Rashard Lewis Thread Out of Nowhere

[Ed Wood]

Since their much talked about swap Gilbert Arenas has averaged 10.4 points and 5.0 assists with a TS% of 46.7 and Rashard Lewis has averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds with a TS% of 50.2 (yeah that's right, 50.2 is the good number here). In an enormous sample size of one game Lewis was better than sex tonight with a frosty 16/13/6 line on 5/11 shooting (3/6 from three) with no turnovers and three steals. But this is not a thread about Gilbert Arenas, seriously it is not, don't you even do it.

So, is this a Rashard Lewis appreciation thread? You tell me. I appreciate that he's not Yi Jianlian, I appreciate that he is, by all reports, a hard working professional, and I appreciate that he is apparently the only guy on the team who can grow a normal looking goatee. Sure, the cat's got contract for miles and he left a lot of long balls (chicks dig 'em) in Seattle but right now I am saying that Rashard Lewis is on my team and I ain't even mad. Maybe I will be next time he bricks half a dozen threes or is a whole lot of bad on defense but that's a post for another time and another me who has yet to be born.

Tonight Rashard gets his own thread. What goes in it is up to him, but right now I'm thinking it needs a little housewarming gift. Don't even thank me Rashard:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_wEs9x7G3w[/youtube]

[AceDegenerate]

The Wiz record Vs. Magic record since the trade?

/thread.

[MJG]

The Wiz record Vs. Magic record since the trade?

/thread.

How does that even begin to relate? Orlando was better than us before the trade as well, should we not have appreciated any of our players then either?

[FAH1223]

he has been playing pretty decent, i'm not mad

[GhostsOfGil]

here here. add me to im not mad

[Zonkerbl]

Yeah, Rashard doesn't suck. And he isn't too great either, so you don't get your hopes up only to have them miserably dashed. He is what he is, fits in well with the roster, professional guy, team player. Was worried his defense would suck but apparently it's ok. So far so good.

[AceDegenerate]

It's nice that we can be proud of the 2nd biggest contract in the NBA just because we didn't sign it, but acquired it.

However, we had a player here that was besting Shart's stats that many wanted gone.

Rashard is not helping this team win games, well.. I guess no one really is huh? With what, 2-3 wins since the trade?

Shart Lewis has no spot on this team if it's ever going to be good, but go ahead and wave the pom-poms for the overpaid scrub.



[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7dg60QBvJs[/youtube]

[nate33]

The best thing would have been for Arenas to return to his superstar status and play well at shooting guard alongside Wall. That didn't happen.

The next best thing would have been to trade Arenas for a superstar player that fit better. That was totally unrealistic.

The next best thing would have been to trade Arenas for a solid starter who is a perfect fit in the system and who has a contract that expired by 2012. We got almost exactly that. (The only difference is that we Lewis $10M in 2012/13, but at least it's less than Arenas' $21M.) It really turned out to be a great trade.

The thing that's really nice is that he fills the one hole in our roster (assuming we plan to stick with our core of Wall, Young, Blatche and McGee). It makes it easier to refrain from signing any free agents in 2011, so we can save our powder for 2012.

Our plan looks great on paper:
1. Suck this year enough to get a lotto pick, though maybe we start winning late to build some confidence.
2. Integrate the lotto pick and continue to see improvement from Wall, Young, Blatche and McGee next year. Win a fair number of games with the help of veterans Hinrich and Lewis (and maybe one more vet on a 1-year contract).
3. Go into summer of 2012, with an up-and-coming roster of good young players, a burgeoning young star in Wall (and hopefully McGee), and a boatload of cap room to attract free agents.

[AceDegenerate]

The best thing would have been for Arenas to return to his superstar status and play well at shooting guard alongside Wall. That didn't happen.

The next best thing would have been to trade Arenas for a superstar player that fit better. That was totally unrealistic.

The next best thing would have been to trade Arenas for a solid starter who is a perfect fit in the system and who has a contract that expired by 2012. We got almost exactly that. (The only difference is that we Lewis $10M in 2012/13, but at least it's less than Arenas' $21M.) It really turned out to be a great trade.

The thing that's really nice is that he fills the one hole in our roster (assuming we plan to stick with our core of Wall, Young, Blatche and McGee). It makes it easier to refrain from signing any free agents in 2011, so we can save our powder for 2012.

You see, it's nice to cast the Wizards as winners on every trade in this forum. As you and others frequently do, but when the rest of the world see's things differently than you do.. oh I dunno, isn't that what we call insanity?

Somehow, if one were to only read this forum, one would think the Wizards win every trade they make what with such respected and well-spoken posters rationalizing it as such. However, when the rest of the world is laughing at you, I think it's time to take a good look in the mirror.

[nate33]

You see, it's nice to cast the Wizards as winners on every trade in this forum. As you and others frequently do, but when the rest of the world see's things differently than you do.. oh I dunno, isn't that what we call insanity?

Somehow, if one were to only read this forum, one would think the Wizards win every trade they make what with such respected and well-spoken posters rationalizing it as such. However, when the rest of the world is laughing at you, I think it's time to take a good look in the mirror.

Obviously, you won't be happy unless you are proven right on the Arenas trade, and you are extremely angry and frustrated that you are wrong (so far).

Don't worry. It's not the end of the world. Have a cookie or something. Go out for a walk. Stop and smell the roses. Life will go on.

[hands11]

The best thing would have been for Arenas to return to his superstar status and play well at shooting guard alongside Wall. That didn't happen.

The next best thing would have been to trade Arenas for a superstar player that fit better. That was totally unrealistic.

The next best thing would have been to trade Arenas for a solid starter who is a perfect fit in the system and who has a contract that expired by 2012. We got almost exactly that. (The only difference is that we Lewis $10M in 2012/13, but at least it's less than Arenas' $21M.) It really turned out to be a great trade.

The thing that's really nice is that he fills the one hole in our roster (assuming we plan to stick with our core of Wall, Young, Blatche and McGee). It makes it easier to refrain from signing any free agents in 2011, so we can save our powder for 2012.

You see, it's nice to cast the Wizards as winners on every trade in this forum. As you and others frequently do, but when the rest of the world see's things differently than you do.. oh I dunno, isn't that what we call insanity?

Somehow, if one were to only read this forum, one would think the Wizards win every trade they make what with such respected and well-spoken posters rationalizing it as such. However, when the rest of the world is laughing at you, I think it's time to take a good look in the mirror.

What, because "you're" opinion is that "most" people believe differently. That amounts to nothing. Actually, I find more often than not that most people are followers and use whatever the mainstream consensus is at the time as their truth. Look at the housing crisis.

Majority beliefs and truth often have a weak correlation. History is littered with examples of that.

Bing, there is a herd leaving at 12:00 for those that want to fellow.

[tontoz]

After the trade i wasn't looking forward to watching Lewis play. I figured he was just going to be taking time away from the young guys and not doing much of anything on the court. Looks like I was wrong.

14/8(?!) with 3.4 assits and 1.2 steals so far with the Wizards. It would have been easy for him to come in with a bad attitude and just mail it in. Instead he has played hard all over the court.

On a young team with dubious professionalism/IQ it is nice to have someone come in and show what it means to be a true professional.

[AceDegenerate]

Right because being told I'm wrong by a group (can you even call the few of you that?) on a Wizards forum is something that should really make me think twice. I should really concern myself with the beliefs of a few imbeciles on the internet.

It actually makes me feel much better about myself to know you think I'm wrong, because more likely than not it means I am right.

[Last Guardian]

You guys don't have great expectations, which is reasonable. As a Magic fan I can see though that Lewis is a good fit here.

You guys play him at his natural position, and will use him in the post far more often than we did. The post is where he belongs and is where he is best at. When we played Philly a few years ago in the first round, we played game 6 without Dwight Howard. Rashard was our post player that game and scored 27pts, and made all the right decisions when double teams came and we had our most convincing win and advanced to the second round. He seems very comfortable with his back to the basket, both in scoring and making passes. He obviously can be a spot up shooter, but outside of that his perimeter game is pretty non existent. He can't pass or create a shot off the dribble at all. So keep on using him in the post as a SF and you'll get a very solid player who can get a shot and make good decisions.

Edit: And Arenas has not been good for us. He does not look athletic at all. He makes a few good passes, and other times has no idea what he is doing with the ball. And he is a very low % shooter. Our great success is more about the PHX deal. Hedo gives us a half court playmaker and Richardson gives us a true scoring threat who plays with a lot of energy. I think Arenas should just stay on the bench for us. He doesn't have the floor general abilities or the smarts of Nelson.

[gesa2]

Right because being told I'm wrong by a group (can you even call the few of you that?) on a Wizards forum is something that should really make me think twice. I should really concern myself with the beliefs of a few imbeciles on the internet.

It actually makes me feel much better about myself to know you think I'm wrong, because more likely than not it means I am right.

I'm a big Arenas fan, and can talk about whether the Wizards screwed up his value with how they handled the gun incident, but I think you're the one on the island here. Every analyst I read at least understood the logic of the trade:

That is because this isn't about Lewis, even though he actually will earn more than Arenas this season and next. This is about two parties moving on and both probably being thrilled it happened now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... nas-101218

[Moving on past the Gilbert Arenas saga? Check. Save a little money? Check to the tune of at least $24 million. Get a player presumed to be a better fit with John Wall as a stretch four who can open up the court? Check, theoretically.

http://espn.go.com/blog/TrueHoop/post/_ ... lockbuster

For Washington, meanwhile, the logic is straightforward. The Wizards would have traded Arenas for a crate of oranges -- so as long as the contact they took back was less onerous than they one they gave up -- so they were giddy about cutting this deal. They have to be pleasantly surprised it didn't cost them any picks or assets either and gives them a somewhat useful player in Lewis that they may be able to package to a contender at some point in the future.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/s ... eal-101218

[MJG]

You see, it's nice to cast the Wizards as winners on every trade in this forum. As you and others frequently do, but when the rest of the world see's things differently than you do.. oh I dunno, isn't that what we call insanity?

Somehow, if one were to only read this forum, one would think the Wizards win every trade they make what with such respected and well-spoken posters rationalizing it as such. However, when the rest of the world is laughing at you, I think it's time to take a good look in the mirror.

You regularly defend your opinions by saying it's only the members of this forum that feel a certain way, and "the rest of the world" feels the same way you do. WHO are all of these people that make up "the rest of the world"? If anything, the impression I've gotten is that those outside the forum have a much harsher opinion of Arenas than those do here. Many here, even many who felt it was best to trade him, had a nostalgic fondness for him, while most of the columns I'd read on the guy seemed to cast him as a locker room cancer who we should've make Priority 1A to get rid of. Among the more casual fans that I know (admittedly a small group), a group whose opinions are more colored by whatever angle the mainstream media is pushing, the general view seemed to range from "Too bad things didn't work out, he used to be so good" to "I'm surprised someone out there wanted him." So again, I've got to ask: who specifically, excluding you, thinks that we came out of this deal as a big loser?

[fifthstop]

Here's my current take, and of course it will evolve as circumstances change. Never any apologies about that.

I was thinking this trade feels mutually beneficial.

1. Gilbert was just accumulating big red X's here. I loved him but he just could not flourish here anymore. It was apparently too big an ask to expect him to hand the franchise to the young guy. Some guys (David Robinson) can do it others not. No knock against Gilbert but that's just not his mentality. He's struggled too much to get what he has to give it up easily. No so for the Admiral.

Now he's no longer clogging up the teams identity and can flourish closer to home, with the mentor he really seemed to need. Sad it didn't work out here but oh well.

2. Shard is a 3 who can play spot minutes at the 4 due only to his height. He fits much better into his role here and seems already to be more comfortable in his role here. It sucks to not be winning, I'm sure, but this team is on its way up and if it improves as much as many suspect it will, Rashard can be a big part in that, no shabby accomplishment.

The contracts are almost a wash. Slight advantage to Wiz, but the Magic are in win-now mode so not sure they're so worried about year 3+.

[DiplomaticMagic]

I always liked Rashard, he's a true professional. Effort was never a concern from him. I'm glad he's able to produce for you guys!

[dlts20]

Im the biggest Gil fan there is but to me this is a non thread. Gil didnt want to be here anymore and I thought Shard would play well in our system. Even head to head right now Id much much much rather have Shard then a mentally challenged Arenas. Gil is not right at this moment. That 3rd & final surgery robbed him of alot but he still has more then enough to beast on the court but he mentally cant do it.

He's playing the same way in Orlando that he did here. He's coasting. He has 0 confidence. He looked physically so great & moved so fast in that 1st game with the Magic but since then he's gone back to walking the ball up the court, standing at the top of the key, and just passing to guys off of screens. Then he thinks he can just jog halfway or walk and then pull up for a J and that its going to go in. Its not. He has to realize that. The only way its going in is if he plays full speed. I know he feels defeated right now and sad that he cant play like he use to but you have to try.

Its like when Jeff Van Gundy said someone told him that alot of times guys think they are playing hard but they really arent. He didnt mean that in a diss way. He meant it litterally and thats what Gil looks like right now. He thinks he's moving as fast as he can or jumping as high as he can but he's not. He's not even close to doing it and until he does again then he wont be anywhere close to being as good as Shard is for us.

Now I think Gil can do it and if he does then he's way better then Shard but Im not betting on Gil getting mentally right. I actually dont think he can do it on his own. I think someone has to get on him to do it. No one here was going to do that. I dont see Orlando doing it either as of yet but 1 good thing they have going for them is that SVG has him as a bench player and pulls him quick again if he sucks. That will probably soon almost force Gil to play harder or he wont see the court, unlike here.

I know he also doesnt want to make the Wiz orginzation look right while making Otis Smith look dumb and I also know he doesnt want to be an 20mil role player but thats what he is right now and it will only get worse if he doesnt play with more tempo and start jumping higher at the rim. As for us, Shard is a perfect fit and I like the fact that he keeps us huge in the frontcourt, combined with a tall SG in NY and a bigger PG in Wall. I like the size

[gesa2]

+1 dlts20.

I'll always root for Gil the man and the player, and it felt really strange to see him with Orlando, but this is better for everybody. Shard is a crappy contract, and won't be a part of the next great WIzards team, but he's not hard to root for. I bet Juwan Howard got the same reception in Denver and the other places he went before his horrible contract ran thru.