Dallas Mavericks: David Lee Is Shining Despite Lack Of Wins

The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of one of their worst stretches all season, but David Lee has proved to be a quality signing.

The Dallas Mavericks were looking for another big man who could come off of the bench and boost their scoring efforts.

Dirk Nowitzki was still playing like his old self while Zaza Pachulia was overachieving, but head coach Rick Carlisle always seemed hesitant to dish out big minutes to his bench players like JaVale McGee and Charlie Villanueva, leaving inexperienced players like Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri as the primary backups.

On Feb. 22, the Mavs found their guy as they inked veteran forward David Lee to their $2.1 million room exception. Lee won a championship just last season with the Golden State Warriors but had been traded to the Boston Celtics during the summer.

After a successful stint, he was eventually benched and bought out shortly after the trade deadline. His role with the Mavs was set to be bigger as their was an obvious slot for him in the rotation.

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Lee’s first game with the Mavs came against the Oklahoma City Thunder and it was his first game in just more than a month. Though he only had four points and four rebounds in the contest, it was just a matter of days until he truly revealed how he would impact the team.

Lee’s next game against the Denver Nuggets featured 25 minutes of playing time along with a double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds) that helped the Mavs in their successful attempt at a comeback.

Since then, Lee has put up double figures and at least one block in four of five games. In his seven games with the Mavs, Lee has averaged 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Those numbers aren’t too bad for a 32-year-old who many thought had regressed significantly in the span of about a year.

Lee isn’t just putting up big numbers by tossing up everything that comes his way. He has been very efficient during his time on the court, shooting at least 60 percent in six of his seven games and making the most of his 18.5 minutes per game by shooting 86 percent from the free throw line.

His fast start with the Mavs has earned much recognition from his teammates and  Carlisle who spoke on his impact so far:

"“He’s playing well, he’s playing effectively. He gives us a different dimension than we’ve had here. He’s helping us, which I really believed he was going to do when we signed him.”"

The notion of possibly giving Lee a start here and there was also brought up, but Carlisle quickly shot that down, stating that Pachulia’s physical play is better “against those big bruisers.” Lee is a solid defender, but as Carlisle stated, he won’t give you an edge in terms of physical play.

Lee has done his job on the court, in terms of production, but he is helping the team in another way: leading. His veteran experience has given him plenty of skills that are necessary to create chemistry in the locker room and on game nights. You’ll often see him chatting with other players during the game and on the bench, providing an example of what a true teammate is like.

Lee also brings plenty of energy to the floor whenever he checks in. Since signing, he has taken on the task of being the first big man off the bench and his motor on the court often helps the Mavs if they are struggling.

His time in Dallas has been impressive so far. This summer he will become a free agent and, if he’s willing to take a smaller offer, it would be in the Mavs’ best interest to bring him back for the 2016-17 campaign.

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Lee has made a big difference in the Mavs’ frontcourt, even though they are struggling at the moment. His continued excellence is something that will be important to the team, should they hang on to their playoff spot and compete in the postseason.