They'll be better than Cleveland.

I'm talking about the Wizards. Yes, those Wizards. The ones who kicked MJ to the curb. The ones who are again hearing the worst insult in sports: Clippers of the East.

But everybody back off. Back off because they're going to be better off without Michael. I didn't think it was possible when they fired him in April and I didn't even think it last month, but Gilbert Arenas changes everything.

	With young talent like Etan Thomas, left, the Wizards should finish higher than LeBron's Cavs.

What an offseason! The last time the Wizards/Bullets landed a young, marquee free agent, I think it was ... never. Bobby D. is the closest thing -- he got them their title in '78 -- but he was ancient compared to Arenas. This Arenas guy is 21, averaged 18 points a game and was just named the league's most improved player. He lit up one particular team up for 41 in March -- the Wiz -- and, unless Golden State dumps half their team, they can't match the six-year, $64 million offer sheet he just signed with Washington.

You've got to hand it to the old man: He's got a temper. Owner Abe Pollin, 79, told the season-ticket holders they could have their money back if they didn't like his offseason, and I wouldn't take him up on it now. Part of it was luck (Larry Brown and Jeff Van Gundy turning him down), but now Pollin has the right coach, the right general manager and the right point guard. After he blew Jordan out, word was no one wanted to work for the man. But money talks, and Pollin has just used the cash he made off of Michael to fix the team.

In Eddie Jordan, he has a player's coach who can X and O with the best of 'em. Everybody talks about Eddie using the Princeton offense, but that's only in a half-court set. Otherwise, he likes his team to run, and that's what sold Arenas on Washington. And the Wizards have the personnel to get up and down now. Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Kwame Brown et al, all excel in the open court, whereas Michael cramped their style last year. Or should I say, Doug Collins did. The egocentric coach never figured out the strengths of his team. But Eddie Jordan will.

Getting Ernie Grunfeld to be general manager was just as important, assuming it's the New York Ernie. The Milwaukee Ernie I didn't know what to make of. He traded Glenn Robinson for practically nothing and Ray Allen for practically nothing, and either George Karl made him do it, or Washington had better keep an eye on him. But based on his ability to close the Arenas deal and because he hasn't panicked yet and given up on Kwame, he's an improvement. Actually, anything's an improvement for a franchise -- must I say this again? -- that trades away Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond, Rasheed Wallace for Rod Strickland and Ben Wallace for Ike Austin.

But that's over now. The Wizards have youth and talent, and also have a veteran who can get to the foul line in Stackhouse (who re-upped and is now signed through 2007). They didn't have a perimeter game last year, but Arenas and the rookie Jarvis Hayes change that. Their average age, as of today, is 24, and the projected 2003-2004 starting lineup is definitely reputable.

	No one thinks they could even win the Big East. No one thinks they matter. But Gilbert Arenas signed anyway -- $64 million will do that -- and now they've got a chance. In 2005.

It'll be Arenas at point guard, Stackhouse at shooting guard, Jared Jeffries or the rookie Hayes at small forward, Brown at power forward and Brendan Haywood at center. Jahidi White is beef off the bench and may end up starting over Haywood; Hughes can play three spots; Etan Thomas can rebound and score a little; Juan Dixon can shoot it; Bobby Simmons is a sleeper; and Christian Laettner is a spot-up shooter. There still won't be an inside presence, and they're still not a playoff team, but neither was Michael's Wizards.

At least they'll be better than Cleveland. With Michael, the Wizards were America's Team, the best draw in the league. Everybody got up for them. But not now -- that banner will go to the Cavaliers. LeBron James is going to be a marked man, which means no one's going to give Cleveland a low-effort game. The Cavaliers won't be able to sneak up on anybody.

But the Wizards will. They'll get zero hype. Right now, no one thinks they could even win the Big East. No one thinks they matter. But Gilbert Arenas signed anyway -- $64 million will do that -- and now they've got a chance. In 2005.

In the meantime, I bet in their conference this year they'll finish ahead of Miami, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Milwaukee, Toronto and LeBron.

That means they ain't the Clippers of the East. They're more like the Rockets of the East. Just wait and see.

Tom Friend is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. E-mail him at tom.friend@espnmag.com.