Wizards are hot, but is Arenas a legit MVP candidate?

	Gilbert Arenas has been the driving force behind the Wizards' rise to first place. John W. McDonough/SI
	MAILBAG Marty Burns will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

They are one of the NBA's stealth teams. Despite back-to-back playoff appearances, the Wizards seldom get mentioned in the discussion about top Eastern contenders. Maybe it's because they were bounced in the playoffs by the Heat and Cavs, respectively, the past two years. Maybe it's because they don't play any defense.

But with a new emphasis on D in D.C. (they're trying now, at least), and a wide-open East race, it might be time to give the Wiz a new look. Washington had won 14 of 18 games heading into Friday's matchup with the Clippers. Included among their victims during that stretch are the Mavs, Suns, Lakers and red-hot Bucks, whom they defeated Wednesday night on Gilbert Arenas' 32-foot three-pointer at the buzzer.

Basically, the Wizards are the Suns of the East. With Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, they are averaging 107 points per game, second only to Phoenix (110.3). They have surpassed 100 in 15 straight games. If they can somehow pick up their defense a bit, as Dallas did two years ago and Phoenix has done to some extent this season, the Wizards could indeed become a major factor in the East. At the very least, they will start to get mentioned with the likes of Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland and Miami.

Now on to the questions ...

Regarding your article about Steve Nash as the front-runner for the MVP, I have no argument about Nash's season. But your rundown of the rest of the field has one glaring omission: Gilbert Arenas. His numbers are up across the board from last year, and he's the centerpiece of a center-less team currently in first place. When we look at the MVP race, even this early in the season, the first thing a lot of folks in the media seem to do is run down a laundry list of players who "should" be in contention. How are LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, Duncan, Kobe and Yao doing? Not so great? Then Nash must be the guy. It appears that you had this exact thought process, all the while ignoring the remarkable feats of Agent Zero.
-- Josh Patten, Arlington, Va.

Sorry, Josh (and all the other Arenas fans who flooded my mailbox Thursday), but I had to cut off the list at some point. There's no doubt Arenas is a great scorer, and he had a spectacular December. But the Wizards have been so mediocre the past two years that it's comical to say Arenas deserves to be a serious MVP candidate. It's the same reason I wouldn't vote for Carmelo Anthony right now (well, that and the fact that he got himself kicked out for 15 games). They're great scorers but they need to win something -- or do a whole lot more than just fill the basket -- if they're going to be considered among the real MVP candidates. If Arenas can make the Wizards consistent winners -- as Nash has done in Phoenix -- he'll get plenty of consideration for MVP.

Now that Allen Iverson has been traded, what other big names do you think will be on the move?
-- Ricardo Ortiz, Bayamon, Puerto Rico

Ron Artest and Corey Maggette are the most likely candidates, maybe for each other. Other names known to be available include Morris Peterson, Jamaal Magloire, Steve Francis, Eddie Jones, Damon Stoudamire, P.J. Brown, Delonte West and Earl Watson. There are also three All-Stars whom some believe could be moved down the road if their teams continue to struggle: Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal and Pau Gasol.