Fred Smoot (which isn’t a big surprise if you know anything about Fred Smoot), but they manage to spend some time talking about one of Fred’s neighbors, who happens to be subject of this blog.  Here’s what he said about Gilbert’s new contract:

He’s worth every dollar, man. I think over the years he’s proved to be one of the best point guards by far in the league. And more than a point guard: he’s a scorer, he can play off the ball, he can play defense, and I think the Wizards did keep their guys together. If you want to make a run, you’ve got to keep your guys together.

Fred also dropped some information on what he’s doing with all that new money he has.

I actually need to stop by his house, because I rode by his house not too long ago and I think he put an oasis in his backyard, he’s got his pool and his waterfall back there….I seen a piece of mountain in his backyard the last time I passed through there. So when they finish carving into that mountain, I can go back there and see what he got going.

For those of you keeping track at home, Gilbert’s going to have a pool, a waterfall, and a mountain in his backyard.  All he needs now is a ride or two and he can probably get his backyard certified an official Six Flags amusement park.  Then again, he could probably get some nice ticket revenue on the pool alone.  Check out this info Dan found out about the new digs:

Oh, did I mention that Chris Knoche was on ESPN980’s Sports Reporters on Wednesday, and he said that he heard from a kid on the work crew that Gilbert’s putting three bull sharks in a massive aquarium that’s part of his new million-dollar outdoor pool complex.

Yowza!  That makes working out pitbulls on a treadmill downright normal in comparison.

Now, put that report together with this info that Gilbert provided some months ago on the pool:

I’m building it right now in my backyard: a replica of Hugh Hefner’s pool, only a little better. It has a grotto and everything, but with flatscreen TVs, a kitchen and a bathroom. No bunnies.

At this point, my biggest concern is whether or not Gilbert will actually ever swim in this pool.  Between the sharks, and the TV’s and all the other amenities, why would you even bother swimming?