Tyson Chandler's Offensive Impact Won't Be Overlooked Amid Defensive Excellence
Tyson Chandler is often regarded as an archetype for a defensive anchor and veteran leader. But to the Dallas Mavericks, he is so much more.
The 7'1" center's dunks are a regular feature on highlight reels, yet a lot of things that he does offensively are not palpable. It's easy to label Chandler as a one-dimensional offensive player, but he is an indispensable tool to Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle.
His screens swallow guards, and his rolls to the basket instantly compromise defenses.
Needless to say, Chandler's pick-and-roll game is something his new teammate, Chandler Parsons, has learned to appreciate already. He suggested as much when speaking with ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon:
"It opens up the whole floor for us. When he screens and he rolls, it has to draw in the weak side. They have to pick their poison. They have to either tag him on the roll and allow a shooter to get an open shot or we’re going to find him at the rim. He’s probably the best pick-and-roll guy in the league just rolling to the basket and forcing the defense to collapse.
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Chandler doesn't operate out of the low post, and you obviously can't build an entire offense around him. However, when put on a team with a plethora of weapons, his skill set is sublime.
Below is a table of his team's offensive net ratings with him on and off the floor over the last four seasons, courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com:
| SEASON | TEAM OFF. RTG. |
| 2010-11 | +3.1 |
| 2011-12 | -2.1 |
| 2012-13 | +3.6 |
| 2013-14 | +3.2 |
Out of those four teams, only the 2011-12 New York Knicks scored fewer points per 100 possessions with Chandler on the floor.
The Knicks struggled mightily under Mike D'Antoni that year. After a midseason coaching change, they started figuring things out, but New York's offense still ranked 19th in the league. That is the lowest a team featuring Chandler has ranked in the last four seasons.
Chandler doesn't play with his back to the basket, and needs to be set up by his teammates in order to score. He can't single-handedly lift a mediocre offense—that's a given.
Instead, he is able to fortify an already functioning system, assuming it has a sufficient amount of threats around him. The 2014-15 edition of the Mavericks is a paragon of such a system.
The vast majority of Chandler's offensive looks come around the rim, but he gets his dunks and layups in a variety of ways.
Weak-Side Lobs
When he isn't directly screening the ball, Chandler remains a weak-side threat, as seen in the video above.
Dallas' ball-handlers love going away from Dirk Nowitzki's screens and straight to the basket. Parsons, Jameer Nelson and Monta Ellis are all capable of crossing over and beating their man off the dribble.
In the first clip, Nelson recognizes the open lane when the Utah Jazz overplay on a wing screen. Chandler's man has to rotate to stop the drive, which opens up the lob.
When he isn't part of the play, Chandler usually directs weak-side action, as seen in the second clip. He sets off-ball screens but stays close to the basket as the play develops.
Even though Parsons' man rotates to stop Ellis' drive, Omer Asik still leaves Chandler to close down the lane. At that point, Ellis can kick the ball to Parsons or find his center for an easy dunk.
Nowitzki's pick-and-pops are a nuisance to deal with, and even if you contain the play, Chandler and weak-side shooters are usually ready to strike.
Transition
Chandler might be 32, but he runs the floor very well. Dallas is not a great fast-break team, but guys like Ellis and Parsons can certainly push the ball when needed.
Most of the plays featured in the montage above are in semi-transition—taking place before the opposing defenses have a time to set up.
In the first clip, the Jazz anticipate a wing pick-and-roll. Derrick Favors takes a step toward the sideline and sets his feet. That little stop is enough for Chandler to slip the pick and bolt down the open lane before Favors has a chance recover.
The second play is a great example of how well Chandler runs the court. He beats both Asik and Anthony Davis down the floor and gets behind the guard line. Due to his significant height advantage (7'1"), it's easy for Nelson to throw a pass over the top, and the New Orleans Pelicans have to foul.
In the final play, Chandler effectively screens two guys and is ready to follow up on a potential Parsons miss in a two-on-one.
Sometimes you need to set a hard screen to create a driving lane for your guard in transition. Other times, if the lane is open, it's better to slip the pick and cut hard to the basket. Chandler is good at recognizing that type of stuff when the Mavs push the ball.
Pick-And-Roll
As Parsons mentioned, his teammate is one of the hardest guys to deal with in the pick-and-roll. It's really Chandler's bread and butter.
In the first play of the montage above, the screen is angled very well. Jrue Holiday is hesitant and crashes into the pick, while Chandler times his cut perfectly, getting an easy dunk.
Notice that the Mavericks have three shooters spreading the floor on that play. Davis is reluctant to leave Parsons open in the corner, and the Pelicans surrender an easy basket. They know that Chandler will roll hard but are still coerced to leave Asik on an island.
In the second play, Asik does a good job of forcing Parsons to pick up his dribble. However, he has to contain Chandler's roll, and Tyreke Evans can't recover in time as Parsons knocks down the jumper.
Ellis gets a decent look right at the rim in the third clip simply because Favors has to box out Chandler.
The fourth play features a smooth side pick-and-roll with Parsons curling around Chandler's pick and hitting him on the roll.
In the final possession, the screen completely eliminates Rodney Hood from the play, leading to an effective two-on-one scenario and follow-up dunk.
Defenders have to make a split-second decision on how they will navigate around the pick, since guys like Ellis can explode to the basket. Chandler sets exceptional screens that are very hard to fight over, and he is great at timing his cut with the drive.
As seen in the clips above, he often lags behind a little bit after setting the screen and then sprints to the basket in sync with the ball-handler.
Mid-Range Game
Chandler isn't really known as an outside shooter, but he has shown off his touch a couple of times since returning to Dallas. The montage above features some of those plays.
The first clip is particularly interesting because it's a set play for Chandler. Instead of sprinting out to the perimeter off a double pin-down, Ellis curls and screens Chandler's man, who in turn pops out for an open jumper at the elbow.
This action confuses the heck out of Tony Allen.
It's a curious play, as Nowitzki is usually the one looking for that elbow jumper. Worth noting is that this was a preseason game, so don't expect Carlisle to call similar plays for Chandler in the future.
In the second play, the San Antonio Spurs take away the passing lanes, but Tim Duncan gives Chandler enough of a cushion to pull up. Finally, we have some slick pick-and-pop action, with another open mid-range jumper.
Chandler is still most effective rolling to the basket and won't be taking many mid-range jumpers. However, having that elbow shot in his arsenal will keep defenses honest.
Final Thoughts
Carlisle has experimented with some lineups featuring four shooters and Chandler. Most of the time, those guys are also off-the-dribble threats, which means that the offense becomes very unpredictable and difficult to guard against.
If an opponent brings weak-side help to contain the two-man game, Dallas has shooters ready to unleash from deep. If help isn't present, the other team is at the mercy of a lethal pick-and-roll combination.
This type of flexibility has a lot to do with Chandler, and it's partially what allows the Mavs offense to remain fruitful even when Nowitzki isn't on the floor.
When he isn't directly part of a play, Chandler supplies the intangibles which catalyze one of the best offenses in the entire league. That's something that shouldn't go unnoticed.
You can follow me on Twitter @VytisLasaitis.
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