Tyson Chandler Has Again Become Irreplaceable to Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Tyson Chandler last summer, hoping he would be able to bounce back from a discouraging 2013-14 campaign. Him becoming arguably the team's most important player wasn't quite on the horizon.

Dirk Nowitzki has been the undisputed MVP of the Mavericks for well over a decade. Even at the age of 36, he probably still is offensively. A longtime injury to Dirk or any of Dallas' starters would hurt the team immensely. However, if there is one player whose prolonged absence could single-handedly make the team implode, it's Chandler.

Chandler, 32, has looked rejuvenated since returning to Dallas. In his last season with the New York Knicks, his numbers took a nosedive. He was fending off various injuries, all while trying to maintain a brave face in a dysfunctional environment.

Up until this point, Chandler has managed to stay healthy. Unfortunately, he picked up an ankle injury on Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers. It's unclear how much time he could miss, but he is unlikely to play until after the All-Star break. Filling his void will be a tall task.

Chandler's brand of leadership, which wasn't particularly appreciated in New York, fits right in with the mentality of the veteran locker room and head coach Rick Carlisle. By putting forth a complete effort every single night, Chandler holds everyone else accountable.

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"He’s as important as any guy we’ve got," Carlisle said, according to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon. "We’ve got a lot of important players. He’s kind of the heartbeat of our team in a lot of ways."

But Chandler doesn't just bark at teammates. He leads by example, and there is probably no Maverick who has been more consistent this season.

Even though Dallas has been terrible rebounding the ball collectively, Chandler has more than pulled his weight with 12.1 rebounds per game. He puts in the dirty work on the boards even when his teammates aren't as engaged, and he is certainly not the one to blame for the well-documented issue.

Defensively, Chandler has returned to being one of the best rim protectors in the league. He ranks just 24th in blocks per game and allows opponents to shoot 51.4 percent at the rim, per NBA.com. That's not necessarily a figure that blows one's mind, but there are few players who put themselves in a position to contest shots as often as Chandler.

Opponents average 9.7 shot attempts at the rim against Chandler, the third-highest figure in the NBA. Bobby Karalla of Mavs.com did a great job putting the sheer volume of shots Chandler contests in perspective:

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Per Synergy Sports, Chandler has allowed just 0.765 points per possession on 618 possessions this season, which places him in the 87th percentile (60th place) in the league. But when you consider that no other player in the top 87 and only three in the top 155 have faced as many possessions as Chandler, his virtuosity truly becomes evident.

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Even though Dallas' overall team defense has been improving, that hasn't been the case for a huge chunk of the season. Earlier in the year, Chandler faced the impossible task of covering up for constant defensive breakdowns on the perimeter. He did an admirable job considering the circumstances, and he has looked even better as the Mavericks have made progress on that end of the floor.

Chandler's prowess as a help defender on pick-and-rolls has been established for a long time. His timing when rotating into the paint to contest a shot at the rim is impeccable, as is his vision. Take a look at this play:

Chandler is guarding the Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge on that particular possession but never takes his eyes off the ball. He surveys the floor and reads the play well. As soon as Al-Farouq Aminu starts closing out on the corner shooter, Chandler begins rotating over to the paint to block Chris Kaman's layup.

Few big men have the basketball intelligence to make that type of defensive read. Having the physical tools to close out and block the shot at that pace is even rarer. Chandler is always dissecting what the opposing team is running and often sees things quicker than others.

With Chandler on the floor, Dallas allows 101.6 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. That figure would rank the Mavs just outside the top 10. With Chandler on the bench, the Mavericks' defensive efficiency drops all the way down to the 23rd spot.

Chandler may not be the most important player in Dallas' offense, but he does a lot of things that complement his teammates. He is shooting 68.4 percent from the field, the second-highest figure in the NBA. That is because he only really touches the ball when rolling to the basket and finishing above the rim.

His finishing ability aside, Chandler also sets terrific screens and has great synergy with Dallas' guards. Take a look at this play:

Chandler pops out to the perimeter to initiate a side pick-and-roll with Ellis, while the other Mavericks overload the weak side. The execution is beautiful. Ellis loves curling around big men to drive down the middle, and Chandler's initial pick indicates that exact play. However, while Damian Lillard is trying to navigate around the screen, Ellis crosses over to his left and Chandler swiftly changes the angle on his pick.

Even though Ellis missed the shot on that particular play, he got a good look. Chandler's ability to set solid screens and re-screens, combined with Ellis' explosiveness, made that play possible.

Chandler has also become an expert at bumping opposing guards and getting away with it. Here is an example:

Ellis probably had Portland's Steve Blake beat after that fake to the right, but Chandler still leaned in and bumped him for good measure.

Chandler does this a ton. Sometimes he gets called for offensive fouls, but he has seemingly found an almost perfect balance when setting his picks. He bumps guys with his hips just enough to give his teammates an advantage but not enough to warrant a foul call. It's something that can drive opponents crazy.

All of these qualities are irreplaceable within Dallas' roster. Brandan Wright, who was part of the trade package for Rajon Rondo, brought a similar skill set to the table, but he is no longer a Maverick. Without Chandler on the floor, Dallas has lately played some smaller lineups, which have worked to varying degrees.

Ellis and Nowitzki are both irreplaceable in their own right, but Dallas has players who can at least momentarily fill their role when needed. The Mavericks have a lot of point guards, while Charlie Villanueva and Aminu have been stepping up and doing an admirable job at the power forward position. Unfortunately, there is no one who can make up for Chandler's absence.

No team in the ultra-competitive Western Conference can afford too many injuries, and lengthy absences to star players have already jeopardized some elite teams' positions in the standings. The Mavs are a relatively deep team, but they are still rather thin up front. This makes Chandler even more irreplaceable, and a player Dallas simply cannot afford to lose.

You can follow me on Twitter: @VytisLasaitis