CLEVELAND Very often, in the seven-game struggles that make up NBA championships, some subtle,unexpected twist tilts the balance in favor of the eventual winners. The annals of NBA history are packed with their names, even in recent FInals.The Spurs got an invaluable boost from backup Patty Mills last year, as the Heat did from Mike Miller to win the championship the year before. The insertion of J.J. Barea into the starting five seemed to boost the Mavs to the 2011 title. The Celtics might not have won in 2008 if not for P.J. Browns clutch mid-range shooting.MORE: |If there was something promising for the Warriors to
Miami Marlins Jersey pull out of their Game 3 lo s Tuesday night, it was that, this time around, the series-changing guy might well be David Lee, the two-time All-Star power forwardwho struggled with injuries and lost his job to Draymond Green this seasonand, at $15 million for the season, became one of the leagues most expensive backups.Lee did notplayin the first two games of the NBA Finals. But with Golden States offense badly crippled by a suffocating Cavaliers defense, coach Steve Kerr had to get some scoring. Hed used Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli at center in Game 3and Mo Speights in the previous two games. He had leaned on his small lineup with Green at center and Harrison Barnes at power forward only in overtime of Game 1 and for longer stretches in Games 2 and 3.Nothing seemed to be working, though. The Warriors, the top shooting team in the league this season (47.8 percent), struggled to get any sort of offense going. They shot 40.3 percent in the first 11 quarters and two overtimes of the Finals.Lee made a brief appearance in the first half of Game 3, thenplayed almost all of the fourth quarter for the Warriors, in which Golden State made a
Wei-Yin Chen Jersey furious push back from a 17-point deficit and score 36 points, more than they had the previous two quarterscombined. Lee was 4for4 with 11 points in 13 minutes,17 secondsof playing time, and his work in the pick-and-roll with Stephen Curry also helped snap the NBA MVP out of his game-long funk. Curry was 6for9 with 17 points in the fourth quarter, after shooting 4-for-11 with 10 points
Miami Marlins Hats in the first three quarters.I think what helped him was David Lee playing so well as the roll man, and Steph was able to find David, and that softened them up a little bit, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. David was terrific.David helped us big time get back into that game, and then Steph just got hot.D-LEE: It would be a full circle if Lee could somehow have an impact on changing the course of this series. He spent the first seven years of his NBA career, split between the Knicks and Warriors, without sniffing the postseason. His first playoff run, when the Warriors reached the conference semis against the Spurs in 2013, was ended by a hip injury after six games. Last year, there was the disappointment of the first-round lo s to the Clippers.Then came this year and the disintegration of his status in the league. Lee was in the All-Star game two years ago, and averaged 18.2 points and 9.3 rebounds last season. But this year, he played only 49 games, averaging 7.9 points in 18.4 minutes.Hes made a stiff upper lip his constant companion. Hes had little choice it was clear from the beginning that the Warriors had a chance at a special season, and playing-time complaints from Lee could easily have torpedoed it. Coaching great Chuck Daly used to that the most important job of a head coach is to keep the four guys who dont play from poisoning the eight guys who do.Lee has done no poisoning. Credit Kerr and the coaching staff for that, but credit Lee, too.Weve talked all season about this, Lee said. My job as a pro is to be ready. I have confidence in myself. My teammates have confidence in me, and my job is to be ready when my number is called. Theres guys on Cleveland that do the same thing. Mike Miller hasnt played in a
Jose Fernandez Jersey long time, James Jones, and guys coming in and hit shots and make plays. My biggest concern was to go out there and play as hard as I can, bring some toughne s, and just really be as active as po sible and be aggre sive.THE OPPONENT: The i sue with Lee, of course, is that he is a notably poor defender, and if the Warriors hope to use him to soften up the Cavs defense, he threatens to similarly soften up Golden States defense.
Starlin Castro Jersey But that still could be a winning formula for the Cavs. For the first three games of this series, theyve engaged in a defensive struggle with Cleveland and the result has been two overtime games on their home floor, and three-quarters of a blowout in Cleveland before a rally with Lee on the floor for one quarter.The Warriors had the leagues best defense this season, but trying to la so LeBron James in a grinding, defensive series doesnt seem to be the answer. Softening up the defense even if that softening happens on both ends at least offers the Warriors to play a little more like themselves offensively.It was only one quarter, and it could prove to be a fluke. But the Warriors need to change the tenor of this series, and quickly, or they risk going back to Oakland with a 3-1 deficit.Its not the perfect solution, but its worth trying. As Kerr said Tuesday, Yeah, youll see more of David Lee.
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