3. Courtney Lee Has Arrived
The New York Knicks signed shooting guard Courtney Lee to a four-year contract worth $48 million. Most applauded the deal, but Lee was relatively underwhelming during the 2016 NBA preseason and the regular season opener.
Lee went scoreless against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but stepped up with a massive performance against the Memphis Grizzlies during the home opener.
Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah can do some stuff pic.twitter.com/Z8q42lKhKc
— Seth Rosenthal (@seth_rosenthal) October 30, 2016
Lee scored zero points against the Cavaliers, but wasted no time in stepping up against his former team. He finished with 16 points in 34 minutes, and was the catalyst for New York’s first-quarter run that set the tone for the game.
On both ends of the floor, Lee executed in the manner in which the Knicks will need him to during the 2016-17 season.
Lee hit a pair of 3-point field goals and did an excellent job of getting to the rim. He made plays in transition, attacked off the bounce, and trusted his teammates to set him up when he was working without the ball.
The Knicks don’t need Lee to average 16 points per game, but the knowledge that he can step up with this type of production is nothing if not encouraging.