Q&A With Blue Man Hoop: David Lee

The most intriguing and promising move the Boston Celtics have done so far this offseason is trading Gerald Wallace for David Lee with the Golden State Warriors. Finally getting rid of Gerald Wallace’s contract would have been enough to satisfy the Celtics but managing to get a player of the caliber of David Lee in return is remarkable.

Jan 26, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Boston Celtics forward Gerald Wallace (45) and Utah Jazz guard Trey Burke (3) battle for a loose ball during the first half at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics have plenty of options for both the power forward and center position and Lee is immediately one of the better and most refined options. Lee should be able to carve out a serious role with the Celtics and here’s hoping that his stay is for longer than what is currently remaining on his contract.

In order to get more insight into David Lee and the trade I went straight to the source and had a Q&A with one of Blue Man Hoop’s editors Greg Chin.

1) Do you think the Warriors intend to use Wallace, or was this simply a way to dump Lee’s contract?

I don’t think the Warriors into on keeping Wallace. His stats last year were really bad, and it all points to a sever decline from the player he once was. His athleticism is mostly gone, which basically renders him useless. At this point, I’d rather the Warriors keep Brandon Rush than Wallace, because at least Rush still has the potential of recovering his shot.

2) Do you feel the approximately $5 million less contract is worth losing the additional depth that Lee provides?

This is a tricky question. By shaving Lee’s $5 million off the salary books, they actually save closer to $40 million due to the luxury tax payments. If they use the stretch provision on Wallace, they save another $12 million (in luxury tax and salary). That’s a LOT of money. I would love Lee staying for another season, but he wants more playing time and unfortunately won’t get that here with the Dubs. It’s hard to say goodbye, but ultimately, it’s what he wanted. If you wanted to know more about the Warriors’ cap situation, read here.

3) Based on style of offense, do you think Lee can return to his prime within Brad Stevens’ offense?

Lee returning to his prime is a tough task. That being said, Lee is a great fit for the Celtics. He is a triple threat on offense, and will be the best power forward that Stevens has had to work with at Boston. His versatility will create new looks for the Celtics’ offense, and should be mutually beneficial for both parties. Whether he can return to his All-Star prime is another matter altogether.

4) Do you think Lee has the ability to move around and potentially play center for the Celtics?

I think Lee could play as a small-ball center for the Celtics in short bursts. He isn’t very good from behind the arc, but has enough range to trouble bigger and less mobile centers. Rebounding and defense will be a problem, but the Celtics should be able to assemble a scary offensive small-ball lineup with Lee in the middle.

5) Do you believe Lee’s play took a significant decline or was he an unfortunate casualty of Green and Bogut emerging as top players?

I think it’s a combination of both. It’s hard to think that Lee’s decline happened so rapidly but age and injuries are catching up to him. He looked really rusty when he was finally healthy, and the lack of consistent minutes affected his usually accurate mid-range shots. Perhaps with more minutes at Boston, Lee will be able to play well enough for one last paycheck.

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