Can the Dubs Make a Playoff Push Without Lee?

By: Jesse Perotti

For just the second time in the last 19 seasons, The Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Playoffs. This past Saturday, April 20th The Warriors opened their 2013 playoff campaign on the road against the Denver Nuggets.  This was a tight game for the full 48 minutes, but the Nuggets came out on top 97-95.  They won on a gmae winning layup from Andre Miller with only 1.3 seconds left in the contest.  Losing game one of this series, wasnt the only loss the Warriors expereinced this weekend.

All star forward David Lee suffered a torn right hip flexor early in the fourth quarter of game one in this set.  Lee was driving the ball to the hoop, endured contact with a Nugget defender and hit the wood hard and awkwardly.  He limped off the court and didn’t return for the rest of the game.  Following the loss, x-rays revealed David Lee tore his right hip flexor and will not be able to participate for the rest of the season.  Losing the second most important player to this bay area basketball franchise is going to drastically affect the Warriors on and off the court.

Now comes the big question.  Can the Warriors make a playoff push without David Lee in the lineup?

With a questionable low post present due to injuries to Andrew Bogut, David Lee has been a huge factor in the success of the Warriors all year long.  Now with Lee out, and Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green expect to see a lot more action.  Neither of these athletes have much experience starting, which results in a major drop off in talent, experience and knowledge.  With David Lee in the lineup and a healthy Warriors team I believe they had the potential to make a quiet run in the 2013 NBA playoffs.  These hopes have drastically declined since the devastating loss of Lee.

This is going to be very tough to deal with and bounce back from, and I don’t think the Dubs will be able to.  The Nuggets are a strong team, who are even stronger at home and the Warriors are only digressing.  Without “Mr. 20 & 10” lacing them up for the Warriors, Denver is going to be able dominate the paint and low post, where games are won.  The Dubs weren’t able to steal game one when Lee played over three quarters, so I cant picture them being able to win multiple games against the Nuggets with out him at all.

This was an awful ending to an awesome season for the All Star.  As for the end of the Dubs season, we just have to wait and see how it plays out.

Jesse Perotti is a senior at SFSU in the BECA Dept, and a member of the Big Ballz Radio Show.