Lee Worley

Combo Forward

Offensive Game:

Lee is a multi-purpose offensive player.  He can serve as a ball distributor, pick-and-roll man, low-post scorer, or offensive rebounder.  Of all these roles, the least comfortable one for him is low-post scorer, as he tends to be somewhat intimidated by extremely tall players.

Lee's perimeter game is extremely solid.  He has good range and serves as a legitimate 3-point threat, although his passing at the top of the key remains a better weapon.  Having Lee on your team is the best indicator that your team will have good ball movement.

You must also account for Lee's "Lee-fense," when he decides to stay in the back-court and cherry-pick.

While Lee is mobile, he isn't fast;  while he's strong inside, you can take him out of his game by "playing big" against him;  while he's a capable scorer in the low-post, he's susceptible to a shot-block.

 Defensive Game:

Lee isn't fast, and here's where it starts to show.  Due to his unusual combination of offensive skills, he at times gets matched against a perimeter player, and this is where Lee is most vulnerable.  When matched against a big man, he plays the defensive game of an undersized big man - trying to knock the ball away, and somewhat foul-prone.  But when matched on the perimeter, he's caught in no-man's land;  forced to play too close and allow the drive, or too far back and allow the shot.

In addition, the game can be taxing on Lee, which means he's going to let fast-breaks go and concentrating on getting it back - often on "Lee-fense."

The big strength of Lee's defensive game, however, is his rebounding.  He has excellent hands, very good strength, and works for rebounding position really well.  Unless you're capable of simply playing over the top of him, he's going to get rebounds in bunches.

The Mental Game:

Lee has a huge mental block about playing against exceptionally tall players, who take him out of his interior game almost completely, despite the fact that he's the best low-block passer out there and isn't affected adversly by double-teams.

Outside of this, Lee's mental game is really strong.  He's got a scorer's mentality which he turns on and off depending on the match-up.  He has very good game awareness, and is among the best on-court communicators.  He makes the big play, does not turn the ball over much, and never gives up an easy bucket when a foul will suffice.

At his best:

...he's the ultimate offensive skill-set - a capable scorer from outside or inside, with exceptional offensive awareness, and a strong, capable rebounder with good hands on the defensive end.

At his worst:

...undersized and out-quicked, Lee is a big-man playing guard on the perimeter and leaving the heavy-lifting in the post to smaller and less-capable players.

Strategy for playing with him:

Walk onto the court.  If you can't play with Lee, you just can't play.  Let him use his skill set, and he'll get the most out of you and your skill set.

Strategy for playing against him:

Do whatever you can to "out-big" Lee.  If he takes a shot, work for the shot-block rather than the strip.  If he tries to post-up, play over him.  If you can take advantage of superior size - or perceived superior size - you can do well against Lee.

Also, play at as high a speed as you can.  Lee isn't fast, and if you can exploit his speed, you can be effective.

Comparable Pro:  Brad Miller

Last updated:  November 12, 2008