The counter argument, of course, is what effect will this have on David Lee and his psyche. Warrior fans know all to well what can happen when a starter is benched. Harrison Barnes was largely awful most of last year, never adjusting to the bench role. Andre Iguodala has looked uncomfortable coming off the bench this season. David Lee is one of the teams’ best offensive players and the Warriors can’t afford for him to be a non-contributor if they hope to reach their full potential.
The major difference between bringing Lee off the bench v. Barnes/Iguodala conflict is Lee has been largely unaffected by who is surrounding him on the court. Last season he was the only player who’s offensive efficiency didn’t plummet without Curry. Lee’s game suits itself to fill in nicely for instant offense off the bench. He knows how to do a variety of things to get his own shot and impact the game. Green, while a growing offensive player is still very dependent on Curry setting him up. Lee has shown, dating back to his New York days, he can score efficiently regardless of who is surrounding him.
Lastly, from a longevity standpoint, the Warriors might be best suited to bring Lee off the bench and limit his minutes to 25-27 mpg as opposed to 33-36 mpg he was playing in previous years. Lee has been battling injuries off and on for 2 seasons now. At 31 years old, with his aggressive style of play, this will likely continue. Moving him to the bench, and having him be a high impact player in limited minutes like Manu Ginobili could help extend his career.
Kerr has shown he’s willing to mix and match players in various lineup combinations, so it might not even matter who starts. He’s closed games with different lineups all season, he’s not particularly married to any one 5-man unit. Still, with Green hitting his outside shots and becoming that stretch 4 Kerr stated he wanted in the summer, the Warriors are likely best suited not adjusting the starting 5.
Of course Green should start at power forward, even when Lee decides to come back. Although he is a small stretch 4, he makes up for lack of height and bulk with heart and hustle. If he has to go up against a huge 4 than Kerr can go to Speights, Lee, or Ezeli..Lee can come off the bench with offense, maybe a little rebounding, and absolutely no defense, so his game is declining along with his health.