DCist was lucky enough to get Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood on our NBA fantasy team this year and so far all three are making us look like a regular Ernie Grunfeld. On Saturday night Arenas and Jamison combined for 53 points and 16 rebounds while Haywood pulled down 10 rebounds and added four blocked shots and the Wizards won their home opener 87-79 over the Orlando Magic.

But the team’s offense hasn’t been the big story so far in this young NBA season. The Wiz are using an improved team defense to make up for their occasional sloppy play and rough patches on offense. They held the Magic to just 31% shooting Saturday night, which helped mask the fact that at 40%, the Wiz didn’t shoot much better. After three games, the Wizards are shooting 45% from the field as a team while holding their opponents to only 35% shooting. “It’s early in the season,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “Probably the defense is ahead of the offense for most teams. You just have to take it as it comes.”

Despite struggling at times during the preseason, Arenas and Jamison have picked up right where they left off last year. The duo are respectively ninth and thirteenth in the NBA in scoring. Both are shooting an impressive 47% from the field after three games. Haywood is currently tied for sixth in blocked shots.

But the news hasn’t been entirely good for the Wiz. Caron Butler sat out his second straight game with a bruised thigh and newly acquired Antonio Daniels sprained his left ankle in the third quarter and did not return. The team said Daniels would undergo x-rays and would be re-evaluated today.

Last night’s game was the first of a four game homestand for the Wizards. The team hosts the LA Clippers on Wednesday, the Seattle Supersonics on Friday and the World Champion San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

(AP Photo taken by Evan Vucci)