Denton: Rashard Ready to Return
By John Denton
November 16, 2009
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.
ORLANDO – Orlando Magic standout forward Rashard Lewis had just finished 90 minutes of practice, some extra conditioning work and a dip in the cold plunge to soothe his sore knees when general manager Otis Smith addressed him.
``Vacation is over,’’ Smith said while jokingly looking at his watch.
Lewis’ 10-game suspension, which ended with Friday’s win against the New Jersey Nets, was anything but a vacation for the standout power forward. Quite frankly, Lewis hated every second of being out, especially the games that the 7-3 Magic lost while he was out suspended.
Lewis was suspended in August by the NBA for 10 games for testing positive for a banned substance (DHEA) that was in an over-the-counter supplement he was taking last spring. He had three months to brace for the suspension, but the magnitude of it didn’t really hit until he had to miss the season-opening win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
``Opening night when you are sitting there watching your team, and they unveil that banner as well, it was really hard,’’ Lewis said. ``You were a part of putting that banner in the arena and you want to be a part of it receiving it. Me sitting at home it was tough and it really hit me.’’
Lewis is back on Monday night against the Charlotte Bobcats, and not a minute too soon considering the sad state of the Magic. Marcin Gortat isn’t expected to play because of an illness, J.J. Redick is doubtful because of an ankle sprain and Brandon Bass will be less than full strength after struggling with the flu for three days. And Jameer Nelson missed practice on Sunday so that he could be tested for the flu, but instead has just an upper respiratory infection. Orlando is hoping that he will be healthy enough to play on Monday.
So far, Dwight Howard and Jason Williams are the only two Magic players who have yet to miss time because of illness, injury, suspension or a death in the family. Eleven other Magic players have been hit with one kind of issue or another so far. Ryan Anderson, who missed three games last week with an ankle sprain, will return Monday night.
``It’s sort of strange that one night we have none of the three (power forwards) and now we have them all but others are out. I don’t believe in fate, being snake-bitten or cursed, but these things just sort of happen,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``But it does get frustrating when you can’t do the work that you want to get done.’’
Van Gundy had hoped to use the two days between the Nets win and Monday’s Bobcats game to incorporate Lewis back into the rotation with his teammates. Lewis was around the team during his suspension, practicing and going through morning walk-throughs, but he was banned from the arena on game night. He likened it to being a kid at Christmas and being unable to open the presents.
To help him cope with the frustration of being away from his teammates and not being able to help them in games, Lewis often worked out twice a day. He ran on the treadmill, sprinted on the court and shot hundreds of jump shots a day. And during games, he would ride a stationary bike to sweat off the frustration.
``I wanted to try and do extra because it’s never like playing in a game,’’ Lewis said. ``I wanted to do my shooting with conditioning to make it more like a game as possible.’’
Lewis said that he’s so wary now of what he puts in his body that’s he’s stayed away from cough medicine, aspirins and vitamins. He wishes he would have been as careful last spring when he took a supplement to try and help him overcome some late-season fatigue and knee tendinitis.
``I don’t want to take anything because you don’t know what can be in some of that stuff,’’ Lewis said. ``There is a lot of stuff that they add onto the banned substance stuff every year. A lot of times guys don’t always look at the list of banned substances. It just makes it where you really have to check with the trainer any time you take any kind of medicine.
``If I take anything, I going to take it to (athletic trainer) Tom (Smith) and let him clear it first.’’
Howard is quite possibly as happy Lewis is back as the Magic’s converted power forward is. Because Lewis led the NBA in 3-pointers made (220) and attempted (554) last season, opposing power forwards aren’t able to double-team down on Howard.
``I’m so happy for Rashard coming back. I just really missed him,’’ Howard said. ``Rashard is a difference-maker for our team.’’
Lewis expects to ``get tired early’’ in Monday’s game and he’s worried about getting his rhythm down with actual game speed. But he couldn’t be more excited about getting back on the court to help out a Magic team that’s hardly been whole without him.
``I don’t think I’ll be nervous,’’ he said with a smile. ``I’m a pretty calm and relaxed person more than anything. If I miss my first couple of shots I’m really going to try not to force my shot. I think I’ll be ready to go.’’
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 DentonNovember 16, 2009
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.
ORLANDO – Orlando Magic standout forward Rashard Lewis had just finished 90 minutes of practice, some extra conditioning work and a dip in the cold plunge to soothe his sore knees when general manager Otis Smith addressed him.
``Vacation is over,’’ Smith said while jokingly looking at his watch.
Lewis’ 10-game suspension, which ended with Friday’s win against the New Jersey Nets, was anything but a vacation for the standout power forward. Quite frankly, Lewis hated every second of being out, especially the games that the 7-3 Magic lost while he was out suspended.
Lewis was suspended in August by the NBA for 10 games for testing positive for a banned substance (DHEA) that was in an over-the-counter supplement he was taking last spring. He had three months to brace for the suspension, but the magnitude of it didn’t really hit until he had to miss the season-opening win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
``Opening night when you are sitting there watching your team, and they unveil that banner as well, it was really hard,’’ Lewis said. ``You were a part of putting that banner in the arena and you want to be a part of it receiving it. Me sitting at home it was tough and it really hit me.’’
Lewis is back on Monday night against the Charlotte Bobcats, and not a minute too soon considering the sad state of the Magic. Marcin Gortat isn’t expected to play because of an illness, J.J. Redick is doubtful because of an ankle sprain and Brandon Bass will be less than full strength after struggling with the flu for three days. And Jameer Nelson missed practice on Sunday so that he could be tested for the flu, but instead has just an upper respiratory infection. Orlando is hoping that he will be healthy enough to play on Monday.
So far, Dwight Howard and Jason Williams are the only two Magic players who have yet to miss time because of illness, injury, suspension or a death in the family. Eleven other Magic players have been hit with one kind of issue or another so far. Ryan Anderson, who missed three games last week with an ankle sprain, will return Monday night.
``It’s sort of strange that one night we have none of the three (power forwards) and now we have them all but others are out. I don’t believe in fate, being snake-bitten or cursed, but these things just sort of happen,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``But it does get frustrating when you can’t do the work that you want to get done.’’
Van Gundy had hoped to use the two days between the Nets win and Monday’s Bobcats game to incorporate Lewis back into the rotation with his teammates. Lewis was around the team during his suspension, practicing and going through morning walk-throughs, but he was banned from the arena on game night. He likened it to being a kid at Christmas and being unable to open the presents.
To help him cope with the frustration of being away from his teammates and not being able to help them in games, Lewis often worked out twice a day. He ran on the treadmill, sprinted on the court and shot hundreds of jump shots a day. And during games, he would ride a stationary bike to sweat off the frustration.
``I wanted to try and do extra because it’s never like playing in a game,’’ Lewis said. ``I wanted to do my shooting with conditioning to make it more like a game as possible.’’
Lewis said that he’s so wary now of what he puts in his body that’s he’s stayed away from cough medicine, aspirins and vitamins. He wishes he would have been as careful last spring when he took a supplement to try and help him overcome some late-season fatigue and knee tendinitis.
``I don’t want to take anything because you don’t know what can be in some of that stuff,’’ Lewis said. ``There is a lot of stuff that they add onto the banned substance stuff every year. A lot of times guys don’t always look at the list of banned substances. It just makes it where you really have to check with the trainer any time you take any kind of medicine.
``If I take anything, I going to take it to (athletic trainer) Tom (Smith) and let him clear it first.’’
Howard is quite possibly as happy Lewis is back as the Magic’s converted power forward is. Because Lewis led the NBA in 3-pointers made (220) and attempted (554) last season, opposing power forwards aren’t able to double-team down on Howard.
``I’m so happy for Rashard coming back. I just really missed him,’’ Howard said. ``Rashard is a difference-maker for our team.’’
Lewis expects to ``get tired early’’ in Monday’s game and he’s worried about getting his rhythm down with actual game speed. But he couldn’t be more excited about getting back on the court to help out a Magic team that’s hardly been whole without him.
``I don’t think I’ll be nervous,’’ he said with a smile. ``I’m a pretty calm and relaxed person more than anything. If I miss my first couple of shots I’m really going to try not to force my shot. I think I’ll be ready to go.’’
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.
