David Lee put up another ho-hum 17-and-14 tonight. It was actually a bad game for him shooting-wise, and he was a few points below his season average for points. The Knicks lost, as they're wont to do, but as usual, it wasn't Lee's fault.
Every time the Knicks play, it seems, Lee has a great game. He's a double-double machine, with great shooting and decent steals. It would be nice if he blocked a few more, and he won't take threes, but I'll take that if he shoots 55|PERCENT| from the field and 80|PERCENT| from the line.
Wanna guess where he ranks in fantasy points in my 20-team league?
Second.
That's right. Only LeBron James has scored more fantasy points this season than David Lee. He has more than Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, and all the rest.
So why, if he plays in New York, don't we ever hear more about this guy? I really don't understand it. This guy is beating all of the stars in the league (save one) in fantasy points, and nobody is talking about it. If the Knicks get a couple of studs next year, like some (not me) expect, what happens to Lee? Do they take his rebounds? His points? Will the guy who hardly ever misses get even more open looks?
More importantly, where does he go in fantasy drafts next year if he's playing for the Knicks?
No, I wouldn't take him second - I'd still rather have Durant, Chris Paul, D-Wade, and others, but at what point do you pull the trigger on this unsexy player as your franchise guy? He's a center who never misses a game for crying out loud. Would you take him in the top ten? Before Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, or Carmelo Anthony? Would you take him before Kobe? I'd seriously think about it.
Fortunately, there's a lot of time between now and next October. We'll see how things shake out - the Knicks are obviously going to be one of the more interesting teams this offseason. Just don't forget Lee. He'll get zero votes for league MVP this year, but in fantasy circles, I'll bet he's on more winning teams this season than LeBron.