Instead, I want to focus on the Tyson Chandler trade to the Knicks. This one has surprisingly flown under the radar-- Knicks fans I've talked to think it helps, but only moderately. Others lament that the Knicks haven't really made a move for Paul or another elite point. But in all honesty, I think this is a HUGE pickup for the Knicks. It takes them from a 5-7 seed in the East that would struggle to win a playoff series to a legitimate contender to win the conference. Here's why. In my eyes, Chandler is a major impact player. For my money, the only center I'd take over him for this coming season is Dwight Howard (I count Pau Gasol as a power forward, but I think I'd take Chandler over him too). Now, the league is definitely probably as thin as it's ever been at the center spot. Howard is a bona fide superstar, but right now, he's the only one at the position. When I started watching the league, it was filled to the brim with top-notch pivots: Hakeem Olajuwon was an incredible low-post presence, David Robinson was great, Patrick Ewing was a legitimate superstar, Shaq was a beast, and even guys like Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Rik Smits were terrific pivot men. Also, Gheorge Muresan.
But today, only Howard fits into that category. But Chandler, for me, was the most important piece of the Mavericks championship team last season besides Dirk Nowitzki. Chandler obviously isn't much of a scorer, and he does little more on offense but set screens, crash the offensive glass and throw down alley-oops (though that still places him squarely in the middle among the NBA's offensive centers). But where Chandler really changes the game is on defense. As a defensive center, Chandler is the complete package. He's the closest thing there is in the league right now to a guy who can stand up to Howard in the low post. He plugs the lane, stifling penetration. And, most importantly, he's always in position and a terrific communicator, which are traits that often go unnoticed (Javale McGee, for example, isn't a good defensive player right now; he blocks a lot of shots, but he gets the opportunities to do it in large part because he's chronically out of position. He also leaves his feet far too much looking for the big block.).
Chandler instantly changes the Knicks. Last season, when they were trotting out Ronny Turiaf, Timofey Mozgov, and occasionally Amar'e at center, they couldn't stop anyone. Sure, they could score-- everyone up and down the roster could shoot even at the start of the season, and adding Melo in the middle of the season gave them another superstar scorer to pair with Amar'e. But they won games mostly by outscoring their opponents. Amar'e is a terrific player, but he's never been more than an average defender (and even average is a recent development). Same with Melo (though he's shown glimpses when he's tried). Chauncey Billups, now in his mid-thirties, can't guard his own shadow. Only Landry Fields, out of the starting perimeter players, was better than average on D. And with only Turiaf (who tried hard, but wasn't scaring anyone) at center, when those guys got beat, there was no one to challenge shots at the basket.
Now add Chandler. Instantly, he changes the game. As a leader, he's one of the few guys who can demand effort from stars like Amar'e and Melo on the defensive end. And if those guys do get beat off the dribble, he can still change shots at the rim. He also provides a body to man up with the East's better post centers (Howard in particular, but even guys like Roy Hibbert and Joakim Noah have the ability to give the Knicks trouble defensively on their day), and a guy who will crash the glass relentlessly (something they didn't have when they often played Amar'e at the 5-- Amar'e isn't just 6-10, but he's also not the best rebounder at his size either). Like before, they'll need Amar'e and Melo to carry them offensively, but adding Chandler instantly makes them respectable on defense. And it gives them a bona fide chance in the East, I think.
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