David Lee Shines As Knicks Beat Wizards

Last night at Madison Square Garden the New York Knicks faced one of the worst teams in NBA basketball playing one of the best games of their beleaguered season and came out with a victory. The lowly Washington Wizards(7-31) playing without four key players (most notably Gilbert Arenas and Brendon Hayward), shot a sizzling 59.7% from the field, 71% from three-point range, and 87% from the foul line and lost. How that came about comes down to a simple fact. If a game is played offense versus offense, nine times out of ten opposing teams will lose to Mike D'Antoni's run and gun system. In such a game with all scoring being basically equal, the key moment comes in the final three minutes when one or two defensive stops, turnovers, or missed shots end up deciding the game and that's what happened last night in the Garden.

What also happened last night was the coming of age of forward David Lee, whose 30 point, 10 rebound, 6 assist performance was nothing short of Duncanesque. A fan favorite for his hustling, high energy brand of workmanlike basketball, Knick fans are now starting to see Lee for what he really is— the best all-around player on the squad, and one of the best emerging big men in the NBA. Although a great deal of the Knicks success night in and night out has to do with how well they move the ball, on nights like last night David Lee was the man in the middle of it all, showing post skills, pick and roll savvy, and a step-back mid-range jumper that were just what the Knicks needed: a triple threat. His six assists also show his unselfishness as a player and his keen understanding of a motion offense. He seems to know all the options available to the team at the outset of every set play and has the ability to execute them with a great deal of focus and energy. Unfortunately the current Knicks roster does not include a legitimate center, but if they did, Lee would quickly become one of the best power forwards in the league. The addition of a shot-blocking, intimidating man in the 5 spot (who can run) would not only put Lee in his natural position, it would serve the entire team as well.





Photo Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara ©2009 All Rights Reserved

Tags:   david lee, loss, madison square garden, mike dantoni, new york knicks, victory, washington wizards

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Posted on 1/15/2009 ( Permanent Link )
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