Missing Rashard Lewis

Stan Van Gundy spent much of his postgame press conference last night in Oklahoma City questioning the mental makeup of his team. Where was the commitment to defense that helped push the Magic to the NBA Finals last year? Where was the aggressive offensive mentality that made jacking up 20-plus 3-pointers a game acceptable because the offense would continue to produce even if they did not fall?

Where, in other words, was the Orlando Magic? Where have they been this entire season?

Just take a look at the first seven games of this season and it has become clear Orlando is riding its offense to a 5-2 record and not its defense.

There is no single cure to fixing this problem. But bet that the return of Vince Carter from injury will help immensely.

So will the return of Rashard Lewis from his suspension one week from today.

And it is the return of Lewis that I think will put the Magic back over the top and where they need to be for the rest of the season.

The extended absences Orlando has had to deal with this season have had a pretty big effect on how the team plays. Since Vince Carter's injury against the Nets a few weeks ago, Orlando has been stretched very thin by injuries and it is clear that the new players are still trying to figure out Stan Van Gundy's scheme.

But with Carter, Lewis and now Ryan Anderson out of the lineup, defensive worries have taken a backseat to making sure the offense still works.

Maybe that opening night blowout of the 76ers was a bad thing. Maybe scoring 125 points against Toronto and masking a defense that gave up 115 was a bad thing.

Maybe this Orlando squad needs more games where they struggle like in Detroit or like last night in Oklahoma City.

Maybe the Magic just need Rashard Lewis back and some order and stability.

Lewis' presence has been sorely missed these first seven games even if the Magic's record does not show it. With Lewis and Carter out, Orlando is a very young team, lacking the veteran poise needed to integrate and teach the team's newcomers.

Sure Ryan Anderson has been able to adequately replace Lewis beyond the arc. But has he been able to provide the versatile defense Lewis has or the understanding of Stan Van Gundy's defensive schemes? Not quite.

Has he been there to set the example for Carter and what Orlando Magic deefense means?

It seems clear to me that with all these players out with injuries that Orlando's bench is trying to do too much. Anderson is making his 3-pointers and taking shots when he gets them, but he is nowhere near the driver or shooter that Lewis is.

Lewis' return will be a stabilizing force for this team for sure. It will allow players like Anderson and JJ Redick to play more within their roles and not have to worry about the scoring load and making up for those player's production so much.

If you ask me, the reason Orlando got thumped by Oklahoma City was that Orlando's players psychologically felt they had to make up for load of lost offensive production. That will be different the second game without those three players.

With Lewis back, Redick and Anderson can focus more on their true roles for the team. They can provide the shooting that they are known for, but also the effort defensively.

This Magic team, despite the acquisition of Carter, is not a team that needs someone scoring 25-30 points a night. They need three or four guys around 20 points a game, so that the players can focus its energy more on defense.

More than anything, Lewis' return will take a strain off the offense and allow the players to refocus their efforts on defense. I am afraid that until next Monday, the team will continue to rely on its shot-making ability to win games and forsake defense.

Hopefully that bad habit will not carry over once Lewis and Carter return.