Golden State Warriors Aren’t Missing David Lee At All

The Golden State Warriors don’t miss David Lee.

At 23-0 the team comes rolling into Boston to face a former player and his new team. Lee has struggled to fit in with the Boston Celtics, particularly because of the glut of front court players the Celtics have.

With players like Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, and Amir Johnson, Lee’s playing time has been limited.

Lee is averaging just about 16 minutes per game. This is down from the 18 minutes he played last season with the Warriors. Presumably he’s not playing because of his struggles defensively.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens is a new age coach like Steve Kerr and Luke Walton who preaches ball movement and defense. Lee is still a great passer for a big man, but his defensive limitations have to be a reason why he’s not playing.

The Celtics are third in defensive efficiency, so they are employing the Warriors formula of defense fueling offense. Lee does not fit this formula as much as he tries to.

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Finally, Stevens has the tendency to play the hot-hand, which means if the big men mentioned above are playing well, then Stevens will roll with them, which will leave Lee wishing what could have been with the Warriors.

Even though Lee isn’t happy about his playing time, he’s played well in the limited action. Lee is averaging 6.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. His per 36 minutes stats are 16 points 9.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists.

Finally, Lee’s PER or player efficiency ratings is 16.58. A PER of 15 is average, so Lee has been an above average player when he’s been on the court. Compare that to Draymond Green‘s 18.18 PER and the it’s clear the Warriors made the right decision installing Green their power forward.

Even though the PER’s are similar, the stat that really separates the two players is real-plus-minus. Green is sixth in the NBA in real-plus-minus, while Lee is 32nd among qualified power forwards.

The numbers above illustrate that Lee has been effective when he’s played, but with the Warriors changing the NBA and showing that defense at the power forward position matters, Lee won’t play as much as he believes he should.

Oct 23, 2015; Manchester, NH, USA; Boston Celtics center Tyler Zeller (44) and forward David Lee (42) celebrate against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half at Verizon Wireless Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics want to play with five perimeter players who can all shoot. When we examine the big men the Celtics have, all of them can shoot the three-pointer. Lee at this point in his career can’t even make the midrange jump shot, which used to be his bread and butter.

Lee made the right decision leaving the Warriors. He wanted a new opportunity and the Celtics are giving it to him. Lee can be a mentor for the young players the Celtics have, and he will have a greater opportunity to gain playing time as the season goes on.

The Warriors appreciate the services of Lee, but’s it’s time for a new era and the Warriors have found that thanks to Green.