David Lee continues to compare the Boston Celtics to the Golden State Warriors

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2015/10/david_lee_continues_to_compare.html



David Lee continues to compare the Boston Celtics to the Golden State Warriors




Print Email Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com

on October 08, 2015 at 9:50 AM





Since his first practice with the Boston Celtics, David Lee has compared aspects of the team to his former club, the Golden State Warriors.

First, he explained the similarities between head coaches Brad Stevens and Steve Kerr. Lately, Lee has touted his new team's togetherness.

"It's a similar make-up as far as the team, with great chemistry, we have an unbelievable chemistry," Lee recently told reporters in Spain, where the Celtics will continue their preseason Thursday. "Guys on the team get along well. There's not the superstar like Stephen Curry on this team but we do have a lot of depth and I think we are going to be a team that it's going to turn some heads this year."

"I'm just getting to know coach Stevens but he is a very smart coach, teaches the game very well," Lee said. "We have such a young team, it's very important to have a guy that can really teach the younger players how the game is supposed to be played and he is similar to Steve Kerr of all the coaches that I've had, that really knows the game and has great enthusiasm toward the game."

Lee hasn't been with the Celtics long, but has already done his part to contribute to team chemistry. During a trip to Italy, the veteran organized a players-only dinner that looked an enjoyable time:


"There's not the superstar like Stephen Curry" happens to be a major deal, but resembling Golden State in chemistry is no small feat. During the playoffs, ESPN published an entertaining story about the goofy Warriors, who used portions of film sessions just to clown on each other. The way that championship-winning team shared the ball offensively and covered for each other defensively, the players really seemed to like one another -- a critical trait, Lee thinks, for any top team.

"I've played for just about every kind of team possible now," he said at an introductory press conference this summer. "I was on some interesting ones in New York (chuckles), as you guys know. And then now to build what we built out in Golden State, I think it's very similar."

Yes, Lee has been throwing out the Warriors comparison since July. Golden State developed players well, acquired plenty more talent and grew over a span of four years from a 23-win team into one of the best squads ever.

"They're building here (in Boston) with character guys," Lee said over the summer, "guys that fit into a system that they want to run. And that's the way to do it now. I think the days of having a bunch of jerks on the same team and thinking you're going to win a championship – it's pretty tough in basketball nowadays. I love how they're doing things here, and we have a chance to do some special things."



bob
MY NOTE:  I don't know how much of this is Lee just being a good soldier and teammate and saying the right things and how much is him really believing it, but I like hearing him say it anyway.  We'd look a lot more like GSW if we had two lights out shooters from downtown like GSW has with Curry and Thompson.  IT and Hunter?  Probably not, but in the right direction.  Curry is un-freaking-real and Klay Thompson is as deadly as DWade or Kobe or anybody else in the league if he gets any rhythm to his shot at all too (the difference between DWade and Kobe, just like with other perennial all-stars and future HOFers,  and other players is that they do it night-in-and-night-out-year-after-year-after-year and not just "go off" once a week or so).

I don't know if I posted this, but EA7 players, after the game on Tuesday, were saying they thought we played a lot "like the Spurs".  Some of that might have just been because we blitzed them but some of it was our ball movement.  We still have a long way to go, we should consider it a successful season if we make it to the 2nd round this year, but I like the direction we're going in.  Brad has us playing good, winning-style ball.



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