Where Does David Lee Rank Among the West's Top Power Forwards?
If a person was looking for the NBA's top power forwards last season their journey would likely begin and end in the Western Conference.
The East had great power forwards such as Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett, and David Lee, but the depth of talent in the West paralleled the number of quality teams in the conference.
Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol , Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Zach Randolph, LaMarcus Aldridge, and the underrated David West formed one of the more impressive groups of power forwards in recent memory. The playing field has been leveled somewhat by the defections of Stoudemire and Boozer to the East, but the balance of power at the four position still slightly tilts to the West.
The New York Knicks' decision to trade Lee to the Golden State Warriors in order to sign Stoudemire means another double-double player will inherit the space recently vacated by Boozer and Stoudemire. But does Lee deserve to be mentioned in the same breath with players such as Duncan and Gasol?
Statistically speaking, yes.
Lee's 20.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game would rank among the top of not only the Western Conference, but the entire NBA in general, but many observers feel Lee's numbers are a reflection of the Knicks' overall ineptitude.
New York was a terrible team last season and Lee was their most consistent player and the Knicks only real interior presence. It's conceivable to think his numbers would be inflated for those reasons.
Still, it's hard to imagine that Lee, who was only one of a handful of players to average 20 points and 10 rebounds, could float so far below the radar of elite NBA power forwards.
More than likely Lee will see his numbers hold steady from last season or possibly even increase due to the free-flowing style of the Warriors' offense, but it's doubtful his stature will see a similar increase.
Lee has shown that he can be a dominant force on offense and on the boards, but until he decides to pay some attention to the defensive aspects of his game he will never be considered an elite power forward.
Lee may have had better numbers than Gasol and Duncan, but his fundamental skills are not on the same level, and his poor defense often makes him a liability on that end of the floor.
Considering Lee is transitioning from Mike D'Antoni's defenseless style to Don Nelson's equally incompetent defensive methods, the prospects for improvement in that area seem limited.
Additionally, Bosh and Garnett were the cream of the crop in the East and there were no other power forwards in the conference who were on the same tier as those players.
In the West, Lee will be faced with the prospects of facing equally talented power forwards on a nightly basis and he will find the opportunities to excel against lesser opponents few and far between.
The only teams in the West facing serious questions regarding the power forward position are Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and possibly Denver (with the multitude of injuries the Nuggets have recently faced).
Lee has proved he can score and rebound with the NBA's top power forwards, but can he improve on the defensive end and help turn the fortunes of the Warriors around in the process?
Lee's numbers from last season were impressive, but until his individual statistics reflect on his team's success, it's hard to place him among the ranks of elite NBA power forwards in the West.
