After saying he intended to return David Lee to the starting lineup Sunday so he and Zach Randolph could deal with the size of Utah's Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer, Mike D'Antoni said Saturday he changed his mind.

He'll start Wilson Chandler for a second straight game in Lee's stead because despite his four-inch height advantage over Chandler, the 7-foot Okur is more of a perimeter player.

True, except there seems more to this than that.

Chandler has been energizing the Knicks the way Lee used to off the bench, but hasn't the past three games, when he pulled down just seven rebounds, including a mere one (in the fourth quarter) Friday in Washington.

Lee's looked sluggish, distracted (by all the trade rumors about him, clearly) and not as comfortable in D'Antoni's offense as he did in Larry Brown's and Isiah Thomas' more conventional sets, in which he spent more time in and around the paint than he does now.

Hence, his diminshed rebounds per game (5.8) in essentially the same minutes as the past two seasons, when he averaged 10.4 and 8.9. Chandler, meanwhile, is almost the same playing time, is pulling down six per game and outscoring Lee, 14.0-10.6.

Lee, though, barely admits he's less comfortable in the new system and pledges no worry, same as D'Antoni.

Yet, he's had his greatest success in the past off the bench, so perhaps that's his role.

Perhaps D'Antoni is looking for someone to play a little defense, too, for which Chandler is better suited than Lee. Antawn Jamison (whom Chandler presumably started to guard Friday, the coach said) did most of his damage against Lee, not Chandler.

The Knicks also have not blocked a shot in three of their first five games and of the five they swatted in their two other games, Chandler has three. And they've been outrebounded in all five of their games, four with Lee in the lineup.

Or perhaps the Knicks are getting ready to trade Lee before he exposes himself as a player who provides diminished returns as a starter, thus diminishing his trade value. Golden State, clearly, would pull the trigger on an Al Harrington deal if Lee's included and maybe even take Eddy Curry off the Knicks' hands, too.

In that regard, the Knicks also may be looking at how Chandler fits their lineup to determine if they can deal Lee.

Bottom line: This doesn't seem like a two-game change, for whatever reason.

Posted by Pharzeone:

There you go. Lee trade value is falling as fast as the dow jones.

Lee's looked sluggish, distracted (by all the trade rumors about him, clearly) and not as comfortable in D'Antoni's offense as he did in Larry Brown's and Isiah Thomas' more conventional sets, in which he spent more time in and around the paint than he does now.

Posted by oohah:

Oh, and the guy who should go to the bench is Q not Lee.

oohah

D'Antoni gets too in love with his small line ups. Yes, Q understands the system, but we need more rebounding, not less.

Posted by oohah:

Posted by Pharzeone:

I side with oohah on this conditioning issue. I find it ironic that the two players that suppose to have been working out together during the summer, Lee and Gallinari both have conditioning issues. Me wonders if the workouts included a lot of night life and little else.

Are you saying they are dating each other?

oohah

Well we know how lonely it's been for David without his guyfriend, Channing.

Posted by oohah:

Posted by Pharzeone:

I side with oohah on this conditioning issue. I find it ironic that the two players that suppose to have been working out together during the summer, Lee and Gallinari both have conditioning issues. Me wonders if the workouts included a lot of night life and little else.

Are you saying they are dating each other?

oohah

No...
He is saying they both white.
Whites always have conditioning problems.

Posted by nixluva:

IMO It's silly to keep harping on Gallo's situation. The guy wasn't able or allowed to really push it working out. Heck you can't lift anything over your head with a spinal issue and there are any number of other exercises that would likely be off limits. He's got to be allowed to heal and develop. He can't get it done RIGHT NOW, but can you give the guy a chance to see what he's gonna be. MAYBE MORE THAN 5 GAMES into the season!?! GEEZ! Somehow we've got to get past this idea that Gallo is some kind of bust already. WE don't know that yet and really for most rooks we don't know that yet, so what the heck is the deal?

Now as for Lee. The guy is going thru some things, but he's gonna have to bust it like anyone else. He may never fully change his game to perfectly suit the system, much like Jamal hasn't, but he can probably still do more to contribute than he has. I fully expect that he'll step up and show us more than he has so far. If not then he'll likely be out of here, as he should, if he can't cut it.