Guard Gilbert Arenas has led the resurgence of the Washington Wizards, and the former Grant High standout said he was also impressed with the new-look Clippers.

Both are "two franchises that have been in the doghouse for centuries now, so it's great for both teams that we've got off to good starts," said Arenas, who won the NBA's 2002-03 most-improved-player award.

The Clippers had hoped to bring in Arenas before the 2003-04 season, Coach Mike Dunleavy said, but he signed with the Wizards.

"You want to be at home, but you don't want all the distractions of being at home," he said . "When I go home, I usually need 170 tickets. I couldn't imagine spending that every night."