A member of the Golden State Warriors is second in the league in three-point shooting — and it’s not Steph Curry or Klay Thompson.
Damion Lee of the Phoenix Suns, who is marred to Curry’s sister Sydel, left the Warriors for the Suns this offseason. He is thriving in his new home, shooting 46.8 percent from distance on 3.7 assists per game. Perhaps more impressive than being the second-most accurate shooter in the league is being the most accurate three-point shooter in the Curry family.
(Lee dropped to second place after an 0-3 night from beyond the arc on Wednesday.)
There wasn’t much fuss when Lee signed with Phoenix, compared to other Warriors veterans who signed with other teams, like Gary Payton II (three years, $26.1 million with Portland), Otto Porter Jr. (two years, $12.4 million with Toronto) and Nemanja Bjelica (two years, $4 million with Fenerbahçe in Turkey).
But Lee has contributed the most to his new team, playing 22.1 minutes and averaging 8.6 points per game for the Suns and appearing in all 43 of their games. Meanwhile, Payton just played his second game of the season, and Porter had season-ending foot surgery after eight games.
Meanwhile the Warriors have been forced to lean on two-way player Ty Jerome to get the kind of unspectacular, reliable guard play and three-point shooting they got in Lee’s three years with the team. And Lee is now 3-0 against his old team, including a 22-point performance Tuesday night when he hit all 14 of his free throws. All after accepting his 2002 championship ring.
Lee is thriving outside of his brother-in-law’s shadow. But for the Warriors bench, it would have been better to keep things in the family.
