What David Lee Means to the Golden State Warriors

December 8, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) celebrates on the court against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center. The Warriors won 101-97. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

If there’s any chance of a Warrior making the All-Star game, it’s without a question David Lee or Stephen Curry. They have both been phenomenal on the floor leading the Dubs to a 13-7 record early in the season. But if it came down to choosing just one of them, David Lee is the one to choose. His productivity on the floor for the Dubs has been nothing less than superb throughout this year.

Talk about a big, smooth, hard-working guy that can take you inside and outside offensively and provide a defensive spark with his intensity and aggression on the glass. The WCW (White Chris Webber) – nickname Shaquille O’Neal has given him – has been the most valuable player on the Warriors roster thus far. Lee can flat out shoot the basketball anywhere from about 10-20 feet out – some impressive range for a guy his size. He’s a good finisher inside as well, and has some nifty moves to the bucket.

Then, his rebounding ability. He’s a monster on the glass day in and day out and has been the Dubs most reliable rebounder. He can out-rebound a lot of bigger guys because of his aggression and toughness down in the dirty zone. And then there’s his will to win and his passion for the game. He has an incredible work ethic along with a great attitude, something teammates and coaches love.

Lee has put together some nice numbers for himself so far. He is averaging 18.5 points per game shooting a bit over 50% from the field. He’s averaging 11.3 rebounds as well and tacking on 3.5 assists per game to go along with his solid rebounding and scoring averages. His last 10 games have been outstanding as he is averaging 21 points and 12 boards in that span shooting a whopping 55.7% from the field.

David Lee is a vital piece to the Golden State Warriors for many reasons, and without Lee on the court I don’t know where the Warriors would be right now (certainly not 13-7). Even with the production that backup power forward Carl Landry has brought, David Lee continues to put up great numbers. He makes himself so difficult to defend because of his versatility. He is a frequent user of the pump fake and continues to find success with his favorite move. He is also quick to the basket which makes it ever harder to stay in front of a big body.

If David Lee can consistently play at the level he is performing at right now, he could have a shot at the All Star game. In the bigger picture, if he continues to play very well the Warriors should find themselves winning a lot of games this year.