Four matches, four wins. The Warriors are part of the three teams still undefeated, and they are without Klay Thompson, nor James Wiseman, and with Stephen Curry less soloist than last season. Steve Kerr keeps saying that the richness of the roster is a big plus this season, and last night in Oklahoma City, it was Damion Lee who came out of his box to make the difference in the second half.
More exactly, Stephen Curry’s brother-in-law killed the game in five minutes. As he comes into play, to replace Jordan Poole, the Warriors are down 11 points (70-59). The Thunder multiplies the baskets behind the backs of the defenders, and Steve Kerr is looking for an electroshock.
For the defensive part, it will be Draymond Green. For the attack, it’s Damion Lee who sticks to it. As soon as he comes into play, he plants two baskets in a row to reduce the gap (70-64) on Green’s caviars. The Thunder’s time-out didn’t change anything, and five minutes later Lee planted another 3-point and served Otto Porter Jr for the 3-point as well. In five minutes, the Warriors have just signed a 22-6 to take control (81-76).
“I thought Damion had been fantastic. Kenny Atkinson nicknamed him “Rod Carew”. For old baseball fans, he was a guy who put in a few hits in every game. Damion is just a solid person in every sense of the word. “
“It’s huge for us to have someone who can explode like that when leaving the bench”
Less publicized than Jordan Poole, Damion Lee nevertheless achieves a superb start to the season with more than 14 points on average. He also takes advantage of the return to the foreground of the Warriors to show himself in this role of joker. Tonight, he scored 20 points in 25 minutes, and ended the game with a +/- of +16.
“I have at heart to be always ready when I come into play” he explains. “It’s just a matter of having the right frame of mind. I enter, I am aggressive, and I try to create actions that will contribute to the victory. “
What Damion Lee does not say is that he is also very valuable in defense. He’s even one of the team’s best defenders. This is also why Steve Kerr trusts him a lot this season.
“He’s consistent, he knows our systems and he’s been a lot better since he left Santa Cruz (G-League)” testifies Stephen Curry, who does not register a single point in the last quarter. “He is in good health and he is confident. It’s huge for us to have someone who can explode like that out of the bench. “
| Damion Lee | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2017-18 | ATL | 15 | 27 | 40.8 | 25.0 | 75.9 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 10.7 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 32 | 12 | 44.1 | 39.7 | 86.4 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 4.9 |
| 2019-20 | GOS | 49 | 29 | 41.7 | 35.6 | 87.3 | 0.7 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 12.7 |
| 2020-21 | GOS | 57 | 19 | 46.7 | 39.7 | 90.9 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 6.5 |
| 2021-22 | GOS | 3 | 27 | 42.3 | 40.0 | 91.7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 12.3 |
| Total | 156 | 22 | 43.1 | 36.4 | 86.7 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 8.7 | |
