Cavaliers vs. Warriors: Analyzing David Lee's Impact on 2015 NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors have come back from an early series deficit to take a 3-2 lead in this year’s NBA Finals with a 104-91 win Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. While neither team’s bench has been spectacular during this series, Warriors forward David Lee has made an impact for his team in limited playing time.

Lee’s numbers may not be that impressive at a quick glance, as he is averaging just 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game during this series. Given that he’s averaged only 12.3 minutes per game, though, he’s made the most of his playing time.

Many NBA fans have pointed to the Warriors’ near-comeback in Game 3 as the turning point of the series. Coincidentally, this is when Lee made his first appearance of the Finals. In 13 minutes during the second half of Game 3, Lee scored 11 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting performance from the floor in the Warriors’ 96-91 loss.

He demonstrated his ability to throw it down at the basket:

Some fans have compared Lee’s contributions in this year’s Finals to those of Boris Diaw for the 2013-14 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs:

BBallBreakdown.com helped break down Lee’s performance and impact during the fourth quarter of Game 3:

In Game 4, Lee had another solid performance off the bench during the Warriors’ 103-82 blowout win in Cleveland. He scored nine points, grabbed five rebounds and recorded three assists in just 15 minutes of action.

Lee helped get the Warriors back into the game against the Cavaliers after trailing early in Game 5. He capitalized on a behind-the-back pass from Andre Iguodala with another strong finish at the rim:

The 32-year-old has been a spark plug for the team, and he has brought another veteran presence to the team’s lineup. Lee also brings great intensity to the game, as evidenced by his reaction to being bumped by Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova:

Some fans want Lee to get more playing time for the rest of the series:

Lee said during his press conference Saturday that he wants to take advantage of every minute he is on the floor for the Warriors.

Lee has been one of the few bright spots for the Warriors frontcourt during the NBA Finals. Centers Festus Ezeli and Andrew Bogut have struggled mightily and have averaged a combined 6.5 points per game during this series.

Lee has a great opportunity to make a big impact for the Warriors in Game 6. While Golden State has played smaller lineups during the past two games, the versatility that Lee brings to the team will make him an intriguing part of head coach Steve Kerr’s game plan for the remainder of the series.

Follow Curtis on Twitter: @CalhounCurtis.