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Golden State Warriors: The Rise And Fall Of David Lee

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) reacts after being called for a foul against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 121-96. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) reacts after being called for a foul against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 121-96. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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David Lee
Apr 27, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward David Lee (10) celebrates with forward Draymond Green (23) during the second quarter in game four of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Clippers 118-97. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

The Fall

Fortunately for Lee, he still had one more year in the sun. Harrison Barnes was quickly demoted to sixth man over the summer thanks to the arrival of Andre Iguodala, and Lee retained his starting job at power forward because a certain 2012 second round draft pick named Draymond Green wasn’t ready to step into the limelight yet.

During the 2013-14 season, the Warriors improved to 51 wins, but still only earned the sixth seed in the West. With Andrew Bogut out for the playoffs, Golden State got its first extended look at what Green could do on a national stage. Green was sensational in that first round series, averaging 11.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals per game over the course of the seven-game series.

In the decisive Game 7, Green established himself as a vital cog to the Warriors machine moving forward, notching 24 points (9-of-13 shooting, 5-of-8 from downtown), seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals…all while guarding the likes of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The Dubs lost the game, but Green was identified as the biggest reason they were even able to compete without Bogut.

Lee, on the other hand, averaged a meager 13.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the series and became a general afterthought.

With the axing of Mark Jackson and the arrival of Steve Kerr, things changed for the worse for Lee. He missed 24 of the team’s first 25 games of the 2014-15 season with a hamstring injury, making Kerr’s decision to promote Green into the starting lineup an easy one. Things were going great. The Dubs were winning, Green was holding his own and Lee wasn’t even back yet.

Unfortunately for Lee, Green was doing too well, emerging as the versatile defender and do-it-all Swiss Army knife that made Golden State one of the best teams in the NBA. When Lee returned from his injury, Green rightfully retained his starting role and a two-time All-Star was demoted to a sixth man role among a group of sixth men (Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and Marreese Speights).

Unlike Jackson, Kerr is a mastermind when it comes to his rotations (keep in mind, this is a rookie head coach we’re talking about). He saw what Jackson failed to see in the 2013 NBA Playoffs: those small-ball lineups that carried the Warriors were the key to this team contending. With Green’s emergence, all the pieces were in position.

As a result, Lee is averaging 8.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 18.7 minutes per game this season. He’s registered three “DNP – CD”s in his last six games, and even 31 minutes against the Denver Nuggets with half the team out wasn’t enough to disguise how far Lee has fallen.

Next: What Now?

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