Golden State Warriors: The Rise And Fall Of David Lee

The Rise

By Lee’s second season in the NBA (2006-07), he was already a double-double machine averaging 10.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game for the New York Knicks. By 2009-10, Lee had learned how to score from nearly all over the court. He could knock down midrange jumpers to spread the defense and had learned how to use his frame to score around and through bigger interior defenders at the basket.

In his final season with the Knicks that season, he averaging 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game — all career-highs — en route to the first All-Star Game of his young career as a replacement for Allen Iverson. At the age of 26, the sky seemed like the limit for the 30th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft.

But when Lee became an unrestricted free agent that summer, the Knicks chose not to re-sign him, shipping him to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade for Anthony Randolph, Ronny Turiaf, Kelenna Azubuike and a 2012 second round draft pick. It’s not hard to tell which side one THAT trade, even with Lee’s massive new contract in mind ($79.5 million, six years).

In five seasons with the team, Lee has averaged 17.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor. He’s been a minus on the defensive end, sure, but Andrew Bogut has usually covered for his flaws on that end of the floor.

In his second All-Star season, it seemed egregious that Stephen Curry was snubbed from the All-Star Game, but no one really argued against Lee’s inclusion either. He was that important to the Warriors in 2013. Expectations weren’t high entering the playoffs that year, especially against a 57-win Denver Nuggets team, but Lee’s career was about to be altered forever.

Next: The Turning Point