The David Lee Thread

[Captain_Caveman]

It's gotta happen eventually, might as well be me.

I'm seeing posts where people think he should start and calling him our best big man, and I can't take it anymore.

Watch this video. Several times if necessary. Replay at the 1:14 mark a few times. Even download it if you want. Then think to yourself, "This is before he was all broken down and on the verge of being totally washed up. And now he might start for the 2015-16 Celtics, while making $15.5m a year."

https://vimeo.com/59821851

[TheOGJabroni]

Honestly I'm more excited about him than I probably should be but a lot of those shots scream "I'm the last option on the floor. This is my chance to make an impact on the game". When you're on a team with Steph Curry/Klay Thompson launching jumpers (and deservedly so) I could see this happening to some players. Hence why Green is the better fit.

He may not be as good as people are hoping, but I don't think he is as bad as that video makes him out to be either.

[Writebloc]

https://youtu.be/2kl4gXUxnI8

Lee looks pretty good in this game, I'm not getting carried away, but this was from a game in March. Looking for him to contribute.

[OldCeltics]

What are you talking about?

David Lee is a proven 20/10 player. They just had less of a need for him in Golden State. Then he got injured. An this year is his first healthy year post injury.

[Parliament10]

Lee, is OK. I don't see him starting over Zeller, at Center.

If Turner and everyone else is in, then Holmes is out. I seriously don't see why we have Amir, unless it's to trade.
But, we'll see what Sullinger has in the tank. For the time being, I see our rotation like this.:

Smart / Thomas / Rozier
Bradley / Young / Hunter
Crowder / (Turner) / Mickey / (Holmes)
Amir / Sullinger / Jerebko
Zeller / Lee / Olynyk

[truth18]

I agree with what Writebloc said in a different thread. I think he is a 12pt/7rb/2assist player for us. And I genuinely think that anyone expecting more or for him to average 18/20pts is setting themselves up for major disappointment.

Will watch the vid when I'm done with work.

[FakeScreenName123]

I'm seeing posts where people think he should start and calling him our best big man, and I can't take it anymore.

It's so weird cos that means either a) East coast people still associate David Lee with the Knicks David Lee or b) our big men really do suck. He's not the same player that he was 2 years ago. He's had several back injuries.

David Lee took a backseat to not only Dray Green, but to Marquese Speights. He was only OK with it (kind of...) because the team he was playing on was championship level and was the best team the entire year.

This is a quote from David Lee about his reduced playing time:

“Coach came to me and said, ‘Look, I really like what we’re doing right now, do you mind … ?’ I said, ‘You can stop talking right now.’ I said, ‘Absolutely,’” Lee said. “If we were an average team, we’d have a conversation, but with how we’re winning and how the guys are playing, winning is the only thing that matters.”

Welp. Welcome David Lee, to an average team.

[Parliament10]

What are you talking about?

David Lee is a proven 20/10 player. They just had less of a need for him in Golden State. Then he got injured. An this year is his first healthy year post injury.

One-and-Done.

Lee's already 32. And Definitely not part of our future.
I say that Danny has Lee & Amir, traded for a True Center, by the Break.

[bbd24]

He'll be starting and getting the majority of the minutes, same with Johnson. Both are darn good additions and players, whether you like it or not.

[Banks2Pierce]

His multiyear RPM is 287th in the league, behind Olynyk, Zeller, Jerebko, Sullinger, and Amir. At least it's better than Bass(322nd), but not by much. His last 2 years have been better in the context of RPM so it's possible that he's improving as he's become more of a role player. He's better than Wallace(not a big enough sample for RPM stuff), but the biggest issue is that Stevens will likely be playing him over better players with more long-term upside to the team even if no more moves are done.

[165bows]

He does have a certain Gerald Wallace characteristic to his interior scoring, at least from what I saw in the Finals. Can't say I've seen that much of him recently outside of that.

I like the concept of a low-light video though. Lowlights include getting blocked by Scola multiple times, and that mentioned attempt at 1:14 is something that is regularly used in swimming pool hoops I believe, where you literally face the other way when you shoot.

Though his actual scoring efficiency (by TS%) and turnover/assist rates over the last five years aren't atrocious, they are actually better than some of what we've had in Boston lately. There is something to be said for particularly good or bad individual plays to be over-weighted relative to the total production of an individual.

All that said I expect David Lee to be sort of Jordan Crawford-ish in his Celtics tenure if that makes sence. Ultimately not more than a fill-in quality guy that will get to look good by virtue of his skill-set filling a hole in the roster overall by bringing some offense to an otherwise capable crew. He will get to reap the benefits of the team's hard work, and maybe even land a Conference Player of the Week award! before moving on.

JCraw turned into Jordan Mickey who I like so far, and another solid second round pick next year, so hopefully Lee is able to duplicate that or even slightly better.

[Captain_Caveman]

He'll be starting and getting the majority of the minutes, same with Johnson. Both are darn good additions and players, whether you like it or not.

It is true that I don't, in fact, like it, but you are all welcome to your own opinions. Hence the thread.

I do think that each and every one of you will eventually have a moment, maybe in preseason, maybe in the 2nd round of the playoffs, where you have that magical epiphany, and say to yourself, "Dear God, this guy **** sucks!"

Mark my words.

[truth18]

He'll be starting and getting the majority of the minutes, same with Johnson. Both are darn good additions and players, whether you like it or not.

It is true that I don't, in fact, like it, but you are all welcome to your own opinions. Hence the thread.

I do think that each and every one of you will eventually have a moment, maybe in preseason, maybe in the 2nd round of the playoffs, where you have that magical epiphany, and say to yourself, "Dear God, this guy **** sucks!"

Mark my words.

Come on, man, if it happens (it will imo), it will happen way before then. Assuming we even get to the second round (all depends on who we play first, just like last year).

Let's just hope he can average the numbers I said before. I think you would agree that would be ideal, right? Those are my highest expectations of him, give or take a few assists/rebounds like Writebloc said. He is not averaging 18+ though, and that should be evident WAY before the second round

Edit: lol, I know that's an edited video, but I just watched that. Ugh. Some ridiculous plays lmao

[165bows]

His multiyear RPM is 287th in the league, behind Olynyk, Zeller, Jerebko, Sullinger, and Amir. At least it's better than Bass(322nd), but not by much. His last 2 years have been better in the context of RPM so it's possible that he's improving as he's become more of a role player. He's better than Wallace(not a big enough sample for RPM stuff), but the biggest issue is that Stevens will likely be playing him over better players with more long-term upside to the team even if no more moves are done.

This is a good point, this team is a good candidate to be similar to last year's where they trade the starters (Lee, Sully, etc) for assets and actually get better.

Edit - could add AB to that list as well.

[Smog]

It's gotta happen eventually, might as well be me.

I'm seeing posts where people think he should start and calling him our best big man, and I can't take it anymore.

Watch this video. Several times if necessary. Replay at the 1:14 mark a few times. Even download it if you want. Then think to yourself, "This is before he was all broken down and on the verge of being totally washed up. And now he might start for the 2015-16 Celtics, while making $15.5m a year."

https://vimeo.com/59821851

Uh... If David Lee isn't our best big man, who exactly is better? Jared Sullinger?

Nobody is saying David Lee is Anthony Davis, but this is a guy who put up big numbers his whole career (and was significantly better in Golden State than he was with the Knicks). Not one of our big guys will ever sniff a double-double season and he's had four of them. Nobody in our front court will ever get near an 18-point season, either, and he's had a bunch of those, always shooting above 50%, too.

Actually compared to the guys on our team, he practically is Anthony Davis. Again, not a great player by any means, but he sure didn't look washed up in the finals, and he's a better offensive player and rebounder than what we've got by a mile.

[BfB]

Lee was projected as the starter for THIS year's GSW team before he lost his job to Green via injury in pre-season.

This is not complicated - barring the team just buying him out or cutting him, there is virtually no chance that BOS acquired him without the intention of playing him a significant amount of minutes with significant usage. They did their homework, they know he'll be a pill if he doesn't get run - do the math - he's going to be a key part of the team if he's here.

Not sure what Cave is smoking, but they didn't take on extra salary for nothing. Logic dictates there has to be a reason for his acquisition at an increased price. If he was "cooked" they wouldn't acquire him to have him sit on the bench and bitch to everyone.

My guess is that he can still play at a reasonably high level. He didn't play on GSW ahead of Green/Speights/Barnes because he has no range on his shot and he is the worst defender of the group - his skill set doesn't match GSW's OFF/DEF system. It has nothing to do with is physical ability to produce rebounds and points.

I sure a **** don't want David Lee as my starting PF, but I can live with it on THIS Celtics team, provided that KO and/or Sully are not ready to step it up - I at least know Lee can put up a consistent 18/10 without running **** for him...the other two haven't proven to have anywhere close to the level of consistency in those two key need areas.

It's a stop-gap move, but one that provides some risk-management benefits.

[truth18]

His multiyear RPM is 287th in the league, behind Olynyk, Zeller, Jerebko, Sullinger, and Amir. At least it's better than Bass(322nd), but not by much. His last 2 years have been better in the context of RPM so it's possible that he's improving as he's become more of a role player. He's better than Wallace(not a big enough sample for RPM stuff), but the biggest issue is that Stevens will likely be playing him over better players with more long-term upside to the team even if no more moves are done.

This is a good point, this team is a good candidate to be similar to last year's where they trade the starters (Lee, Sully, etc) for assets and actually get better.

Edit - could add AB to that list as well.

Great point. I could see this happening as well.

[ddb]

you can create a highlight video of ANY player and make them look either really good or really bad.

All I know is that I watched every second of the NBA finals and David Lee looked awfully good on the biggest stage of basketball.
As a stop gap addition, he's a good pick-up.

[ddb]

Lee was projected as the starter for THIS year's GSW team before he lost his job to Green via injury in pre-season.

This is not complicated - barring the team just buying him out or cutting him, there is virtually no chance that BOS acquired him without the intention of playing him a significant amount of minutes with significant usage. They did their homework, they know he'll be a pill if he doesn't get run - do the math - he's going to be a key part of the team if he's here.

Not sure what Cave is smoking, but they didn't take on extra salary for nothing. Logic dictates there has to be a reason for his acquisition at an increased price. If he was "cooked" they wouldn't acquire him to have him sit on the bench and bitch to everyone.

My guess is that he can still play at a reasonably high level. He didn't play on GSW ahead of Green/Speights/Barnes because he has no range on his shot and he is the worst defender of the group - his skill set doesn't match GSW's OFF/DEF system. It has nothing to do with is physical ability to produce rebounds and points.

I sure a **** don't want David Lee as my starting PF, but I can live with it on THIS Celtics team, provided that KO and/or Sully are not ready to step it up - I at least know Lee can put up a consistent 18/10 without running **** for him...the other two haven't proven to have anywhere close to the level of consistency in those two key need areas.

It's a stop-gap move, but one that provides some risk-management benefits.

exactly. Well put. I think he's a nice addition to a young team. If he's really good and the Celtics aren't, then he's a prime candidate to be moved to a contender at the deadline for an asset. If Boston needs to match up money in a blockbuster later this season, then he's a prime candidate to help facilitate that deal. Or if he fits in nicely here and proves that he can still play, then Danny can sign him in the offseason on a 2 or 3 year deal at far less money and have a nice veteran Big coming off his bench.

What is there to lose? He's better then Gerald Wallace....period.

[Froob]

He's our new Humphries I guess, hope he plays well enough to get signed and traded.