Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: Who Has the Edge?
By Mike Dill
Power Forward
Warriors: David Lee, Marreese Speights, Draymond Green
Thunder: Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, Perry Jones
April 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors power forward David Lee (10) controls the pass against San Antonio Spurs point guard Nando de Colo (25) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the San Antonio Spurs 116-106. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
This matchup is probably the closest of any position, but Lee and Ibaka are very different players. Lee has an impressive offensive game; he can score with either hand and can also shoot jumpers. Ibaka isn’t a bad shooter, but his offensive game is less varied than Lee’s.
Lee tends to get a bad rap for his defense, which is completely justified. He does not play good defense. However, Ibaka is simply seen as a good defender due to his shot blocking ability. Blocking shots is definitely valuable, but there is much more to defense.
This isn’t to say Ibaka is a poor defender. He is a good defender – just not nearly as good as some people seem to think.
Lee has the better offensive game and Ibaka has the better defensive game. Lee will pull down more rebounds, but Ibaka will block more shots. Both players are great at what they do.
Nick Collison is a serviceable backup power forward. He is a decent rebounder and can score if he is open, but there is a reason he is a backup. The same goes for the Warriors’ Speights, who is a bit rough other than when it comes to shooting jumpers.
Edge: Warriors