Sonics’ Lewis is making more noise
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, March 21, 2002
By Rich Myhre
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – His nickname is the Quiet Man, though a new moniker would seem to be in order.
Because more and more, Rashard Lewis of the Seattle SuperSonics is making distinct statements – both with his mouth and with his ever-improving basketball game.
The player who arrived in Seattle as a shy, silent teen-ager before the lockout-shortened 1999 NBA season has evolved into a 22-year-old with bright athletic promise and, maybe even more startling, an increasingly vocal presence.
“He’s becoming a much better player every day, and his maturity has gotten so much better, too,” said teammate Vin Baker. “It’s his leadership, like how he speaks in the locker room and how he talks on the floor. I think he’s taking his game to a star level from a maturity standpoint along with the talent standpoint.
“He understands what’s at stake here for this team,” Baker said. “I think he’s starting to realize that he’s a big part of our future. Probably the biggest part of our future.”
There was a time, back in his early NBA seasons, when a four- or five-word sentence from Lewis was almost a speech. He seemed overwhelmed to be a professional athlete and almost in awe of famous teammates like Baker and Gary Payton. And if his demeanor was reserved, so were his performances on the court. There was talent there, as everyone could see, but it was hidden beneath layers and layers of timidity.
Flash forward to Tuesday night and a KeyArena game between Seattle and the Golden State Warriors. Lewis was not expected to play, due to a strained shoulder suffered four days earlier. Instead, he arrived at a Tuesday morning practice and announced that he was fit. Then he went out against the Warriors and played brilliantly – scoring a game-high 26 points, including 18 in the second half along with three steals as the Sonics broke open a close game en route to a one-sided win.
That performance boosted Lewis’ scoring average to 16.8 – second only to Payton’s 22.1 average – and his 6.9 rebound average is a team-best. Already this season he has established single-game career highs for points (36), field goals (15), field goal attempts (28), free throws (nine), free throw attempts (10) and rebounds (19).
Seattle fans, it would seem, are witnessing the development of a soon-to-be All-Star.
Yet there is still room for improvement, according to his coach and to Lewis himself. Both believe that Lewis should be a more assertive offensive player. Too often in the past he has been content to stay in the shadows of Payton and, to a lesser degree, Baker. Now, said Sonics coach Nate McMillan, “I would just like to see him be more selfish in wanting the ball late in ballgames. In a sense, demanding the ball late in ballgames.
“I think with his skill and the way he plays the game, he can dominate a game,” McMillan added. “He needs to just have that attitude that he’s going to dominate a game in all aspects. And if he does that, he could fill up a stat sheet with blocks, rebounds, points, steals. He can do all of that.”
To some extent, this goes against Lewis’ nature. Though his inborn passiveness has waned this season, it has not vanished altogether.
“I’m not a guy that’s going to go out and try to take control of the ball and try to take a lot of shots,” he said. “I pretty much get into the flow of the game and let the game come to me instead of going out and rushing it. But that may change as the years go by. I might get more aggressive and become a smarter player. I think it will change as I learn the game.
“I’ve played well this season, though I don’t think I’ve played up to my capabilities. But I’m still young and I think I’m doing a good job for my age and only being four years in the league. So I feel I’m progressing well.”
Well enough, in fact, to warrant a new nickname.
