NBA Rumors: Tyson Chandler Would Make Knicks Beasts in the East
All of the talk surrounding the New York Knicks this offseason has been about Chris Paul and whether they would be able to land him in a trade. But as far as players that they can actually grab without trading assets, Tyson Chandler is the kind of player that they need to make a playoff push.
As luck would have it, Chandler is very interested in what the Knicks are offering, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
When your team is coached by Mike D'Antoni, you know exactly what you are going to get: Fast-paced, up-and-down offense that scores a lot of points but plays virtually no defense and doesn't care about rebounding.
That is a great style to watch, and it actually made the Knicks interesting for the first time since the end of the Patrick Ewing era. But it does not win championships.
Chandler, if the reports turn out to be true and signs a deal with the Knicks, is a big piece —literally and figuratively—towards getting the Knicks back into postseason contention. Last season didn't count because they were never going to win in the postseason with that style.
Chandler does not have to score in order to be effective. He is an excellent rebounder down low and plays solid defense in the paint, which is something that the Knicks haven't been able to do.
The Knicks and D'Antoni need to step back and realize that changes need to be made in order to get to the postseason and, eventually, win a championship.
Chandler does have some risk. Prior to last season, he missed a total of 68 games the previous two seasons. But if he is healthy, he is a true game-changer in the paint for the Knicks.
If they can work out a deal for Chandler, it will be their first step towards getting back to the level that they used to be at in the '90s when they were battling the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers for Eastern Conference titles.
The era of futility is over in New York. It is time to start doing right by that city, that arena and that name on the front of the jerseys.
If Chandler does sign, the Knicks will immediately become the fourth-best team in the eastern conference. And, whether you like it or not, the NBA is better when they are competing for championships.
