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Blue Magic · 04-18-2008, 11:36 AM

I know a lot of people look a 'Shard and his contract and say, "Yeah he's good, but he's not THAT GOOD", and they have the right to say that, but this article actually makes some good points as to what he has brought to this team outside of just boxscores.

Quote:

"Sweet Lou" has been exactly what the team needed to take the next step in the maturation process. Unfortunately, Rashard's contributions have been lost in the discussions of his massive contract. Different from the guy working at the gas station, everyone knows how much money Rashard is making. So instead of appreciating what he is doing, many people have started to put a price tag on every aspect of his game, hoping to convince themselves and others that he isn't worth that contract.

Each jumper is worth $250,000, while layups are $175,000. Assists are $150,000 a piece, $225,000 if the pass goes to Dwight. Everyone likes a dunk so those are worth $300,000. At the end of each game fans that believe Rashard is overpaid start tallying up what they believe he earned for the night – knowing fans the way we do, chances are they're going to say he owes money.

This is the wrong way to evaluate his game.

Looking at Rashard – or any other player – in terms of dollars and cents causes you to miss what they're doing for the team. Certain things can't be measured in money.

For example, look at what he's done for Dwight's game. Coming into games against the Magic last season, opponents knew that Dwight didn't deal with double-teams well. So they throw two guys at him and he would throw the ball in the crowd. Now teams know they're taking a major chance if they double-team Dwight because you can't leave Rashard alone – he'll kill you from the outside. Dwight has enjoyed a breakout year due in large part to the new found operating space he has on the floor.

Then there is Hedo. He has always had the game to be an All-Star – too bad Brian Hill didn't see it last year – but playing with Rashard has made him much more dangerous. His touch from the outside gives Hedo more open lanes to the basket than Emmitt Smith had holes to the end zone – well maybe not that many, but you can see where this is going. Hedo, like Dwight, has a lot of room to be creative on the floor. Now Hedo can showcase the many skills he has.

Quote:

Lewis also gives the Magic other attributes that don't show up in the stats.

Leadership: Rashard gives the Magic an All-Star caliber player that commands respect on the floor and in the locker room. The Magic struggled in this area last year; they had a lot of soldiers, but no generals. Now the Magic have someone to look to for direction, which makes a world of difference for this team.

Selfless attitude: he has taken a backseat to Hedo and Dwight this season. Sacrificing his game so the team can get better is something not many guys are doing these days.

Experience: Rashard has been in the league almost 10 years. He has faced most of the top players in the game and has been successful against them. He knows how to play the game, most importantly he knows what to expect when playing against top-notch competition.

Creditability: his leadership, experience, and track record give the Magic instant creditability. Guys around the league know how good Rashard is and how much better he can become playing with a dominant center. So when the Magic come to town, teams know they have their hands full.

Sure, Rashard could get a few more rebounds. He could attack the basket more and a few 40-point games wouldn't hurt, but he's done a good job so far. He was brought to Orlando to win a championship - anything short of that will be a failure - so there is more to do.

Hopefully what has been written will buy him some time, championships aren't won overnight.

If not try think about it this way – where would the Magic be without him, yeah playing the Celtics in the first round is a scary thought.
About the Author: JARROD RUDOLPH

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He has helped us win 52 games, lock-up a 3rd seed for the playoffs, doing all of this while playing out of position, all season long....I say, so far so good. Instead of looking at what he is doing wrong or pointing out his flaws, maybe we should be looking at the areas that he has really helped us out in. Instead of us saying, "Hedo deserves his contract", maybe we should look at it as "'Shard is sacrificing his extra shots and stats for the betterment of the team." He is a team player and that is what I like about him. If he knows him being on the court can open up things for Dwight and Hedo, then he will defer to them and not force things. I like what he brings to our team.

seifer0406 · 04-18-2008, 03:16 PM

well, Rashard Lewis wasn't someone that would come in and ruin a team, people knew that before he played a single game in Orlando.

That said, the Magic overpaid for him because no other team would've paid anything close to that money. In that sense, the question "Is Rashard worth it" was answered when he signed that contract since he could average 18 points or 38 points, you could've gotten him for about 60% of what he got right now. Not to mention it's hard to use "not playing the Celtics this year" as a valid reason to justify the signing. The thing that people are worried about is a few years down the road when Rashard is 30 something and be still making max money.

afobisme · 04-18-2008, 03:51 PM

simple answer is no.

DienerTime · 04-18-2008, 05:54 PM

nobody is worth 20 million let alone shard

Babir · 04-18-2008, 06:30 PM

depends how far we go in playoffs...

MickyEyez · 04-18-2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seifer0406

well, Rashard Lewis wasn't someone that would come in and ruin a team, people knew that before he played a single game in Orlando.

That said, the Magic overpaid for him because no other team would've paid anything close to that money. In that sense, the question "Is Rashard worth it" was answered when he signed that contract since he could average 18 points or 38 points, you could've gotten him for about 60% of what he got right now. Not to mention it's hard to use "not playing the Celtics this year" as a valid reason to justify the signing. The thing that people are worried about is a few years down the road when Rashard is 30 something and be still making max money.

completely agreed...

i'm glad as heck that we signed him in the offseason, but the only team we outbid for shard was ourselves. They didn't let shard shop a lil bit and then come to a reasonable figure, seemed like because he was the top FA, Smith decided to just throw a max deal at him.

He fits this team extremely well and does bring a lot of intangibles and again, he has helped the team to the next level along with SVG... but a couple years down the road is when we will really question whether or not he is still producing and still worth that price tag. It obviously hurts us in the future as well when we are trying to build depth so i guess as long as we draft well we have nothing to worry about?

now what do we do when Hedo is a FA and he sees that his numbers are better than the next guy, but that guy gets... well you guys get the picture.

i'm honestly hoping that things continue with the way they are, but a couple years down the road we may need shard to step it up and start taking over games and giving a little bit more in all aspects of the game and i'm not too sure whether or not that will happen. you gotta remember we didn't give him a 5 year max... we stepped it up and gave him the flat out FULL 6 year max deal. we also probably crippled ourselves for a signing of the big FA class coming up. hopefully we get deep in the playoffs because we need to start winning with the team we have now (this year and next year).

this offseason will also be key for Smith because of how many guys have contracts that are up after this season...

Idunkonyou · 04-19-2008, 05:40 AM

The Magic improved by 12 games over last year and won their division, while also rising 5 seeds in the process. I'd say he was worth it. The Magic are in position now to really be a force for a while in the eastern conference. Lewis is what he is. A good 3p shooter, who is decent on defense. His 3p shot could be key for us in a few years when we are legit contenders. The Magic even with out Lewis's huge contract are still a legit starting PG and SG away from being one of the top 5 elite teams in the NBA. I think they will be fine if they can keep their core together (Howard, Hedo, Lewis) while maybe adding another player worthy of being in that group and maybe another solid bench player. Basically we are a piece or two away from challenging for the NBA title on a season to season basis. Can Otis get those pieces this offseason? It is possible. A little luck in the draft which should be stacked so some good talent will fall our way, a good trade and the signing of an MLE player could get the job done.

It is a wait and see approach. I don't think we will get any worse, not with Battie coming back, Fran coming over and the other additions that are likely to happen this summer. The two guys that are must keepers are Dooling and Evans who are the Magic spark plugs and who both should be coming off the bench. If we could get to that point, then the Magic have certainly taken a step in the right direction.

NikesNextDynasty · 04-21-2008, 08:49 AM

I believe so, I also believe a 12 game imporvement, better chemistry, and a better player on the team is worth 20 million.

charliexmurphey · 04-22-2008, 08:29 AM

definitely one of the biggest improvements of the magic ever

they are doing just so good

**Ruff Draft** · 04-22-2008, 08:32 AM

I don't think so. Stan Van Gundy is the key.

KennethTo · 04-22-2008, 10:19 AM

good signing, Orlando was just stupid to pay him that much, they could have had him for 10 to 12 mm a year because no one else was going after him really

**bigbabyjesus** · 04-22-2008, 08:03 PM

God no.

If your getting paid 120 million, you better be a top 10 player, top 15-20 at absolute worst.

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