I remember Ed O. showing stats showing how much time typically opened up due to injuries. I'm not saying I want Lee now, but wow, he could be playing 40 minutes a game if he wanted. Hindsight is 20/20 and I certainly didn't think it was even worth entertaining the thought. Good job Ed, you were right.
I'd still pass because it's too late. If we were able to sign him to a long-term contract, great, but he's going to be an UFA this summer and could easily bolt.
Lee would be a perfect fit, I've been on him and Gerald Wallace's jock for awhile. Those are the types of players that this Blazers team lacks. Aldridge brings it and is silky smooth on offense. But he's another finesse player on a team that lacks horses. Lee could be splitting time between PF and C and be happy as a clam.
David Lee plays matador D, and isn't much better than a Carlos Boozer when it comes to defense. Really Lee is a guy waiting for a big contract before having a huge decline in effort, and effectiveness IMO, good call.
If Channing Frye got 20 points and 10 rebounds in New York, then he got 6 points and 3 rebounds here. Think of foreign exchange. Transferring from a fast paced team to a low paced team, 10 Knick stats = 3 Blazer stats. If Lee crossed the stateline to here, he'd have to trade his pesos for dollars.
Because a work horse is a term only coined for a player who plays defense? The guy averages a double-double on a team with no help whatsoever down low. I can think of many times where he has had 15 point 20 rebound games. He's about all New York has in the frontcourt and he plays like it. Are you trying to say that David Lee doesn't go balls out?
There are two levels of inquiry here (or were, at the time): 1. Is he good enough to help the team when he plays, and 2. Would there be enough opportunity for him to play that it would keep him happy. I was in the "yes" camp on both fronts, although I believe I focused more on #2. I would MUCH rather be wrong about playing time opening up... Ed O.
#2 was certainly the genesis of this thread. I remember being skeptical about playing time for Lee. All of us would wish it were different, but I found it interesting that you hit it on the head (or knee).
