The Wiz minus Agent Zero

The Wizards have done a more than admirable job of staying afloat without Gilbert Arenas.

“They’ve had some guys step up in their individual performances, their team defense has seemed to get pretty good and they’re getting after it on both ends,” Avery Johnson said this morning.

It doesn’t hurt to have Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler.

“They are All-Star players,” Johnson added. “They’re not schmucks. They’re pretty good. It’s good to have those guys to fall back on.”