Washington Wizards: Could Rashard Lewis Become This Offseason's Biggest Bargain?

Throughout this basketball limbo we have come to refer to as the 2011 NBA lockout, the preverbal finger has be pointed at a variety of people as the being to root of this situation: greedy players and owners for fighting over money most of us could hardly imagine, David Stern and Billy Hunter for letting their ego cloud their judgment and LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and other NBA elites for manipulating the system to further their own personal agendas. 

All carry some blame in all this.

One name who continues to be the topic of conversation when talking about the lockout is Washington Wizards forward Rashard Lewis.  Lewis has been much maligned for not meeting expectations and his contract has been scrutinized by fans and analysts over the duration of this labor dispute.

By the end of this off season, however, Rashard Lewis may end up being the biggest catch of all.

Rashard Lewis entered the NBA straight out of high school as a second round pick in 1999.  After a few years of adjustment, Lewis caught stride and quickly established himself as a rising star in the NBA.  His 6'10' frame, athletic ability and deft shooting touch allowed Lewis to become a considerable scoring threat.  He put together an all star season in 2005 where he put up 20.5 points while hitting a solid 40 percent from long range.  The topped out statistically in 2007, averaging 22.4 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Coincidentally, 2007 was Lewis's walk year and the 27-year-old caught the eye of the Orlando Magic.  The Magic completed a sign and trade with the Sonics and inked Lewis to a six-year, $118 million contract, pledging to make Lewis a cornerstone of the franchise alongside third-year phenom Dwight Howard.

Despite a great run in Orlando which included an all-star appearance in 2007, 170 regular season victories during a three-year stretch and a NBA Finals appearance in 2009, Lewis has been ripped for his for the contract he was offered.  Critics say he has been overpaid and point out all of the deficiencies in his game, but fail to acknowledge what Lewis brings to the table.

One huge critique is his lack of rebounding at the power forward position, completely glazing over the fact that Rashard is not and has never been a natural power forward.  A perimeter player way back to his high school days, Lewis played the "four" position at the behest of Magic coach Stan Van Gundy. 

He played the role for the good of the team and was often overmatched on the boards, as well as on the defensive end by more natural bigs. 

While never being a great rebounder, Lewis averaged over six rebounds a game in Seattle, which is more than respectable by NBA small forward standards.  His board work took a significant dip in Orlando, but remember he was playing with the league’s most dominant rebounder in Howard.  

Lewis was also extremely durable during his tenure in Orlando, missing 13 games in three full seasons. Remember, 10 of those games came from a suspension for taking an over the counter drug banned, so he actually only missed three games in three seasons he was eligible to play in. 

Through all the numbers Lewis has managed to put up, the $118 million, or more significantly the $20 million plus against the cap, is the only one that seems to count.  With the proposed amnesty clause allowing teams to buy out contract and drastically reduce the hit against the salary cap, maybe people will be able to appreciate Lewis's game and not his paycheck.

Earning the cap exception (which should land in the $3 million range), Lewis could be the most cost-effective player available.  Lewis should be fully healthy when the season gets underway.  With a healthy knee, Lewis, a 39 percent three-point career shooter, should regain his shooting touch from deep.  A return to his more natural small forward position will also allow him to better utilize his complete skill set.  Notice after the trade to Washington and the coinciding return to the small forward position, his rebounding and assist numbers rose despite battling knee pain.

Make no mistake, no one expects Rashard Lewis to return to his 2007 form.  At 32 years old and with 13 NBA seasons under his belt, he has probably past his prime.  Lewis, however, can still be an extremely productive player.  His shooting and size still makes a potent weapon and in the right system, Lewis could be a major asset.  In this era of penny pinching, teams will be looking for steals and high value investments. 

This offseason, Lewis could end up providing the best bang for your buck.