American forward and former BBL Championship winner William Lee
has been a driving force behind a strong start for Manchester Giants, currently
joint-second in the table at 5-3, leading to him winning Molten BBL Player of
the Month for September and October.
Lee joined Giants in the summer after a previous stint with
Leicester Riders, following time in the NBA Summer League with Memphis
Grizzlies and NBA G-League with Iowa Wolves.
He has made an explosive return to the BBL, averaging 18 points,
10 rebounds, four blocks, three assists and two steals through his first seven
games in September and October, while shooting 38% from three-point range and
49% from the floor overall. He is currently the only player averaging a
double-double, leading the league in rebounds and blocked shots, while being
sixth overall in scoring and seventh in steals.
Lee started the season with four consecutive double-doubles,
resulting in three appearances in the weekly BBL All-Star 5 – the most of any
player so far – including highs of 23 points and 14 rebounds, with four blocks,
in a key double-overtime win against B. Braun Sheffield Sharks at the National
Basketball Performance Centre, in which he scored five points in the final of
the extra periods.
Lee had a professional career-high seven blocked shots in victory
over Plymouth City Patriots, and was also big in the North-West Derby victory
over Cheshire Phoenix live on Sky Sports with 19 points, including three made
three-pointers, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
The award will be a bright spot in a month that unfortunately
ended prematurely for the Alabama native, as injury ruled him out of
Manchester’s last game and is likely to see him miss much of November as Giants
head out for consecutive road games following the international break.
