The San Antonio Spurs’ strong bench just got better. They reached an agreement on a two-year deal with free agent forward David Lee on Thursday, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. There is a player option on the second season.
Lee, 33, is not exactly the same player he was when he was an All-Star and made All-NBA third team in 2013, but he’s not a whole lot different, either. He is a skilled passer who can operate out of the high post, score inside and battle bigger players for rebounds. While he does not have the shooting range or defensive versatility to replicate Boris Diaw’s contributions, he’s a nice replacement on an inexpensive contract.
The downside to this, of course, is that Lee is hard to hide on defense. Opposing teams love to put him in pick-and-roll situations, and he’s not a rim protector. San Antonio might need to play him almost exclusively alongside shot blocker Dewayne Dedmon in order to stay functional defensively. This is where losing Tim Duncan — still an elite defender at 40 years old! — will hurt them.
Since the Spurs’ offseason is pretty much over, here’s a look at their roster:
PG: Tony Parker, Patty Mills, Dejounte Murray, Ryan Arcidiacono
SG: Danny Green, Manu Ginobili
SF: Kawhi Leonard, Jonathon Simmons
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge, David Lee, Kyle Anderson, Davis Bertans, Livio Jean-Charles
C: Pau Gasol, Dewayne Dedmon
While it is unlikely that San Antonio will win 67 games again, it is arguably still the Golden State Warriors’ biggest threat in the Western Conference. There is real depth here, especially if Bertans and Jean-Charles are able to contribute. As you can see, the Spurs didn’t exactly need another power forward, but coach Gregg Popovich will be pleased to have Lee because he’s a veteran who will fit their offensive system immediately.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
