Golden State Warriors: Ranking every member of the team’s bench

8. Damion Lee

If you remember Damion Lee because of his familial connection to Stephen Curry, it might be best to keep that on the down-low if he’s within earshot.

He’s been poked and prodded with all kinds of questions about what it’s like to marry into the Curry family, but he’s had enough of it. He’s demanded the respect from the reporters who have continued asking him questions about it.

But the best way for Lee to separate himself is to take a huge step forward this year.

After 32 games last season, where he averaged 4.9 points and shot just under 40% from three, Damion Lee is back with the Warriors on a two-way contract.

He held his own in the G-league last season, and he’s shown an ability to shoot from deep, but he’ll be given significantly more playing time potentially this season as the Warriors try to figure out what their long-term plan is.

Ironically, Lee seems to play well off of Stephen Curry. With the gravity that Curry demands, Lee seems to move especially well without the ball and be in the right spots to give Curry an easy assist.

Unfortunately, there seem to be a number of times where Lee seems completely lost on the floor. It comes in quick spurts, scattered across the entirety of the game, but there were far too many times where Lee looked like a G-Leaguer filling in for a professional.

The numbers have shown that Lee can shoot, which is good enough to put him ninth on this list.

We know that the Warriors will be desperately looking for someone who can score off of the bench. Perhaps Lee will be able to do that.

But it seems like it’ll take being on the floor with starters that draw plenty of attention. It still remains to be seen whether or not his schtick can work with a guy like Jacob Evans at the point. He’s not going to get bailed out by an all-time talent his entire career.

Still, Lee’s shooting ability is something to keep an eye on. The fact that he’s on a two-way contract should keep him relatively in rhythm so that the Warriors can call upon him whenever they need him.

Since the Warriors still haven’t figured out who will consistently play the small forward position, Damion Lee might even get some playing time there.

With the Warriors eventually looking at having three top three-point shooters in their starting lineup, it would be hard to imagine where Lee fits on the main roster once everyone is back and healthy.

Lee may very well be seeing his last season with the Golden State Warriors. Based on the configuration of the conceivable roster next season, he might not be able to find a spot.

With this in the back of his mind, Lee will have to fight and claw with that grit he saved for the media if he wants to get a legitimate shot on someone’s bench in the future.

For this year, the Warriors are willing to take a flyer on him, whether it’s a family favor or a genuine interest in his three-point shooting in the absence of Klay Thompson.