David Lee vs. Al Horford

It's been 5 days since David Lee's All-Star snub. I used all 5 of those days to poo poo* my emotions, cast them aside, and try to look at this from a logical perspective.

Who on the NBA All Star roster would I displace for the Knickerbocker? I could only come up with one conclusion: Al Horford.

Now, if you had asked me at the end of last season if I'd rather have Lee over Horford, I would've stared you down on the Larry David tip**. As much of a Knick homer as I am, there is no way you can consider Horford's low-post ability and defense and not give him the edge. However, if you asked me today who I think the better player is, how could it not be Lee? Let's break this down on 3 dimensions of the game:

Defense:

The edge here goes to Horford. Horford has, if I can steal a copyrighted catchphrase from Jay Bilas***, "tremendous length" due to a 7'1" wingspan. He also has exceptional timing, which gives him the edge over Lee in terms of shot blocking and altering shots. Horford is currently averaging 1.3 blocks per game, but that could easily be more if Josh Smith didn't exist to hoard all of Atlanta's blocks like Young Jeezy in his heyday. He rotates well on defense and is an extremely good help defender. Lee isn't in the same class as Horford when it comes to blocking and altering shots, help defense, and just being an overall protector of the paint.  Lee moves better laterally, in my opinion but overall the edge goes to Horford.

Offense

Lee has the clear edge here. Horford is the better back to the basket player, but Lee is superior in almost every other category. Lee is a better shooter than Horford, which is something the Knick forward/center has worked very hard on. Lee is also a better penetrator and ball handler than Horford. He's a better pick and roll/pop player than Horford and a superior passer. In fact, the Knicks have been running most of their offense with Lee as their primary distributor over the past month and a half. Lee is better in every offensive category except field goal and true shooting percentage.

Rebounding

Lee is slightly better than Horford. Lee's rebounding statistics are gaudy compared to Horford's (11.5 to 9.6 respectively). If you look at rebounding percentage, Lee's 17.5% is also better than Horford's 16.2. However, Horford averages 2 minutes per game less than Lee does. Atlanta is also a better rebounding team as a whole. The Knicks don't have too many other rebounders that can compete for boards with Lee (unfortunately, Jordan Hill doesn't play enough to count****). That being said, Lee passes the eye test for a rebounder. He is quick to the ball and always seems to be around it after the ball hits the rim. 

With all of that said, how did the coaches pick Horford over Lee? Especially when there is a more deserving candidate on his own team*****? Lee has no one to blame but his own teammates. All of the All-Star reserves played on teams that have at least a .500 winning percentage. Unfortunately for Lee, the Knicks won't be mistaken for a good team.

That doesn't mean it's not a mistake to leave Lee off of the All-Star team, though.

Notes:

*- Poo poo is also how I can describe the Knicks's play over the month of January. There is no emoticon that can express my depression. 

**- A Curb Your Enthusiasm reference.  If anyone on that show did anything remotely abnormal, Larry David would've given that person a look that simultaneously encapsulates "Really?!" and "WTF!?" This is the same look I had when I heard Lee didn't make the All-Star team. This is the same look I had when I heard Britney Spears was marrying Kevin Federline. It's also the same look I have everytime I'm reminded that Corey Haim and Corey Feldman are alive and kicking instead of dead from a drug overdose of some sort.

***- Watch an ESPN's NBA Draft coverage and you will be surprised at how many times Jay Bilas mentions "length" or it's many variations. You'll also probably be disturbed within a half hour.

****- How has Davis Stern not yet suspended Jordan Hill for brandishing a firearm on Mike D'Antoni? Would you be surprised if Hill successfully completed a double murder of D'Antoni & Donnie Walsh and tried to make a getaway from the NYPD in a white Bronco driven by Chase Budinger? I wouldn't. And how good does one have to be to fit two of the top five biggest sports crimes of the past two decades into one single footnote? Pretty damn good, I would have to say.

*****- How did Horford make the All-Star team over Josh Smith? The man is one of the four biggest defensive forces in the NBA this season--the others being Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James. 

Comments

[DV8]

Lee definately got snubbed. But thats what happens when you play on a garbage team.