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Lakers News: Latest on LeBron James' All-Star Draft Thoughts, Tyson Chandler
November 9, 2018
The NBA experimented with the format of the All-Star Game last season, and the results were intriguing.
The leading vote-getter from the Eastern and the Western conference drafted the other 11 players on their respective team much like they would on the playground when they were kids.
It was an exciting proposition.
The only wrinkle?
It wasn't televised.
Now, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, everyone will be able to witness the magic of team selection when the two All-Star captains select their squads for the game in Charlotte next year.
"What's bad about it? It's All-Star Weekend," James ESPN's Ohm Youngmusik. "You got 24 of the best players in the world that's going to make the team. It doesn't matter if you're first or last, you're 24 of the best in the world at that point in time. I don't think it'll be bad. We'll see."
James and Stephen Curry were the captains for the inaugural process last year, and both enjoyed it.
"It was great, me and Steph, we had a great time drafting on the phone just picking," James said. "Fantasy basketball for us. It was fun."
Obviously, there are fans that want to see who gets picked last, but James, now in the West thanks to his four-year, $153.3 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, pointed out that the real excitement of the new format lies in two captains.
"I think obviously there are certain personalities that can add to it," James said. "But it all depends how much the captains are going to get into it, as far as their draft boards. We'll see."
Tyson Chandler Comes Up Big in Lakers Debut
Just one day after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Tyson Chandler was on the floor making an immediate impact.
The 18-year veteran didn't stuff the stat sheet, but he made his mark on both ends of the floor in the Lakers 114-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In 23 minutes he had two points and nine rebounds, but it was the expert screens that he set to free up L.A.'s offense and the way he anchored the defense that set the tone.
"They were extremely solid," Brandon Ingram told Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com. "We felt free, we felt open when we went downhill."
Chandler, who played at nearby Dominguez High, was running on instinct, since he hadn't had a full practice with his new team yet.
"Tonight, I was just trying to anchor defensively and let them run offensively," he said.
The 7'1" big man made his presence felt against Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Timberwolves center was held to 0-for-6 and a turnover when Chandler defended him.
He played so well that head coach Luke Walton relied on him down the stretch.
With four minutes left in the game, Walton subbed in Chandler, who came up big on the offensive boards and flummoxed Minnesota by countering their switches on defense.
At one point, he had three offensive rebounds on one possession.
"The way D-Rose was shooting the ball towards the end, we needed every last one of those offensive rebounds," LeBron James said. "It allowed us to win the game."
Chandler was also involved in the Lakers final defensive stand when he challenged Derrick Rose's shot in the waning moments of the game.
"He gave us good minutes," James added. "Every last one of his minutes was impactful."