Golden State Warriors: The Rise And Fall Of David Lee

The Turning Point

With the Nuggets looking like a Western Conference dark horse, nobody saw the 2013 Warriors coming in that epic first round series. Steph Curry “arrived” in those six games, torching Denver with some unforgettable third quarter shooting displays.

But the real turning point of the series was Game 1, when Lee went down in the fourth quarter with what would eventually be identified as a complete tear of his right hip flexor.

With Lee sidelined, head coach Mark Jackson was forced to play small-ball, starting rookie Harrison Barnes at the four. But then funny thing happened: the Warriors won four of the next five games, running the Nuggets out of the building. Barnes was sensational in the starting role, the Nuggets couldn’t find anybody to defend Curry and the Dubs spread Denver out to send them packing earlier than anyone expected.

The Warriors fell to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the next round, but they were once again surprisingly competitive thanks to that same winning formula. Lee returned way ahead of schedule in the playoffs, but in the two games of that series where he played more than 10 minutes, the Dubs lost. Up until those last two games, the Warriors had gone 2-2.

Small sample size, sure. But out of desperation, Mark Jackson had stumbled into a winning formula that would soon define the Golden State Warriors…and relegate David Lee to bench duty in the process.

Next: The Fall