Warriors reserve wing Damion Lee will miss at least 10-14 days of action as he enters the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Slater notes that the 28-year-old Lee has been a big help for the Warriors’ depleted backcourt. Across 57 games (one start), Lee is averaging 6.5 PPG and 3.2 RPG across 18.9 MPG this season, while connecting on 39.7% of 3.4 three-point looks per night.
Lee’s absence could spell trouble for a team already battling serious rotational absences. Starting center James Wiseman is out for the year after suffering a meniscus tear earlier this month. Juan Toscano-Anderson remains in the league’s concussion protocols, and, of course, maximum-salaried starting swingman Klay Thompson is missing his second straight full season as he recuperates from an Achilles tear.
Every win counts at this point in the season for the scrappy Warriors. At 29-30, Golden State is currently the ninth seed in the crowded Western Conference, mere percentage points ahead of the tenth-seeded Spurs.
“And for those wondering, I did get the (coronavirus) vaccine and continued to practice the property safety protocols,” Lee mentioned in a tweet soon after the news of his absence was announced.
Whether or not Lee himself contracted COVID-19 or has entered protocols after coming into contact with someone who later tested positive is unclear.
Vaccine isn’t working right away
More playing time for Gary Payton Jr. ??
Could be a good time to finally add a Big body. Looney is the only healthy rotation player taller than 6-foot-7.
Last night’s game was tough to watch the Wizards practicing their Layup drills in the last 5 minutes. We have no Enforcer back there, to block shots or detour dribble and drive penetrations.
I keep saying this, and you guys won’t listen. There is a reason that the Warriors will not sign any of the Big Bodys you like. You get excited about guys that have not shown any defensive skills.
@Vince 2. A couple of the player names I have been campaigning for (in my previous posts) had actually Won the DPOY in their College conferences. Amida Brimah, formerly of UConn, was just Signed by the Pacers today. He’s a skinny Shot blocker in the Theo Ratliff mold. Sagaba Konate from West Virginia is simply a beast and small ball Center in the the Ben Wallace mood. YouTube some of their video highlights. They could definitely help solve the Warriors poor interior defense. Watching the Wizards waltz into our paint on Wed night for easy Layups was hard to stomach. Regardless, they will foolishly wait for Looney to get Injured before they take action.
Do you really believe that the NBA hasn’t scouted these players before? Konate is playing for a Greek team. Brimah has been in the Spurs organization for a couple of seasons.
Can they still get through both play-in games? First they have to win the 9/10 matchup, and if they win that then they will play the loser of the 7/8 game.
Wally, doesn’t 7 play 10 first? and 8 plays 9? That seems to be the logical seeding. No?
Nevermind, I Googled the playin tournament. You’re correct Wally. Not sure I agree with it
Why not? It gives both the 7th and 8th seeds a better chance of making the playoffs. They play each other for the 7th seed, then the loser gets to play either the 9th or 10th seed team for the 8th seed.
you’re right, 9 or 10 have to win 2 straight while 7 or 8 needs to go 1 win 1 loss. I’m on board. I guess I didn’t think it through
I meant they only need to split
If your team is struggling for an 8th seed, you should write them off.
I don’t get it. If you are a Warriors fan , the Warriors are going through a Rebuild.
Maybe Kerr likes the playoff pressure to keep the team sharp, even if he has no hope of advancing very far.
Getting a shot-blocker would only help perimeter players to relax on D and let the center bail them out… creating a relaxed atmosphere for the future. He might rather they stay sharp and defend to the last as a basis for next year.
x%, those are pretty good thoughts. I hadn’t thought of that but really it makes a ton of sense. Good post.
Thanks, there has to be an explanation for all these teams not having a traditional center even rostered. Reminds me of run-n-gun teams not having a tight end or fullback, then needing those to help run down the clock if they’re winning.
I don’t hear the new-sounding phrases of old anymore like positionless basketball, so I’m not sure that’s really the reason.
Defending the pick-n-roll is a good reason to use publicly.
Weren’t you Gary and Gary G? Did you get banned? Or preparing people for the shock of someone rooting for teams so far apart! Yeah you moved around, what’s a homer to do.
Yeah “Gary” for ever. 7 years 8 years? Don’t even know. Then they automatically switched me to Gary G. last week, which I don’t like as much. Too much personal info, if you know what I mean. I couldn’t switch it back to Gary because they said “that name was taken.” So I used a different email and added my teams in there and voila.., there you go. Thanks for noticing.
As far as the teams, when you like a team as a kid you can’t just switch later. So I’m stuck with them good times and bad. The 80s and 90s were mostly bad for both. Its funny, because the warriors were historically bad for 20 + years, my favorite day in the basketball season was the NBA draft lottery, and the NBA draft of course also.
That was unkind, reassigning a handle. IDKY. They even take “dirty” ones here. For the Athletic, when I signed up, everyone seemed to be going with first name and last initial, so there is some precedence for that form. I guess people choose that form. I altered my name anyway!— no conflict.
Fortunately the Red Sox have a decent-sized market. That makes a difference in the end. The Indians were getting sellouts in a new snug stadium and were good then in the 90s.
The problem here is they are trying to go through a rebuild, or whatever you want to call it, but at the same time the Warriors are also trying to remain competitive like they were a couple of years ago when they still had a roster capable of winning another championship. Obviously this approach is not going to work, they can’t do both. While trying to remain competitive they are only putting off the inevitable, Steph has only one full year left on his contract. After suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries Klay isn’t going to instantly turn the team back to contender mode in 2022. Something drastic must happen with their roster, if not next year then by 2023 it will have to be blown up.
The ease of qualifying to a play-in game probably encourages the idea of trying for both. But I’m not sure what exec wants what the most, or they’re all just reszigned shrugging and doing the California hang. See what happens yo.
Well I guess it matters how you define “rebuild.” I actually think the warrior trying to stay on top. It’s not working because they lost a lot of good players but I think they’re still trying to stay on the top.
Bringing in Kelly Oubre was at a massive cost and they still have three guys making a truckload of money. I think a rebuild means they would trade away some of those guys. The only trades they’ve made is to try to improve the team. Then they have these draft picks and other assets that they’re trying to Parlay into an All-Star. Trouble is who’s available? So they’re stuck with drafting James Wiseman and holding on to him for now.
I think the first guy that’s a stud that’s available they go after him but Beale is Unavailable, Jimmy Butler’s licked in Miami and so there you have it. But I don’t think it’s a rebuild at all… a rebuild you would trade Draymond Green right now while he still might have some value to a playoff team. If a rebuild you may even trade Steph Curry for the biggest haul ever. I don’t think they’re rebuilding.
What good is a Center that can’t defend on the perimeter? 5 on 4 creates a lot of scoring opportunities.
I think the Cavs brought the offense in that wasn’t anything in particular, but started with an innocuous switch to get the right matchups. Then, hero-ball. But there is no talk of a hero-ball scheme. Maybe when LJ writes a book!
That would put pressure on centers to be able to guard perimeters. Traditionally there was no need for that skill. Also some like Lin(sanity) & VanExel just ran picknrolls all the time, which required a perimeter technique from the bigs.