KJG Top 30: David Lee’s Top 10 Games of 2012-2013
By Chris Philip
May 16, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30, left) and power forward David Lee (10, right) react after game six of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena. The Spurs defeated the Warriors 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
(KJG is ranking the top 10 games of the 2012-13 for each player that made our top 30 list, which you can find here)
29. David Lee, Big, Golden State Warriors
2012-2013 Statistics: 18.5 points (.519/.000/0.797), 11.2 rebounds (2.7 offensive), 3.5 assists (2.6 turnovers), 0.8 steal, 0.3 block (3.1 fouls) in 36.8 minutes (79 games)
Rankings: 15th in Points Per Game, 5th in Rebounds Per Game, 49th in Assists Per Game
David Lee is the opposite of Andre Iguodala in that his raw statistics make him look better than he is. Take his gaudy rebounding: the Warriors actually rebound slightly better with Lee on the bench. Lee can shoot a little bit, but he doesn’t have legitimate three-point range so he’s not particularly stretchy. Lee isn’t a rim protector, and though he takes charges, too often his lack of athleticism and short arms results in fouls.
That said, Lee is an above-average big who can post-up, slip picks, make plays out of the post and convert his free throws. Having a big who consistently hits free throws prevents intentional fouling, enables the Warriors to keep their best players on the floor, and cushions the lead or fuels the comeback in close games. He helps the offense more than he hurts the defense enough to be a net positive. Although he was injured throughout the playoffs, perhaps Lee’s best asset is his durability, as he averaged more than three quarters of play and missed just three games prior to the first round.
Using John Hollinger’s Game Score metric, here are the best 10 games Lee played last season.
(Comments, disagreements and suggestions are welcome below.)