The Golden State Warriors shipped David Lee to the Boston Celtics in a courteous move to give the power forward more playing time, yet the two-time All-Star thinks his new team has a little bit of the old.
According to Tales Azzoni of the Associated Press, Lee conceded the Celtics don’t have a superstar but have the makings of a squad that can surprise the NBA.
“It’s a similar make-up as far as the team, with great chemistry, we have an unbelievable chemistry. … Guys on the team get along well. There’s not the superstar like Stephen Curry on this team but we do have a lot of depth and I think we are going to be a team that it’s going to turn some heads this year.”
Lee also said Boston coach Brad Stevens is akin to Steve Kerr, comparing their enthusiasm and knowledge for the game.
Now, the Celtics certainly won’t make a Warriors-like run to an NBA title. However, Boston finished the 2014-15 season 40-42 overall and played reasonably well during the playoffs against the eventual conference-champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
The franchise addressed some of its biggest weaknesses, bringing in Lee and Amir Johnson to man the frontcourt alongside Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger.
Boston isn’t a lock to make the playoffs, since Paul George and Chris Bosh will return to the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, respectively. Both teams missed the postseason, and the Celtics were the No. 7 seed.
If the Celtics truly do have the chemistry Lee suggests, though, Boston should be able to compete for a playoffs series victory.