Golden State Warriors David Lee: From All-Star to All but Forgotten
The Golden State Warriors are having one of their best seasons in franchise history, but for two-time All-Star David Lee, it has been one to forget. Lee, the Warriors’ highest-paid player, has been battling injuries, and for a place in new coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation all year.
Lee has been the odd man out in a year filled with injuries and inconsistent play. Lee came to the Warriors via a sign-and-trade deal from the New York Knicks in 2010.
The six-year, $80 million contract Lee signed instantly made him the highest-paid player on the roster. The huge contract and lackadaisical defense has made Lee an easy target for his critics.
His critics are quick to point out his defensive flaws, and penchant for turnovers when analyzing his overall value. But leading up to this year, his place in the Warriors’ rotation was cemented.
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Lee and Stephen Curry were anointed co-captains by former Warriors’ coach Mark Jackson, who looked to the young veterans for stability when he felt his young roster was distracted, or confidence was wavering.
Jackson knew Lee could provide that veteran leadership all young teams need.
On the court, Lee provided the Warriors with a low-post option. Lee’s ability to score down low gave Golden State a much-needed scoring threat in the paint.
The tandem of Lee and Australian big man Andrew Bogut provided the Warriors with a dynamic passing front court, and two big men capable of initiating the offense.
Teamed up with the “Splash Brothers,” Lee helped guide the Warriors to the 2014 NBA playoffs.
The Warriors entered their first round matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers undermanned, after losing Bogut to a rib injury.
Lee was dealing with his own injury dilemma. The veteran power-forward was hampered by a hamstring strain in his right leg, suffered a few weeks prior to the playoffs.
Missing Bogut and having Lee hobbled by a tender hamstring turned out to be too much for the resilient Warriors, as they fell to the Clippers in a hard-fought seven game series.
That playoff series wasn’t one that David Lee will look back on with fondness. Lee was thoroughly over-matched by the athletic front-court duo of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
Lee has never been seen as a defensive stopper but his lackluster performance against the Clippers had pundits and Warriors’ fans alike screaming for his removal from the starting lineup.
With the memory of the early playoff dismissal fading away, combined with the hiring of rookie head coach Kerr, Lee was looking forward to being healthy at the start of the 2014 season.
But the hope for a healthy start to the season was halted by a strained hamstring in the Warriors final preseason game.
That injury opened the door for a change many Warriors’ fans felt was “way overdue.” The insertion of Draymond Green into the starting lineup, signaled the beginning of the end to Lee’s reign as starting power forward.
The Warriors flourished out of the gate behind Green’s heart and hustle.
"“He’s in a lot of ways our heart and soul and just plays with such passion at both ends,” Kerr said of Green after an early season game in Detroit."
Green not only has held on to the starting role after Lees’ early injury, but his inspiring play has led the Warriors to the number-one ranked defense in the league.
Lee’s health issues have plagued him all season and have carried over into the post-season. He has been unable to play in the first two games of the series against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Warriors haven’t missed a beat in Lee’s absence, and hold a 2-0 series lead, going into game three.
But the fact that Lee’s absence is barely mentioned or not even noticed has many followers of the Warriors believing this is Lee’s last days in the blue and gold.