Thunder notebook: David Lee in OKC?

[slick_watts]

Monroe is not a big time scorer. I don't think the Thunder want to move Green. I agree w/ Slick, the draft has treated OKC very good. But, you can not keep going to there.

They need to go out and get a big man who can help. Whether it is Sammy, Haywood, or Lee.

What about BOSH?

They don't need a big time scorer at PF. They have plenty of scoring on the team with Westbrook, Harden and obviously, Durant. And it's not like he's an offensive liability. Monroe could be a really solid player.

The likelihood of getting Bosh is slim to say the least.

If you read my previous posts, the Thunder have three weaknesses at the moment. eFG% (scoring efficiently), DRB% (give up too many offensive rebounds), and TOV% (too many turnovers.

An efficient scorer at PF or C that can also secure rebounds is the best bet to improve the team. Our defense is excellent, it's our offense that has struggled. Kevin Durant is the only efficient scorer on the team. Russell Westbrook does not shoot efficiently, and James Harden hasn't either. The team needs more efficient scoring, definitely, and if it came in the form of a big man that could also improve the state of our rebounding, we'd be sitting pretty..

[Balkman32]

Well then it is basically David Lee.

After doing some research the Thunder could aquire David Lee this season. Insted of Eddy Curry the Thunder could take Jared Jefferies. This trade would be complicated. They would need a third team to get in the trade.

OKC Get: Lee, Jeffries, and Francisco Elson (Bucks)
NYK Get: Etan Thomas and Kurt Thomas (Both expiring deals)
MIL Get: Matt Harpring (They get to only have to pay him 15% of his deal) So that is their motovation to make this deal.

What do you think?

I'm still wondering why you're so set on acquiring David Lee during this season.. Lee will be an unrestricted free agent and we will have more than enough cap space to pursue him if we'd like. In fact, having Jared Jeffries on the payroll (or Eddy Curry, for that matter) for the following season would probably dissauade the Thunder from re-signing David Lee as that would push them way over the cap + draft picks.

I wouldn't mind going after David Lee in the offseason if there's a plan to acquire a defensive minded center to go with him, but I'm 100% against any deal that's short sighted like this one. There's no reason to complicate things; if we want David Lee we can get him after the season is over..

My thing is that yeah we can get him next season. But, what if the market fizzles again. We own his rights, we can re-sign him like the knicks did or we can put him in a sign and trde deal. Plus, it gives the futur as a whole to play games with each other. To go on a playoff run...

[slick_watts]

We won't need his rights because he's unrestricted. If we traded for David Lee and didn't want to re-sign him, he would have no reason to agree to a sign and trade with so many teams looking to have cap room. Then we're left with nothing because we'd have Jared Jeffries on the payroll chopping our cap space in half.

He's not going to get the max, and probably won't get a six year deal, so bird rights in this case don't really matter for David Lee; I don't see any reason to acquire Lee in a trade this season other than to make a playoff run, and is that's not necessary to me.

[Balkman32]

So you think this is basically the team we are going with here on out?

9 Man Rotation:
Kristic/Collison
Green/Ibaka
Durant
Sefolosha/Harden
Westbrook/Maynor

w/ Mullens, White and Weaver riding the pine...
& Thomas, Harpring, and Ollie expiring after the season.

[Clangus]

I don't get why everyone is shoving Lee down our necks. Presti might make a move to with one of the teams not contending but paying luxury tax, this season, but if he wanted to get Lee he would have made a run at him already last offseason?

[slick_watts]

So you think this is basically the team we are going with here on out?

9 Man Rotation:
Kristic/Collison
Green/Ibaka
Durant
Sefolosha/Harden
Westbrook/Maynor

w/ Mullens, White and Weaver riding the pine...
& Thomas, Harpring, and Ollie expiring after the season.

For the rest of the season that is likely, unless a trade can be made that upgrades the front court while also keeping an eye for the future. I do not think that is the long term roster, especially the front court, but barring that scenario I don't think any changes will be made until the offseason.

I don't get why everyone is shoving Lee down our necks. Presti might make a move to with one of the teams not contending but paying luxury tax, this season, but if he wanted to get Lee he would have made a run at him already last offseason?

Not necessarily, Presti probably knew that David Lee would end up taking the qualifying offer, and Lee himself is having a terrific season this year so he's more appealing.

People are talking a lot about Lee because he would go a long way toward solving two of our biggest problems (scoring efficiency, and defensive rebounding) he's top ten in both.

[Clangus]

I don't get why everyone is shoving Lee down our necks. Presti might make a move to with one of the teams not contending but paying luxury tax, this season, but if he wanted to get Lee he would have made a run at him already last offseason?

Not necessarily, Presti probably knew that David Lee would end up taking the qualifying offer, and Lee himself is having a terrific season this year so he's more appealing.

People are talking a lot about Lee because he would go a long way toward solving two of our biggest problems (scoring efficiency, and defensive rebounding) he's top ten in both.

Why would he have taken the qualifying offer? If Presti put in a good offer there was no reason to stay in NY? He had a good season last year and there was no reason to believe he wouldn't improve and be better. Again IMO Presti would have made a run at him if he wanted David Lee.

Lets be honest here, we already have a good rebounder that scores well when he's in the game. His name is DJ White, Aside from injuries(which he isn't as he played decent mins for the DLeague) the only logical reason he isn't getting any burn is his defense- which is the exact same reason I dont want Lee.

[slick_watts]

I think that Sam Presti wanted to see the young players a little more before commiting to a free agent such as David Lee or Paul Millsap. Just like everyone on every Thunder board I've been to, he wanted to see if Jeff Green could play power forward. I think it's obvious that it's the one part of our roster that is suffering considering our team weaknesses on the boards and in scoring efficiency. Bringing in a free agent last summer would have undermined a lot of that process, and would have bitten us in the rear if Jeff Green had, by some miracle, developed into a power forward. I think it's common knowledge throughout the league and the Thunder fan base that we require an upgrade in the front court, now.

DJ White is no David Lee.. Lee is top ten in the entire league at two things we struggle with, eFG% and DRB%. In fact, aside from possibly Al Jefferson or a player of his caliber, there probably isn't another young player in the league that would do better for us in those two problem areas. It's true that he's not known for his defense, but neither is Jeff Green (man to man, anyway). And like I said, this defense isn't built on man to man defenders, it's a team defensive scheme that works because the players buy into it. I don't think a guy like David Lee or Al Jefferson, for example, would come in here and be poor defenders. They'd work like the rest of the team because our best player is the defensive leader. David Lee's an elite player for what he does..

I'm not saying David Lee is the answer.. acquiring him would complicate some things because we'd need a nice defense presence in the middle, though I think for all the Ibaka fans that Lee is the right kind of player to play next to him. But Lee definitely would fill the team's gaps.. depending on his price, and what the other moves would be, he might be a solid acquisition.

[slick_watts]

One last David Lee note, don't forget that he's playing center for the Knicks.. he's just as out of position as Jeff Green is, and is going up against bigger players on almost a nightly basis on the defensive end. I personally think the guy gets a bad rap on defense, I don't think he's good, but I think he definitely could be considering his court intelligence and skill set. Especially if he could play power forward and match up against players who are mostly his size or smaller.

[Clangus]

One last David Lee note, don't forget that he's playing center for the Knicks.. he's just as out of position as Jeff Green is, and is going up against bigger players on almost a nightly basis on the defensive end. I personally think the guy gets a bad rap on defense, I don't think he's good, but I think he definitely could be considering his court intelligence and skill set. Especially if he could play power forward and match up against players who are mostly his size or smaller.

That's is exactly why i don't want him. DRB% is misleading in his case too I think, based on the system and lack of rebounders on his team.
Hear me out here. The NY style of play is peremeter shooting, pure and simple. if I recall correctly they have 2 or 3 of teh top 10 in 3pt attempts.They dont agressively attack the rim, they dont seem to get alot of FT attempts. Basically Lee is all alone inside, with room to work because everyone on the other team is chasing the other knicks around the peremeter. So Lee is all alone in side- one one one. He wouldn't have that kind of room to work in here. Durant attacks the hoop, Westbrook attacks the hoop. Hell Harden even attacks the hoop pretty regularly it seems.

Granted i have only seen about 5
Knick games this year. I admit that is a small sample size. But I just don't see him working out here.
I KNOW he is better than green. That is not in question. I am questioning if he is the right fit.

So in summary, I agree that Green is worse that Lee. I agree that Lee might be the right kind of player to Stick Ibaka next too. Hell I even agree that Lee is good in 2 things we suck at. I personally think though, his cost would be too high, his defense would quickly become an issue, and his stats are inflated by the system. (Yes even the E% stats)

I wont cry if we get him, but I wont immediately rejoice either.

[Clangus]

**** it lets get Lee in here.

[Clangus]

Actually can I have Al Jefferson instead please.

[slick_watts]

I'd agree with you Clangus, if David Lee's production wasn't consistent over the years. He's been consistent with his rebounding and scoring efficiency, and has been improving in both over time. David Lee has played with some good rebounders, just recently with Zach Randolph who's one of the better rebounders in the league, and it hasn't really affected his production.

Take this Spurs game for example. David Lee in the starting lineup instead of Jeff Green.. do you see Blair getitng those rebounds? I don't.. Maybe we can run some pick and roll to get high percentage shots at the basket, David Lee is one of the best P'n'R guys in the league. Might have helped out in crunch time when we needed a look.

[Julio]

I'd agree with you Clangus, if David Lee's production wasn't consistent over the years. He's been consistent with his rebounding and scoring efficiency, and has been improving in both over time. David Lee has played with some good rebounders, just recently with Zach Randolph who's one of the better rebounders in the league, and it hasn't really affected his production.

Take this Spurs game for example. David Lee in the starting lineup instead of Jeff Green.. do you see Blair getitng those rebounds? I don't.. Maybe we can run some pick and roll to get high percentage shots at the basket, David Lee is one of the best P'n'R guys in the league. Might have helped out in crunch time when we needed a look.

Yep, that's what I was going to say, Lee is not a product of D'Antoni, his rebounding is a natural thing of him. Maybe he would average less on this team, but there is still a huge probability he would be our best rebounder.
I like Lee's game, however I don't see him as good fit, for reasons we already discussed Slick.
Main reason is obviously spacing. I don't care for Jeff with the way he's playing, but he lets the path to the basket open for Durant, which wouldn't be the case with Lee so much.
Honnestly, I said it before, I like Scola way better for us.
Solid midrange game, good post game, underrated defender and would definitively give the effort, willing passer, leader, hustle a lot, great 3rd option IMO.

[wiff]

I know it was a small sample size but not one play, not one play did David Lee make me go "oh that was a nice rebound" or "good hustle". When those are the kinds of things I like to watch for in a game.

Thanks but no thanks on David Lee. Then again for 6 mil a year sure I'll take him.