Tom Knott: Powerful opening statement for Wizards

That was Gilbert Arenas slicing through the defense of the Mavericks, hitting jumpers, finding teammates, picking his spots. That was the Wizards exercising their newfound familiarity with the defensive end of the floor. No one anticipated Wizards 102, Mavericks 91 in the season opener. No one anticipated the Wizards dispatching a highly competent team on the road, a team that wins 50-plus games each season as if it were mandated in the NBA bylaws. The Wizards so thoroughly answered the Mavericks that no late-game run materialized. The retooled Mavericks looked a whole lot like the bunch that is overly dependent ... Email </a