Has Rashard Lewis Been Infected With Vince Carter-Itis?

It has not been a good month for the Orlando Magic. They went through a losing streak and just recently suffered a second-half collapse in a loss to Denver. That wonderful chemistry they seemed to have last year is definitely not present this year.

Case-in point? Rashard Lewis, an all-star last season, is complaining about shot attempts. 

"You look at the stat sheet, it kind of speaks for itself every night. I think in order for me to have a good game I have to make every shot, every last one of them. Because I'm not getting very many of them," said Lewis, an edge to his voice. "Guys coming off the bench are getting more shots. There's nothing I can do about it. ...    

There's a major implication made in the article that Vince Carter is to blame. As Andrew Sharp pointed out this morning, Carter is leading the Magic in shot attempts by far, and both Lewis and fellow all-star Jameer Nelson have played significantly worse with Carter on the team. HOWEVA, there are several other reasons for Lewis' decline that have little to do with Carter. Teams are running Lewis off the three-point line and making him beat them with two-pointers, which is not Lewis' strength. It's also worth noting how much the Nets have fallen off from not having Vince Carter around.

Regardless, it's becoming more likely that Orlando's problems go deeper that it seems, which is sad, because this team was so much fun last year.