Golden State Warriors: A Desperate Plea for David Lee

Could it all backfire?

By “it,” I mean Steve Kerr‘s genius, the mastermind behind the Golden State Warriors’ historic 67-win season that is suddenly in jeopardy after falling behind 2-1 to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Kerr’s brilliance first came to light when he handed David Lee‘s starting position to Draymond Green and kept it that way even after Lee recovered from a hamstring injury.

It was the right move at the time, and it propelled an offensive system that mirrored perfection. Green, a stretch-four, provided spacing, smart-decision making, and the ability to knock down the occasional three. His prowess on the defensive end atoned for his lack of size. There was no question Kerr had made the right decision by benching Lee in favor of Green.

But now, as we approach a pivotal Game 4 that the Warriors must steal on the road to get back into the series, the Warriors need David Lee.

Problem is, he’s nowhere to be found.

Sidelined by injury, Lee didn’t play at all in the first round against the Pelicans. Against the Grizzlies, he has played four minutes in Game 1, five minutes in Game 2, and none in Game 3. He has scored a grand total of a single point — a free throw — and missed all five of his shot attempts. The last time he made a field goal was nearly a month ago: April 13th against these very same Grizzlies.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) shoots the basketball against Memphis Grizzlies forward

Zach Randolph

(50) during the first quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Yet, the Warriors need Lee in this series. They are no match for the Grizzlies’ interior twin towers of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, and Lee is their only player who can score down low — Green is undersized and Andrew Bogut has limited offensive ability.

In a matchup between a free-flowing, fastbreak offense and a grind-it-out, halfcourt style of play, the Grizzlies are clearly winning. The Warriors, though, seem rather unfazed.

“You don’t change who you are obviously overnight,” Kerr said after Game 2, via the San Jose Mercury News. “You just have to do better at what you already do.”

And yes, they can stay stubborn and try to shoot their way back into the series, hoping that the three-pointers finally start falling. But it wouldn’t hurt to give Lee, who fits the bill of a halfcourt-style player, more playing time. Lee might be the only one on the Warriors whose game is unaffected by the pace of play. If the Grizzlies are imposing their will and controlling the tempo, Lee has the ability to match it with his low post arsenal — no need for screens, passes, or anything other facet of the Warriors’ system that the Grizzlies have taken away these last two games.

Take this tweet from former teammate Jarrett Jack:

I think golden state should at least attempt to play David Lee some in this series he is the most skilled offensive big on the team
— JARRETT JACK (@Jarrettjack03) May 10, 2015

In other words, Lee can do one of the few things Green — the Swiss Army knife of the Warriors — cannot: score inside and slow the game down.

Green is clearly fazed by the Grizzlies, who are pummeling him with an incessant dosage of Gasol post-ups.

It’s bothering his offense — Game 3 was a night he’d like to forget. Green had just six points on 1-of-8 shooting, committing five turnovers. He had a couple of crucial miscues late in the game: a lane violation on a free throw by Stephen Curry and a costly giveaway that more or less wrapped up the game.

Down by five with under two minutes to play, Green decided to speed-dribble the length of the floor and try to finish coast-to-coast. But the ill-advised decision was thwarted by the Grizzlies’ solid interior defense, the ball swiped away from his hands by Courtney Lee. Tony Allen converted on a layup the other way, and the Warriors’ ever-so-small window of opportunity to close a 19-point deficit down to a one possession game was quickly shut down.

May 5, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) reacts after missing a basket while being fouled during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

For all of Green’s positive attributes, one skill he has not quite masterminded yet is the ability to handle the ball at high velocity while under control. With Curry and Klay Thompson on the court, late in a close game, the ball should be in their hands.

Yeah, we’re nitpicking here, and focusing on the little things because the Warriors put themselves in that position. They struggled mightily for three quarters, and had to be close to perfect to pull off another miraculous comeback. But the Grizzlies are not the Pelicans, and the Warriors cannot fall down big and expect to shoot their way back into it, as they’ve tried and failed for two straight games.

The Warriors can’t exactly fight fire with fire, but they can at least extinguish some of the flames by inserting a low post presence to mitigate the production of Gasol and Randolph.

Running Lee out there for an extended period has its risks, however. His defense — or lack thereof — has been well-chronicled, and it would take seconds for Randolph or Gasol to exploit him. There’s also the no-so-minor issue of Lee’s confidence and seemingly diminished ability. His offensive touch is gone, the mid-range jump shot so prevalent throughout of his career has become non-existent, and his free-throw percentage has dipped below 70 percent for the first time in his career. Those are not the characteristics of someone expected to contribute to a playoff team, let alone these Warriors with championship expectations.