Don't ever call Danny Ainge a follower. While seemingly half of the NBA’s front offices prepare two-hour presentations and assemble celebrity committees, the Celtics' GM appears to be opting to sign an under-the-radar guy in his prime who averaged a double-double last season.
Sure, David Lee isn’t Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade or LeBron James, but the former Knick could add an athletic, offensive threat down low. As an added bonus, he isn't 34 (like Kevin Garnett) or recovering from injury (like Kendrick Perkins). Ainge reportedly showed immediate interest in the 27-year-old, contacting the former Florida Gator just minutes after the free agency period began.
With the reported re-signing of Paul Pierce, the Celtics have wiggle room under the salary cap for the upcoming year. Eligible for $21.5 million next year, the captain reportedly opted for a four-year, $61 million deal that will likely pay him more after 2010, giving the Celtics some freedom to roam the free agent landscape.
Ainge seems to have targeted his first — and potentially only — marquee signing in Lee. A 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward, Lee averaged an impressive 20.2 points and 11.7 rebounds per game on a wholly unimpressive Knicks squad. He has also played in 81 games for three straight seasons and at just 27 years old, he has some more tread left on his tires than Pierce and Garnett.
Lee could make an immediate impact in Beantown. Pierce can continue to start at small forward, but there are serious questions at the four- and five-spot. Despite his infectious energy and undeniable effort, Garnett's age is becoming a factor. How much longer can he consistently play at a high level? His minutes have decreased from 39 to 29.9 minutes per game in his three years in Boston, and they aren’t going to suddenly spike.
Lee, meanwhile, averaged 37 minutes per game in Mike D’Antoni’s run-and-gun, high-paced offense, showcasing season-long endurance. A big, rotating foursome of Garnett, Lee, Perkins and Glen Davis could keep them all fresh and playing at their highest level when they are on the court, especially the slowing Garnett. Lee also is great off a pick-and-roll and has a silky jump shot that catches bigger defenders by surprise. While he won’t be consistently draining threes like Dirk Nowitski, Lee offers a quick shot, which the Celtics will lack from their big men in the 2010-11 season.
It’s not all good for the five-year Knick. For a forward with his size, Lee is softer than Rasheed Wallace’s midsection on defense, which may not sit well with the defensive-minded Garnett and Doc Rivers. It’s possible more attention to defense could be trained into Lee, but he’s never been one to lock down an opponent. Also, he is going to command a fat paycheck, estimated in the $12 million range, making him easily the second-highest paid player on the roster. The Celtics are also going to have to offer him enough that he doesn’t think about agreeing to a sign-and-trade, which would basically play the Celtics out of the bidding, as they don’t have any trading pieces.
Perkins also won’t fool anyone as a scoring threat, chipping in 10.1 points per game last year, but that is half what Lee can do. Given Garnett’s age and Perkins’ inability to consistently score, the Celtics could use a big guy whose main asset is putting the ball in the basket. Perkins and Garnett will take care of keeping points off the board, and Lee can worry about putting points on it.
Signing Lee may not make national headlines, but it would likely make the Celtics a better team.
