Now, as a diehard Knick fan and a loyal supporter of even the worst teams from 1998 to now, I have to say that the title is even shocking to me. David Lee to me is the epitome of what every undersized PF should be; A hustler with unlimited energy and unbelievably team oreinted. He doesn't give two damns about getting his baskets, he gets them when they come. He isn't the best defender, but I'll be damned if he doesn't try his hardest to defend whoever his assignment is. Now, with the way Isiah is treating him, it really pisses me off and disappoints me. Lee deserves a starting job on any team in my mind, but on a team like the Knicks there should be no question at all as to whether he starts or not. But game in and game out Isiah tries to prove his critics wrong by starting his signee Jefferies and time and time again we watch him fail to do anything on the offensive or defensive end. How long can this go on before David Lee gets so frustrated that he demands a trade? He's only a sophomore, but ask any coach or GM around the NBA if they'd want David Lee on their team to rack up big minutes for them and I can almost guaruntee you'd get a resounding yes. So, would you trade David Lee just to see him happy or would you want him to stay a Knick forever? Right now I'm totally on the fence because I believe David Lee is one of those players that could turn a contender in the playoffs into a championship team just by having him on the team. As a basketball fan I'd love to see him in another market like LA alongside Kobe or in Miami to pickup the slack of all of their older players. But as a Knicks fan, I'd love to see his legacy play out for 10-12 years and to be remembered as one of the most tenacious players the Knicks have ever had. It's a tough decision, which one do you make?
David Lee is the first player I put in my favorite player profile. Best rebounder we've had since Oakley. Dude is 6'9" and averaging close to 11 rebounds in 30 minutes. That's impressive, not to mentione he's 2nd in FG% last time I checked. Honestly, as much as I like Lee, it would really hurt me to see Lee traded or even worse, just walk away. He's a jump shot away from being a star, IMO and even if he doesn't get the minutes he deserves in New York, I can't bare to see Lee donning another jersey, especially with the Nets. I think Isiah's time is short here and another coach will give Lee his due burn.
Would be nice to see him on the Nets or in LAL. It really annoys me what Isiah has done, ordinarily if a player is out with an injury and his starting job is taken, when the original starter comes back it's common IMO that they should have to earn their starting job back especially when you're getting excellent play with the replacement starter. Jeffries should of been benched upon his return and should've had to have earned his starting job back, there's exception to this rule if the player is a superstar but I don't really consider Jeffries a superstar. Wake up Isiah!
I'd take him over Troy Murphy, that's a definite sure. All this talk in warriorland about how Troy Murphy is an asset because of rebounding, but a double double from Murphy is not the same as a double double from David Lee. There's more energy in Lee's game. I think Lee's a better natural playmaker as well and he's definitely more athletic that is for sure.
Time to wake up, Isiah I remember calling Lee a hot prospect last season and placing him in that catagory again this season. MrJ can back me up on that as he co-wrote the article. David Lee is destined for greatness and Isiah Thomas needs to pay better attention. The kid currently averages 10.7 PPG and 10.7 RPG, playing only 30.3 minutes per game on average. Of the 36 games he's played in he's started only 12 of them, that is just not right. We know Jeffries was rewarded his starting role coming back from suspension since he stood up for his teammate, but even he would have to respect a player like Lee breaking out. Personally I would've been grateful enough that the coach wants me to start when I'm playing bad, but rather step aside and come off the bench. I'm sure he knows it as well. This isn't a time for egos when the Knicks are in a position to steal a Playoff spot given that they continue to rise. Back to the stats -- Lee is sitting at the 8 spot for RPG. However, the most notable statistic is that of the 10.3 RPG, 3.9 on average is offensive! He is leading the league in offensive boards just over Ben Wallace and he's a bench player. I feel sorry for you Knicks fans because this franchise deserves better management. They seem to have no knowledge of what to do right now. For me personally it is sad to ever see NYK at such a low, especially what happened last season. Management in the Big Apple needs to wake up and Lee is a good start to help build the franchise back up from the dirt.
