Denton: Lewis Hoping to Regain Form
By John Denton
January 14, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Of particular frustration for Rashard Lewis is how foes have seemingly caught up with the Orlando Magic’s ways of getting him shots. Opponents have run him off the 3-point line, they’ve closely guarded his pick-and-pop plays and have smothered his post-up looks.
And Lewis’s frustration doesn’t end there.
“I’ve been trying,’’ Lewis said after Orlando’s embarrassing 115-97 loss to Denver on Wednesday. ``We’ve got guys coming off the bench getting more shots than myself and then there’s nothing I can really do. I feel like I’ve got to make every shot to have a good game or go eight for eight in order to have a good game.’’
In his third season with the Magic, Lewis has developed a reputation among his teammates and coaches as one of the squad’s most selfless, team-first players. He even spoke to his teammates in the first team meeting before training camp about the importance of sacrifice during last spring’s run to the NBA Finals and the need for more ego-free mentalities this season.
So the fact that Lewis, long a favorite of Van Gundy’s, is even mildly upset now says volumes about the offensive rut the Magic (26-13) have been stuck in.
Lewis, the NBA’s leader in 3-pointers made last season, was irked after getting just nine shots in Wednesday’s loss. That came a night after he played just 28 minutes in Sacramento, got only eight attempts and didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter.
``Every night in order for me to have a good game I feel like I have to make every shot, every last one of them because I’m not getting very many of them,’’ Lewis said. ``Not to blame it on me not getting shots because we’ve still got to play defense, but we’re just not getting in a good offensive rhythm as a team.
``It’s a different feel,’’ Lewis continued. ``I don’t like to complain too much about not getting shots at the offensive end, but if you’re losing ballgames and struggling then you might have to go say something.’’
Van Gundy has been equally frustrated at the Magic’s inability to get all-stars Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson and Lewis on the floor together. In 39 games so far this season, that foursome has started together just 10 times, and two of those games saw Carter leave early with injuries. The hope is to get Carter, who has missed the past three games with a sprained shoulder, back for Friday’s game in Portland.
What has bothered Van Gundy even more is that the Magic have been merely mediocre in the games that their foursome of all-stars have played together. They are just 5-5 in those games, and it’s been rare that all four have played well together. And in Wednesday’s loss to Denver, Howard, Lewis and Nelson all struggled, while Carter sat out.
``It’s not just them and I’m not placing it all on the players, but if we can’t get Jameer and Rashard going, we’re going to struggle,’’ Van Gundy said. ``The guys we’re getting points from on a nightly basis – our bench guys are doing a good job. We’re getting offense out of Matt (Barnes), (Mickael Pietrus) and J.J. (Redick) had a tough night and Ryan (Anderson) played well. But it’s our key guys who are struggling. I’ve got to find a way to get them going offensively and if I don’t we’re going to continue to struggle against good teams.’’
Lewis said teams have grown wise to many of the plays the Magic used to crush foes with last season. Teams rarely leave him now to double-team Howard inside because of Lewis’ 3-point stroke. They’ve limited the effectiveness of Orlando’s high-low play with Lewis at the top of the key and Howard rolling down the middle – a staple of the offense last season. And getting the ball to Lewis in the post has been a chore what with defenses hounding him.
Said Lewis: ``I just find myself floating around waiting to try and get a shot. Sometimes I have to force a shot and those aren’t good shots. Forced shots aren’t going to go in. Teams have done a good job of scouting us.’’
Van Gundy took responsibility for trying to find different ways to get Lewis free for shots. But he also noted that Lewis has ``really struggled on drives this year to finish.’’
Lewis doesn’t know how this season will finish, but he admitted that the start has been particularly frustrating because expectations are so high now and there’s a championship-or-bust mentality among the team. He was suspended for the first 10 games of the season by the NBA after taking a banned supplement last spring. There was a transition period after he returned as he worked to get his legs and shot back under him. And of late, he’s just asked for more looks to help the Magic shake out of their offensive funk.
All of it, he said, has worn his psyche and put a damper on a season he fully expected would be special.
``We’re not where we want to be or where we should be,’’ he said. ``Like right now, Vince is not playing and we’re still not building that chemistry as a team. There are a number of new guys who have come to this team and we’re not gelling.
``We’re playing OK, but we’re not elite. It almost feels like we’re a last-place team,’’ Lewis continued. ``Looking at the scouting report earlier today, when we played Denver last year we were something like 33-8. And we already have 12 losses now. For some reason, it just feels different, but we’ve got to find a way and make it work. This is our team, no excuses and we have to make the (stuff) work.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonJanuary 14, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
PORTLAND, Ore. – Of particular frustration for Rashard Lewis is how foes have seemingly caught up with the Orlando Magic’s ways of getting him shots. Opponents have run him off the 3-point line, they’ve closely guarded his pick-and-pop plays and have smothered his post-up looks.
And Lewis’s frustration doesn’t end there.
“I’ve been trying,’’ Lewis said after Orlando’s embarrassing 115-97 loss to Denver on Wednesday. ``We’ve got guys coming off the bench getting more shots than myself and then there’s nothing I can really do. I feel like I’ve got to make every shot to have a good game or go eight for eight in order to have a good game.’’
In his third season with the Magic, Lewis has developed a reputation among his teammates and coaches as one of the squad’s most selfless, team-first players. He even spoke to his teammates in the first team meeting before training camp about the importance of sacrifice during last spring’s run to the NBA Finals and the need for more ego-free mentalities this season.
So the fact that Lewis, long a favorite of Van Gundy’s, is even mildly upset now says volumes about the offensive rut the Magic (26-13) have been stuck in.
Lewis, the NBA’s leader in 3-pointers made last season, was irked after getting just nine shots in Wednesday’s loss. That came a night after he played just 28 minutes in Sacramento, got only eight attempts and didn’t play at all in the fourth quarter.
``Every night in order for me to have a good game I feel like I have to make every shot, every last one of them because I’m not getting very many of them,’’ Lewis said. ``Not to blame it on me not getting shots because we’ve still got to play defense, but we’re just not getting in a good offensive rhythm as a team.
``It’s a different feel,’’ Lewis continued. ``I don’t like to complain too much about not getting shots at the offensive end, but if you’re losing ballgames and struggling then you might have to go say something.’’
Van Gundy has been equally frustrated at the Magic’s inability to get all-stars Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson and Lewis on the floor together. In 39 games so far this season, that foursome has started together just 10 times, and two of those games saw Carter leave early with injuries. The hope is to get Carter, who has missed the past three games with a sprained shoulder, back for Friday’s game in Portland.
What has bothered Van Gundy even more is that the Magic have been merely mediocre in the games that their foursome of all-stars have played together. They are just 5-5 in those games, and it’s been rare that all four have played well together. And in Wednesday’s loss to Denver, Howard, Lewis and Nelson all struggled, while Carter sat out.
``It’s not just them and I’m not placing it all on the players, but if we can’t get Jameer and Rashard going, we’re going to struggle,’’ Van Gundy said. ``The guys we’re getting points from on a nightly basis – our bench guys are doing a good job. We’re getting offense out of Matt (Barnes), (Mickael Pietrus) and J.J. (Redick) had a tough night and Ryan (Anderson) played well. But it’s our key guys who are struggling. I’ve got to find a way to get them going offensively and if I don’t we’re going to continue to struggle against good teams.’’
Lewis said teams have grown wise to many of the plays the Magic used to crush foes with last season. Teams rarely leave him now to double-team Howard inside because of Lewis’ 3-point stroke. They’ve limited the effectiveness of Orlando’s high-low play with Lewis at the top of the key and Howard rolling down the middle – a staple of the offense last season. And getting the ball to Lewis in the post has been a chore what with defenses hounding him.
Said Lewis: ``I just find myself floating around waiting to try and get a shot. Sometimes I have to force a shot and those aren’t good shots. Forced shots aren’t going to go in. Teams have done a good job of scouting us.’’
Van Gundy took responsibility for trying to find different ways to get Lewis free for shots. But he also noted that Lewis has ``really struggled on drives this year to finish.’’
Lewis doesn’t know how this season will finish, but he admitted that the start has been particularly frustrating because expectations are so high now and there’s a championship-or-bust mentality among the team. He was suspended for the first 10 games of the season by the NBA after taking a banned supplement last spring. There was a transition period after he returned as he worked to get his legs and shot back under him. And of late, he’s just asked for more looks to help the Magic shake out of their offensive funk.
All of it, he said, has worn his psyche and put a damper on a season he fully expected would be special.
``We’re not where we want to be or where we should be,’’ he said. ``Like right now, Vince is not playing and we’re still not building that chemistry as a team. There are a number of new guys who have come to this team and we’re not gelling.
``We’re playing OK, but we’re not elite. It almost feels like we’re a last-place team,’’ Lewis continued. ``Looking at the scouting report earlier today, when we played Denver last year we were something like 33-8. And we already have 12 losses now. For some reason, it just feels different, but we’ve got to find a way and make it work. This is our team, no excuses and we have to make the (stuff) work.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
