New York Knicks: Every Starter’s Most Underrated Skill

Courtney Lee

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 30 (10/3/1985)
Slash Line: .454/.378/.839
Season Averages: 29.5 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 1.0 3PM

The most common evaluation of starting shooting guard Courtney Lee is that he’s a 3-and-D player. That’s not inaccurate; Lee is an efficient 3-point shooter who can defend all three perimeter positions.

The most underrated skill in Lee’s arsenal, however, is his ability to create his own offense in versatile ways.

Lee, like Arron Afflalo in 2015-16, can create space and exploit opposing defenses from midrange. In 2015-16, he made 98 midrange jump shots on 43.8 percent shooting—strong marks in both volume and efficiency.

Lee is also a 38.4 percent 3-point shooter for his career, and shot 40.3 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-point field goals in 2015-16.

That efficiency off the catch helps Lee take his man off the bounce and attack the rim. He’s not an elite slasher, but he’s athletic enough to get by a vast majority of NBA defenders, and crafty enough to finish.

Lee will be a complementary scorer for the Knicks, but he has the perfect skill set to excel in that role.

Next: Small Forward