David Lee Will Be Active in Game 1 But Might Not Play for Golden State Warriors
By Josh Hill
When David Lee tore his hip flexor in the Golden State Warriors first game against the Denver Nuggets last round, things looked like they might be grim. But the Warriors pulled off the series win and may have David Lee back for their series against the San Antonio Spurs starting Monday evening. Lee will be in uniform for Golden State but may not play until later in the series.
“I’ll be in uniform,” Lee said, via CSN Bay Area. “We’ll just have to see how it progresses and maybe actually play a couple minutes.”
Lee’s main complaint when he tore his hip flexor was that he had a lack of strength. He likely won’t play until he’s confident that his hip is strong enough to allow him to play to the All-Star level he’s capable of, but if things get tight for the Warriors against the Spurs, Lee might come back earlier than anticipated. Already Lee is coming back much sooner than expected initially, but the real question lies in how effective he’ll be when he ultimately returns to the lineup.
The other question is will Lee return to the starting lineup or will Mark Jackson work him back in via rotations? There’s also still the chance that Lee’s hip never feels strong enough for him to play in the series, as his dressing for the Warriors is nothing more than an amazing formality at the moment.
Still, the fact that he’s suiting up tells you he at least feels ready enough to sell the idea that he can play. The only question is can he?