Tyson Chandler to Knicks: What the Coveted Free-Agent Center Brings to the Table

Could this be the first blockbuster deal of the year? Could we finally begin writing off the speculation of Tyson Chandler and where he could be headed off the records for good?

Not yet, but almost!

Sources are claiming that the New York Knicks have won the consolation prize of centers in this year's free agency, reportedly coming near signing Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler with the Golden State Warriors now admitting defeat and looking towards Nene Hilario or Samuel Dalembert.

Besides Nene, Chandler is one of the most coveted centers during this offseason. His work on defense on the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks has warranted him enough attention from the Knicks, along several other teams that he might be comfortable playing with. The Warriors had reportedly offered a deal to Chandler worth $60 million over four seasons, so we can only begin to imagine what card the Knicks had up their sleeves in order to sign him.

What this also means is that the Knicks are basically out of the running for Chris Paul anytime soon. They had announced earlier that they were dropping out of the race to acquire CP3 via trade which is a disappointment to some, but it should actually come as a sigh of relief as this move will actually benefit the Knicks a lot more than Chris Paul ever could.

Wait a minute, John. That's crazy talk saying that Chris Paul wouldn't have been as significant to the Knicks as Tyson Chandler could be. Listen here, guy I just made up: the Knicks signing CP3 would have meant that the Knicks are throwing all their eggs in one basket. They're going to depend on Paul to solve all their problems and put them over the top even though the team would have no money to sign a capable bench.

Not to mention that it might not have even gone through. Paul may have announced that he'd like to play with the Knicks, but with teams like the L.A. Lakers and Clippers clamoring for his services, it would be sensible to just let this one run its course and move on to the next option. Just because your biggest competition in the East has three great players on it doesn't mean you have to match those three players.

Start off by observing their weaknesses before you make a move as drastic as signing Paul. You sign CP3 and the offense runs effectively, but what happens when he has to rest and the cream of the crop of the D-League then begins to run the floor alongside Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire.

You're going to end up with a team that's much worse off than before and still can't play defense, so what's the point of having nearly $60 million tied up in three players when you're forced to sign the next top prospect out of the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Chandler is going to come at a high price, but with the team possibly utilizing the amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups and his huge contract, the team gets the leverage to spend the money on Tyson and possibly a few other role players that can strengthen the bench. Plus there's the minor possibility of signing Paul the next offseason once he becomes a free agent.

It's going to be interesting to see how Mike D'Antoni runs this offense without a capable point guard. This free-agency class offers little to the imagination in terms of floor generals which means that it's either going to have to be Toney Douglas or Carmelo Anthony running the point.

D'Antoni has been blessed with the likes of Steve Nash helping to facilitate his run and gun offense. It's going to be difficult to run that style of offense with an inexperienced point guard in Douglas.

But back to what Chandler brings to the Knicks. He gives just what this team needs: a defensive mindset and a brand new philosophy on how to play the game. Look at what he did with the Dallas Mavericks and you'll see that it's no coincidence that the year Tyson Chandler joins the team, they end up winning a title.

Even Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki will tell you how great of an importance Chandler meant to the Mavericks by instilling a defensive philosophy that no other player had ever brought to the team. It turns out that a strong defensive post presence is all a team needs to secure a title after vying for one for 11 seasons. It's ideal that it comes from a player of Chandler's caliber, who is one of the wisest post defenders in the league.

Chandler can do it all on defense as he can move his feet quicker than most forwards, possesses the vertical leap to turn back shots, asserts the physical presence so that shots don't even have the chance to leave the players hands, and most importantly, rally and pass that defensive philosophy on to his teammates.

He's got quite the challenge ahead of him too. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire don't play a whole lot of physical defense and coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't much care for it either. Any coach that's ever won a championship will tell you that offense wins games and defense wins championships, which means that Chandler could be the key to defeating teams like the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.

This isn't the 1960's anymore, teams don't attempt to run up and down the floor and outscore the opponent. The winner in every championship has had a strong defensive philosophy which includes last year's Mavericks, the Lakers and Celtics before them, the Spurs and their four championships, the Pistons of 2004, the Heat of 2006, every single Bulls team and the bad boys of Detroit who dominated the NBA and won two consecutive titles in 1989 and 1990.

Teams that run like the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors sure are exciting, but it's only exciting  until you run into the San Antonio Spurs and get bounced in five games. That's exactly why Tyson Chandler is being heavily pursued by the Knicks, because they want a defensive philosophy on this team. If the Knicks just wanted another offensive player, they would have kept trying to go after Chris Paul or sign someone like Marcus Thornton or Nick Young.

This is coming from a Miami Heat fan. The New York Knicks are a lot scarier of a team if they do follow through and obtain Tyson Chandler. He is a dominant defensive force in the paint and will easily help cut out the constant drives of the Heat's Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, as well as the Bulls' Derrick Rose. A strong physical presence is just what the Knicks needed to be put over the top and they might have just received it.

See how much getting rid of Isiah Thomas can do for you? You can actually get a good team out of it.