Rashard Lewis needs to step up
When the Cavs saw their season end in Boston following a decisive Game Six loss and the entire basketball world was busy making it all about LeBron James, I thought the two most fortunate guys in the League were Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams.
With all the attention being paid to LeBron’s mishaps during a 27-point, 19-rebound, 10-assist effort, Jamison quietly went 2-for-10 (5 pts), while Williams followed up a 20-point first half with a 2-point second half, short-arming jumpers left and right as the Cavs let the game get away from them. And you wonder why LeBron is going to exit Cleveland to find a better supporting cast?
Meanwhile, in Orlando, they’ve got a similar situation following last night’s Game 2 loss to Boston. Vince Carter is taking most of the heat for missing two clutch free throws with 30 seconds left, and J.J. Redick (to a lesser extent) is being blamed for his clock-management gaffe in the final seconds, but nobody is talking about Rashard Lewis.
After averaging 19.6 points in the last three games of the Magic/Hawks conference semifinals, Lewis has been M.I.A. against Boston. In two games he’s scored a total of 11 points, hitting just 4-of-16 shots from the field and 1-of-9 beyond the arc. And when he’s not missing shots, Lewis is passing up open looks, playing hesitant, or just disappearing into the background for long stretches at a time. The highest-paid player on the Magic — pulling in $18.8 million this season, $20.5M next season, $22.1M in 2011-12, and finally $23.7M in the last year of his deal — has been their worst player in this series.
And yet going through the Orlando newspapers this morning, I never saw Lewis specifically called out. In an Orlando Sentinel piece titled, “Everything You Need To Know From Orlando’s 95-92 Loss…,” in a paragraph naming the “goats” of the game, it says: “Magic fans will blame the refereeing crew of Joe DeRosa, Marc Davis and Bill Kennedy. There were plenty of questionable calls, including several instances in the first half in which Rajon Rondo appeared to drag his pivot foot but wasn’t called for traveling.”
That’s it? While there were definitely some bad calls that went against the Magic down the stretch, how do you not mention Lewis there? In the fourth quarter, when the game was still up for grabs, Lewis missed what would have been a game-tying layup with six minutes left, then bricked what would have been a game-tying three-pointer a couple minutes later. Those were the only shots he took in the quarter.
The most puzzling part is that Lewis has a history of playing well against the Celtics. Earlier this season he made a game-winning layup on them with 1.3 seconds left in a national TV game. In last year’s conference semis, Lewis dropped 20.4 points in seven games on Boston, and not once did he take fewer than 14 field goal attempts or four triples in a game. Last night he took six shots total and was mostly a bystander. So maybe one of Doc Rivers‘ strategies was to take Lewis out this series — although you’d think Boston’s coach would be primarily concerned with Dwight Howard and Carter. Watching Rashard on the court, it just seems like he’s mentally checked out.
Carter, when asked what Orlando can do now facing an 0-2 series deficit, talked about motivation.
“I just feel like we know what needs to be done,” Vince said. “Right now, it’s not about the whole great motivational speech. I think the first step of overcoming that frustration is that everybody still believes, and that takes you miles and miles and that could put us over the hump right there. It’s like, OK, regardless of the position we’re in, we still feel like we can win. We can win games.”
Is Rashard Lewis on that page with Carter and the rest of the Magic believers? Does he believe he can turn around his play, and as a result, the series? How he plays early in Game 3 will be telling. Even if his shots aren’t falling at first, Lewis simply being aggressive and making the defense respect him can go a long way in opening up the lane for Howard, Carter and Jameer Nelson going to the basket.
Just doing is part on defense isn’t enough. Even if Rashard was locking down his defensive assignment and pulling down double-digit rebounds per game — which he’s not — Orlando pays him to get buckets. He’s never been a “Gimme the rock and get outta the way,” type of offensive threat, but if Lewis is launching that jumper that made him an All-Star with any kind of confidence, it’s not too late for him or his team.
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May 19th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Gunner J. Matthews says:
Rashard Lewis needs to give half his check back. I sometimes forget how much Orlando gave him to be the third guy
May 19th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
boomshakalaka says:
Find some better juice that won’t get detected in a drug test.
May 19th, 2010 at 4:57 pm
sh!tfaced says:
Think Rashard misses Hedo more than anybody thought. When Hedo was in the lineup, he could get away playing “small” most of the time.
Without Turkoglu, he’s just about the closest thing to an enforcer Dwight has on the floor and it definitely affected his game, especially with the brand of basketball the Celtics play.
It’s either that or he misses the ‘roids. Or both. LOL
May 19th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
TIP says:
“The highest-paid player on the Magic — pulling in $18.8 million this season, $20.5M next season, $22.1M in 2011-12, and finally $23.7M in the last year of his deal…”
What a disgraceful contract…still can’t believe this is for real.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
boomshakalaka says:
@ TIP
you just pointed out 4 good reasons why this guy does not give a fuck. Dude is definitely NOT a winner.
I bet the only place he’s aggressive and knockin people out of his way as he drives the lane is at the BANK, when he’s cashin his check.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Bill says:
Rashard is scaredddddddddddd of KG.
Nough said.
May 19th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
karizmatic says:
I never thought Mo Williams deserved any criticism for the Cavs loss, he did about as well as he could. Mo Williams was never going to score more than about 22 points in game 6. Once he dropped 20 in the first half I knew it was about all he had. He had carried them that far it was on LBJ and Jamison to take up the slack, obviously Jamison does deserve some of the blame for shooting 2-10 though, but Jamison has always been a choker, so it wasn’t a surprise and that’s why I think no one is talking about it.
But yeah to the real point of this article everyone knows that the success of the Magic hinges on Rashard Lewis stepping up and at least being a versatile threat on defense, there really isn’t anyone on the Celtics who can guard him. Another versatile underachievng 6’10 guy.
smh.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
len-e says:
could you just stop pathetically including lebron in every single fuckin post. it’s so obvious you trying to push posting numbers. it even works with me.
May 19th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
ianny b says:
this guy is getting paid like a superstar and his game hasn’t been anywhere close. saying he has to step up is an understatement. he was signmed to lead the team but barely shows up. All he’s known for are his verbal spats with Stan.Also cheating on his wife wityh that stripper.
C’mon rasheed take it back to your days with seatle, ray-ray is holding his own.
May 19th, 2010 at 7:22 pm
Jeremiah Togstad says:
What is worse: Disappearing by taking no shots and playing hesitant, or playing a downright awful game but still jacking up mad shots?
Dimemag said, “Even if his shots aren’t falling at first, Lewis simply being aggressive and making the defense respect him can go a long way in opening up the lane for Howard, Carter and Jameer Nelson going to the basket.”
That sounds like it would be better for Lewis to jack up more shots, regardless if he’s being smothered by KG. I think that’s what many people are forgetting: KG has been attached to Rashard’s hip the whole game. I credit Boston’s D more than Rashard’s passive play.
Regardless though, Lewis has managed to perform his own brand of Magic by disappearing right before our eyes during a live-televised basketball game. Amazing.
May 19th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Cal says:
Maybe Jameer Nelson is sleepin with his mom..I couldnt resist that one. It really does seem as if something is bothering him. He seems hesistant and unsure of his game. Everyplayer in the NBA was atleast a high school superstar. Its as if Rashard has lost that swag. I hope he gets it back and they make the series interesting, in 3 weeks when they play again.
http://diaryofatiredblackman.wordpress.com/
May 19th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
realist says:
rashard lewis needs to step up= understatement of the postseason
May 20th, 2010 at 7:33 am
scottish says:
Its probably not a good idea to throw bass in there since he hasnt played all season…but i still think he would do more for the magic than lewis has been doing. He played 41 minutes in game 2 and did absolutely nothing yet SVG never yanks him off the field.
May 20th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Joe's Momma says:
This guys is playing like he is afraid of KG, I guess thats what happens when you play a sf as your starting 4 man. I thought they were going to rectify that a little by signing the undersized Brandon Bass, but he can’t seem to crack the rotation.
Last year Boston played without KG, and still took them to seven. Thats why Lewis had a monster series against them. Maybe having to play defense against some post players is making Lewis expend too much energy. He either has to play KG, or Sheed who is going to the post more this series than the entire regular season.
Gooch is actually playing better in less mins than Lewis, can you say 124 million dollar mistake. Was anyone bidding against Orlando when they tried to sign him? Or did Otis bumble that one. I don’t get why they went after a 3 man, when they had Turk then. I see that they are trying to load them with shooters, but they are expecting Howard to pull down 20 boards a game.
Carter is not to blame, he is doing a decent job. Nelson is getting worked by Rondo. And Lewis is playing like he can’t hang with Candace Parker, and that is no knock on CP3, she is a beast (and a hottie also).
May 20th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Bizz says:
The funniest thing about all of this, was in Common and Queen Latifah’s movie “Just Wright”…the Eastern All-Star team starting 5 was Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Common, and….
RASHARD LEWIS.
LMFAO.
May 22nd, 2010 at 2:16 am
Don says:
Rashard Lewis makes a ton of money to be nothing more than a role player. Who in the world offered him a max contract?
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Okene .W. Edward says:
Man if this guy is been paid that much, then he really needs to step up. Man they need to raise their game or the celtics will lock it down after game 3 and its G.O. I love the magic but the celtics are killing them, well D.H really needs help, he cant do it alone.