Golden State Warriors: Starting Lineup Stats Analysis

David Lee

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

David Lee experienced a slight dip in his scoring average last season, from 18.5 points per game the year before to 18.2 points per game last year, and while that isn’t much at all, a drop in his field goal percentages in just about all areas of the court are concerning.

Lee’s field goal percentage from 0-3 feet dropped from 68.6 percent to 67.0 percent, from 3-10 feet dropped from 41.2 percent to 40.8 percent, from 10-16 feet from 41.5 percent to 39.0 percent, and from 16 feet and out from 42.1 percent to 35.7 percent, the biggest drop of all areas.

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The seven percent decrease from 16 feet and out is especially concerning, as this means he has not been effective in pick-and-pop situations, a crucial part of the offense.

Lee is on the wrong side of 30 and his game noticeably took a step back last season, so don’t expect him to return to All-Star form.

There was also a substantial decrease in his rebounds per game last season, dropping from an impressive 11.2 rebounds per game down to 9.3 rebounds per game. While 9.3 is still a solid number, Lee’s superior rebounding ability is what often gave him somewhat of a pass on the defensive end. If Lee turns into just an above-average rebounder instead of being ranked in the upper echelon, it makes him closer to a one-dimensional player overall.

Lee was a bit banged up and missed some time last season because of that, and that may have played a factor in some of this. Giving him the benefit of the doubt though, Lee could get back above the 10.0 rebounds per game mark.

Another area Lee saw a drop in was in his assists per game, dropping from 3.5 assister per game down to 2.1 assists per game. If Lee’s scoring and/or rebounding numbers stay the same as last season or decrease again, he’ll need his assists numbers to rise to make up for it.