Courtney Lee has been a steal for the Grizzlies

When Courtney Lee was traded to the Grizzlies back on January 5th, it was seen as an insignificant deal, and there wasn’t much said about it. Well, four games in, Courtney Lee has found his role with the Grizzlies, and it looks like they may have a steal on their hands.

In four games with the Grizzlies, Lee is averaging 14.8 points per game on 53 percent shooting–and 41 percent from beyond the arc. Lee is averaging 30.8 minutes per game with the Grizzlies, compared to just 16.6 minutes per game with the Celtics. He has provided them with elite defense on the perimeter, and has helped their offense spread out, which is something they need drastically.

Although it’s just a small sample size, the advanced stats say that Lee has been a perfect fit in the Grizzlies’ system. When he’s on the floor, Memphis has an offensive rating of 112 (points per 100 possessions), and are only giving up 92.6 points per 100 possessions. Those numbers will probably go down as the season goes on, but it shows that the Grizzlies made a smart choice by trading Jerryd Bayless to the Celtics for Courtney Lee.

The Grizzlies have gone 2-2 in the four games since Lee arrived, but Marc Gasol is now back, and they could start making a playoff push as the season winds down. Grizzlies hired ESPN’s Jon Hollinger to head their basketball operations, and this move has his name all over it.