Golden State Warriors: 5 Reasons Ekpe Udoh Is the Perfect Pairing for David Lee
Ekpe Udoh is the Golden State Warriors' starting center. With Andris Biedrins sidelined for the rest of the year that's who is at center, pairing him with David Lee.
We've seen mixed results so far, although how great was it seeing Udoh attack the basket like he did against the San Antonio Spurs the other night? That could be a sign of good things to come.
While opinion of David Lee varies within the Warrior community, one thing for sure is that he is not going anywhere. Joe Lacob loves him, plus he has that $80 million contract, so we all might as well embrace him.
We can go on and on how the Warriors should have drafted Greg Monroe but why harp on that?
While Udoh's only played in 48 games and given sparse minutes, there are signs that Udoh can be a great compliment to David Lee.
Here are five reasons how these two opposites attract and why Udoh makes for a perfect pair with Lee.
1. He’s a Good Defender
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This is how poorly the Warriors have been on defense—a rookie can came in and gave a strong effort and he easily became their best defender. It’s not even close.
It’s going to be key that Udoh can defend their opponents' best offensive post-player each night because David Lee can't do it.
That’s fine, we knew what we were getting with David Lee. With Udoh being able to take on opponents' best post-players, it will take pressure off of Lee so he can focus primarily on offense—as if he's not doing that already.
This is a key offseason for the Warriors and if they can commit themselves to playing great defense, Udoh could be that guy that everyone feeds off of defensively.
2. He Will Be a Great Shot Blocker
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I don't like to call a rookie great at anything, but he has the makings of being an elite shot blocker.
This is going to be more important than just being a good on-ball defender for this team. His ability to block shots is something that can't be taught.
It's that important because David Lee is going to be routinely beat down low and having Udoh with his shot-blocking ability to help mask Lee's defensive inefficiencies is crucial.
Lee is never going to be a good defender, but having Udoh as the safety net is almost a necessity.
His ability will hopefully keep opponents honest about coming into the lane because no one is scared of David Lee redirecting any shots.
With Udoh is coming over to help on defense, Lee can concentrate on rebounding, where he thrives.
Lee's rebounding ability can hide Udoh's rebounding inefficiencies; and Udoh's defense can hide Lee's inefficiencies.
3. He Can Get to the Hoop
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So far as a Warrior, David Lee has been at his best playing away from the hoop. It was great to see Udoh finally get aggressive and show signs that he is capable of strongly taking it to the hoop against San Antonio.
Sure it helped that Tim Duncan was out of the lane, but maybe that was the break he needed to boost his confidence.
With Udoh’s ability to take it to the rack, Lee can keep shooting from the outside (and hopefully they will start running more pick and rolls with him) and look for a cutting Udoh.
Lee is a good passer and with him getting the ball on the high post he can hit any open man that is cutting to the hoop. Udoh can be that cutter.
4. He Doesn’t Need the Ball to Be Effective
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The last thing the Warriors need is a player who needs the ball in his hands to be productive. Udoh can contribute without ever having to touch the ball.
He can also run the floor well, which is crucial in keeping up with Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry on the break. He can fill the lanes on the break and is able to finish as well.
This will become even more crucial as David Lee isn’t getting any quicker.
Udoh not commanding the ball will allow Lee to get the touches he needs to be effective.
Lee thrived in New York because there was no one clogging the lane. With Udoh currently at center, part of his appeal is that he can move around and pull his defender out of the lane, giving Lee more freedom in the post like in New York.
Speaking of Udoh as a center.
5. He Can Play Center or Just Call Himself One
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The Warriors have been without a center forever. We need to play the Sandlot clip when "Squints" keeps saying "forever" on a loop to emphasize how long its been.
So why still hold out hope of some day having one? Why not say that Udoh can be a center for this team?
I don't know why so many get caught up with labeling players a certain position. Just play your best players.
Think about it. Is Lee really a power forward or a center? I would say he's a man really without a position, but managed to parlay that into $80 million. Now he can call himself whatever he wants.
Tim Duncan doesn't even call himself a center, but he doing just fine as a "de facto" center. I don't think anyone is going to confuse Udoh with a true center, but if he puts on some muscle and gets more physical, then he and Lee can make it work down low.
You need a strong defensive presence if Lee is your starting power forward.
Starting centers are so hard to come by and there are very few dominant centers in this league, so why not try to make him into one—or at least have him resemble one?
Udoh is a versatile enough player to do this and has the right attitude to take it on. It might be just crazy enough to work—and hopefully not just crazy.
