New York Knicks: 3 reasons why Courtney Lee can’t play small forward
By Eric Snyder
Deflecting blame
The new version of the New York Knicks, without Carmelo and Phil Jackson, will push the ball much more in transition. If Jeff Hornacek could find a wing player who excelled at deflecting passes and creating turnovers, it could change everything for this team. Unfortunately, Courtney Lee is not that player as either a shooting guard or a small forward.
Last season, Courtney Lee was mediocre at best at disrupting passing lanes. In fact, per 36 minutes, Lee ranked 112th out of 224 guards at deflecting passes. His 2.3 deflections per 36 minutes aren’t horrible but they’re also not great. Both small forward and shooting guard positions are wing positions with great access to passing lanes. Consequently, Lee’s ability to deflect passes and disrupt opposing offenses won’t be much better, or worse, as a small forward.
No doubt, when Courtney Lee plays small forward, opposing offenses will post him up. Continually being pinned in the post could make his deflection numbers and defensive rating plummet throughout this season.
A low defensive rating and mediocre deflection number speaks volumes about Courtney Lee as a defender. Comparatively, Lee is known to bring energy to the floor on offense. So, even if his defensive numbers don’t improve, he could make a positive impact if he hustles the same on defense.