"Where's the scoring from the starting five?" - Gilbert Arenas called out former Wizards teammates after his trade to Orlando

During the final stretch of his seven-year stint with the Washington Wizards, Gilbert Arenas faced a situation he hadn't encountered much before: coming off the bench. This change wasn't without reason, as 'Agent Zero' received an explanation that, in hindsight, he found completely baffling.

" The excuse was that they needed scoring off the bench. My questions was, 'Where's the scoring from the starting five?'" recounted Arenas, per Times Herald-Record.

'Agent Zero' certainly had a point

The Wizards kicked off the 2010-11 season without 'Agent Zero' in their starting lineup. Instead, they relied on Andray Blatche, Al Thornton, and JaVale McGee in the frontcourt. Rookie John Wall took the point guard position, while veteran Kirk Hinrich played shooting guard.

Eventually, after a few weeks into the season, Gil joined the starting lineup for nine games and made a notable impact, frequently leading the team in scoring. One of his standout performances came against the Magic on November 27 , when he scored 31 points.

In hindsight, the three-time All-Star was right with his remark. That season, Arenas (17.3 points) and Nick Young (17.4 points) stood as the team's top scorers despite not being guaranteed starters. Blatche led the starting group in scoring but averaged only 16.8 points per game, which was quite low compared to other starting lineups in the league. Given this, it's no surprise that Flip Saunders' team faced significant challenges at the time, finishing with a disappointing record of 23-59.

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Embracing the same role in Orlando

At the beginning of December that year, 'Agent Zero' unexpectedly found himself out of the lineup again, taking a seat in two consecutive games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns. The 6'4" guard mentioned that he "sensed" something was off when that decision was made.

"I figured they were probably shipping me out because I was playing well, and some people would probably have some interest in me,'" Gil reflected.

One team that showed interest in him, likely due to his impressive past performances against them, was the Orlando Magic . They eventually presented a trade package that convinced the Wizards, leading to Rashard Lewis and Arenas swapping places on December 18, 2010.

Upon arriving in his home state of Florida, the 2003 MIP also assumed the role of a bench player. However, 'Agent Zero' didn't see it as a big issue this time.

"I'm coming off the bench," he said at the time. "Jameer's [Nelson] starting and Jason [Richardson]… that's the group. I'm coming off the bench, and I do what I do. I don't want to start. This team is too talented."

Gil played 49 regular-season games for the Magic and started in only two. In 21.8 minutes on the court, he averaged 8.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.

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