Last night even though it was the Kings and preseason, I really liked how David Lee played and got an appreciation for all the little things he does. They are all the simple plays you need plus some outstanding passes and just knowing where to be. Whereas everyone around was making stupid passes and running around too fast out of control, he was patient and steady. I think last year he was trying not to be too assertive so he ended up deferring to the others and his numbers suffered. Don't think he's going to do that this year and he's going to increase his production and the Warriors will be better. Not playoff or contenders, but at least better. He's not a physical monster who can dominate but he can be a steady guy like a Bobby Jones type.
Agreed. I think you'll see him play much better with someone next to him who plays hard. There'll be lineups of Brown, Lee, Wright where he'll get help on the glass and on defense which will allow him to really play well on the other side of the court. That being said, he's still overpaid, but since Monta and Curry are underpaid right now, it works
Haven't seen the games so far but I read that Jackson actually uses him on the pick and roll. Genius. I think he'll have a better year than last year. I hope that the team defense concepts make him decent on that end of the floor. Hes smart and mobile, there's no reason why he shouldn't be able to do decently with a good system as long as he puts in the effort.
I watched both games, Not only was he working the pick and roll, but he was moving without the ball very well. He's active and should wear out a bunch of 4's this year
I've always been happy with David Lee trade (so long as Anthony Randolph continues to be irrelevant). What is not to like about David Lee aside from desiring more defensive prowess from him?) He gets other players involved in the offense he hustles on every play he plays physical and is tough he's athletic and can run the floor very well for a 250 lb 6'9 guy he can score with either hand making him harder to block at close ranges he has greatly improved his free throw shooting since his rookie season (hard working off the court, mentally focused) He's almost certainly a candidate for double doubles every game with a high number of assists for a big man he knows the game, he's not some player trying to figure it out nor is he a player who has a limited ceiling/skill set
The defense and lack of ability to finish around the rim was pretty disappointing to me. Knicks fans said he was automatic near the hoop and I found that to be far from the truth. But he did have a rough season so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt heading into this season. Hopefully his D will improve under Jackson as well. He does do everything else well that CR2 mentioned but the few things he doesn't do well- defense, post scoring, finishing at the rim- are probably the most important for his position.
Through two games this year hes really impressing me. Hes playing like the player I expected to get when we signed him. Very active, finishing around the rim well, drilling all his open J's, crashing the glass. And as an added bonus hes really doing well in the team defense scheme AND he appears to have added some post/faceup scoring to his game. Hes one of those guys who you can expect to add to his game every offseason and his lack of ability to score one on one last season was glaring. Looks like he put in a lot of work scoring on the block and he already had the jumpshot and handles for his position. Hes bailed us out a few times in isolations at the end of the shotblock and hes absolutely murdering teams when they leave him to help on Monta/Curry. So far he palyed Blake Griffin to a standstill and completely outplayed Boozer. It will be huge if he has another year like he did in 09-10.
His post up game is more than decent right now and his passing is showing he truly is in his prime. He'll never be a stud defender, just not quick enough off the ground nor explosive enough, but he can be solid. I forgot that last year, he had that accidental biting from Wilson Chandler and something along a staph infection. I think that'd be a huge obstacle for anyone. Bad break. I realize now that using the amnesty/waiver on him would have been extremely stupid.
Yeah the Wilson Chandler incident is the only reason I didn't completely judge him based on his performance last season. If memory serves he was quite good before that and the last month or so of the season he started playing very well again. He tried to come back too early from that and apparently he lost some weight in the offseason so maybe he got out of shape mid-season. In any event, I'll be happy if he keeps it up. Is he worth 13 mil a year? Debatable, but if he continues to show some post scoring and defense in addition to the other staples of his game I'll feel better about him.
