<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND - The proof is in the only numbers that matter. The Knicks are 6-6 when David Lee starts. After last night's win over Portland, they are 8-15 when he comes off the bench. At this point, Lee is playing so much better than starting small forward Jared Jeffries or power forward Channing Frye, it's shocking that coach Isiah Thomas continues to keep Lee on the pine. During the Knicks' six-game winning streak last season at this time, Lee was the starting small forward before Larry Brown yanked him. Lee is not going to cause a commotion about it. It's not his style. But he told The Post, when asked if he preferred to start, "I prefer to be winning right now. Whatever helps us win more. Jared is playing hard and giving good effort. So is Channing at the 4 spot. We have a coach who decides that." Jeffries is struggling miserably on this West Coast trip, and was yanked early in the second half the last two games. He had one point and three turnovers in Sacramento and he's not doing enough on defense to warrant major minutes. Last night, he had five points in 35 minutes. "I'm thinking too much, pressing," Jeffries said. Lee, who posted his season's 17th double-double in Sacramento with 16 points and 15 rebounds, had nine points in 35 minutes last night. He is still getting major minutes. But Thomas sees him forever as a bench guy, perhaps to justify Jeffries' $30 million salary. </div> Source
