On the surface, it would seem that the Orlando Magic's risky signing of Patrick Ewing has been a disaster. Injured and out of sync for long stretches of this season, it's as if the expiration date might have come and gone on the 39-year-old center's career.

But this is one of those cases, Ewing's Magic teammates stress, where the numbers do lie. Yes, his personal statistics -- career lows in points (7.1), rebounds (5.0) and minutes played (16.8) -- have fallen off to journeyman levels. And yes, his brittle body has begun to fail him again, leaving him on the injured list the past 14 games.

But Ewing's impact on this season, they say, can be measured in other more subtle ways. Like the time in New York this season when he threw his arm around a struggling Mike Miller, encouraging the young guard to keep gunning in a game the Magic eventually rallied to win. Or the time he got off the team's red-eye flight from the West Coast and headed straight to the practice facility for a 6 a.m. workout. Or the way he's constantly been in the ear of Tracy McGrady, giving the 22-year-old star tips on how to handle the pressures of leading a team.

"I think one of the biggest misperceptions in this league is what kind of guy Patrick Ewing really is," Magic forward Pat Garrity said. "I think he's one of the best teammates I've ever had.

"His leadership is so beneficial. He does so many of the little things like coming on the bus after a tough loss and tapping each guy on the shoulder. It's him being the first guy at practice each day. It's him asking guys how they are doing. He really has set an example to this team of how to be a professional."

Out the past five weeks with tendinitis in his Achilles' tendon and right calf, Ewing is expected to return to game action tonight. Fittingly enough, Ewing will be facing the New York Knicks, the same team he spent the first 15 years of his NBA career with.

A month of rehabilitation did wonders for his Achilles, but his lungs and stamina are different matters all together. Plenty of questions abound about just how much Ewing can play tonight and how much he can help the Magic the rest of the season. But no one should question Ewing's happiness, which he said has never been healthier. His role as a mentor has rejuvenated him. And he promised Monday that there is still plenty of fuel left in the tank for the season's stretch run.

"On this team I can honestly say there has been no controversy at all because everybody gets along," the 17-year veteran said. "It's not like when I was in New York and you'd have things come out about this player not liking that player, and it happened in Seattle (last season) a little bit, too. But, here, everybody gets along and talks to each other. It's been a great atmosphere."

When the Magic signed Ewing last summer they knew the inherent dangers of signing an aging veteran with plenty of mileage on his creaky legs. And, at times, it's as if Orlando head coach Doc Rivers has kept Ewing under glass, hoping to break him out come playoff time. But without Grant Hill and the Magic (25-24) tied for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, it's become apparent that they need production from the 7-footer just to assure that there will be a postseason for the franchise.

"I think I have to be healthy and I still consider myself a big part of this team," Ewing said Monday following his first practice session in weeks. "The reason I came here was because I thought I could really help this team. In the playoffs, you need that low-post presence and I think I can help out the rest of the season."

Where Ewing has provided the most help so far has been in the lockerroom. When the Magic had a two-hour, clear-the-air team meeting earlier in the season, Ewing was one of the most vocal players, speaking up repeatedly and offering encouragement. When McGrady's shoulders have sagged from time to time from the enormous weight of having to carry the team yet again, Ewing has been there to encourage him. Having thrived in "the New York fishbowl," he knows a few things about dealing with pressure, and has been a sounding board for McGrady.

"I can honestly say he's been a big part of my success," said McGrady, who starred in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game with 24 points and arguably the dunk of the year. "He's helped me overcome some things that have happened to me out on the court. Having to carry this team with Grant (Hill) out, and having Patrick in my ear and giving me advice has helped a lot. He's made sure I never get discouraged."

Said Ewing, who has been admittedly surprised by McGrady's maturity: "I've talked to him a lot, and he's been very receptive. He could very easily tell me, 'Man, shut up!' But I tell him I've been in these same situations that he's in now. So he pretty much knows where I'm coming from on things."

On the court, Ewing's impact has been spotty at best. There have been the flashes of his former greatness _ 22 points in a dominant performance in Phoenix, 18 points against old nemesis Michael Jordan in Washington and four double-digit rebound games.

But mostly, Ewing has struggled with his stamina and keeping up with the younger, quicker players. He has been largely ineffective when the Magic have played on back-to-back nights, and Rivers has been quick to pull him.

He seemed to finally be rounding into shape a month ago -- and even regained his starting job back -- when he was felled by another Achilles injury. A partial tear of his left Achilles knocked him out of the playoffs in 1999 when the Knicks advanced to the NBA Finals. This time, the injury was to the right Achilles and calf, wrecking the progress he had made.

"It was scary. I thought it was the same one as I hurt at first, but then I realized it was the other one," Ewing said. "I thought I was playing well. It definitely was a setback for me. I mean, I finally got my starting position back and then getting hurt was really frustrating for me. But I've just got to keep on working."

Rivers, who played with Ewing for 21/2 seasons in New York, has been in the precarious position of trying to get Ewing playing time without doing harm to the team. On nights when Ewing's shot is falling, he's stuck with the veteran and fed him the ball in the post. He thinks there will be more performances like that over the final 33 games from the veteran center.

"I think he's even more driven than ever," Rivers said. "The one thing everybody has always underestimated about Patrick is his pride. He has more pride than any single player I've ever been around. His feelings are hurt when he doesn't play well because his pride has been damaged. To him, even though he's playing 16 minutes and he's hot and cold, he's still searching for a way to be consistent every day. And it hurts him -- you can see it in his eyes -- when he doesn't play well because he feels he's letting us down."

Already, Ewing is pining for more minutes down the stretch, and has said that as his playing time goes up so will his production. The mere mention that the playoffs are just two months away brings a twinkle to his eyes. He is confident that big things still lay ahead for himself and the Magic.

"Time will tell, but I'm looking forward to really helping this team the rest of the way," he said. "I think this team has a great opportunity because the East is still so wide open. We still think we can be the team that comes out of the East."