Golden State Warriors Mailbag: Playoff Matchups, Thompson vs. Bogut, Lee
December 22, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) dribbles the basketball against Sacramento Kings center
DeMarcus Cousins(15) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Kings 128-108. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Even if Lee doesn’t play one minute in the playoffs, I don’t think the Warriors will regret keeping him this season. The reason why has more to do with the roster as a whole than Lee himself.
I truly think that Warriors management, the coaching staff, and even the players believe that they have all the necessary pieces to win a championship. That’s why the Warriors’ front office stood pat at the trade deadline, and that’s why they didn’t move Lee. As seen in their NBA-best record, the Warriors truly don’t have many flaws right now, on the court or on their roster.
This leads me to believe that, depending on how far the Warriors go in the playoffs this year, Warriors management won’t have any regrets, in terms of their lack of moves this season and at the trade deadline. It also doesn’t make sense to have regrets right now, since the Warriors are accomplishing everything they set out to accomplish before the season started.
In addition, even if a player isn’t getting consistent minutes, it doesn’t mean that the player isn’t having an impact on the team. For example, Barbosa wasn’t seeing many minutes in the beginning of the season, but he was the most active player on the Warriors’ bench and one of the most vocal players in the locker room. He led the Warriors’ bench in cheers, he always encouraged his teammates, and he provided the Warriors players with a veteran that they can trust and seek out for advice.
Barbosa has proven to be a valuable asset off the bench and in the locker room for the Warriors this season, even when he wasn’t playing significant minutes. His presence alone helped add to the Warriors’ already strong team chemistry and camaraderie.
That’s certainly a role that Lee is playing now. He’s always been a great teammate, veteran leader, and vocal presence on this team. He’s a true professional, and although he said it was difficult for him to mentally accept a bench role and less minutes at first, he respects Steve Kerr‘s decision to do this, because the Warriors are consistently winning. Lee just wants to win, even if it means not playing in the playoffs.
Lee’s veteran leadership and his value as a teammate will be useful in the high-intensity, high-pressure playoff atmosphere. Is it valuable enough to make up for his large contract? Probably not, but the Warriors don’t have to regret not moving Lee.
They could always decide to try to trade him in the offseason (which is quite possible given the fact that Green will be up for a potentially large contract extension), but regardless, this is the team the Warriors have now and this is the team that management believes will go far in the playoffs. There’s no looking back, and there are no regrets.