The Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals and at first they weren’t doing so well, but in Game 4 they blew out the Cavaliers and showed the their true Golden State colours in that game. The series is tied 2-2 going into Game 5 tonight and the Warriors would not be in this position if it weren’t for their depth. One of their players that fits into the bigger picture for the Warriors is All-Star Forward David Lee. Lee has struggled lately with injury issues and hasn’t been able to get back to all-star form ever since he became a Warrior. That does not mean he can’t contribute. In the Finals, Lee has been a huge spark for the struggling Warriors off the bench. He received his first minutes in the 3rd quarter of Game 3, and he played in Game 4, you can surely bet that he will play in Game 5 as well.
So could we say Lee sparked them to turn things around? Maybe not but he did help. Essentially, he is vital to the Warriors success and they were about to trade him before the deadline.
According to Sam Amick of USA Today:
In the Game 3 loss to the Cavaliers, Lee had 11 points, four rebounds and two assists in 13 minutes. In the Warriors’ Game 4 win, he had nine points, five rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes. It’s the kind of unexpected contribution that Lacob said made the Warriors think twice about trading him back in February.
“I can tell you that at the trade deadline, there was discussion from others that we should move David Lee, and some people (thought) we were going to move David Lee, and I can tell you that we all sat there and said, ‘No, we’re not going to do that, no matter what the cost might be next year,’ ” Lacob said. “We thought that David was still a very good player, and one injury and all of a sudden David Lee is playing a lot. I’ve always felt that he would contribute to the championship.
“He and I have talked about it, and while he certainly says it has been difficult — and I know it has — he has been a great team player about it all. He hasn’t complained. He has been a positive force in the locker room, and I think we all appreciate that and we admire it and we respect it. I’m a big David Lee fan, and I always will be, whether he’s with us long term or not.”
The Warriors are now in a position to win, and I’m sure they are glad they did not trade David Lee. In Game 4, the Warriors started off with a small lineup, and ‘small-big-men’ like Lee fit perfectly in that type of playing style. Game 5 tonight.
