Tyson Chandler: Success off Failure

One of the NBA's best centers

Tyson Chandler is without a doubt one of the best centers in the NBA. His maturation process definitely took a lot longer than everyone expected, but he has finally come into his own in New York offensively and is one of the unquestioned leaders of the Knicks. What Tyson Chandler brings to a team is more than just defense. He makes free throws at a rate of nearly 80% this year (currently 7th best in the NBA for a center). Furthermore, he led the NBA in field goal percentage last season and so far this season is number 1 (70%). To put this in perspective, the next highest field goal percentage is 59%. Tyson Chandler's numbers look amazing on the surface, but after a careful analysis of the Knicks season statistics Chandler's astounding percentages can be understand a lot easier.

Thus far, the Knicks have played 17 games. In these 17 games, Tyson Chandler has attempted exactly 4 shots from outside the painted area. That means that 97 of his 101 shots this season have come from inside the key. That can explain his offensive success. But I am here to illustrate that Tyson Chandler's offensive success depends on how the Knicks are shooting. When the Knicks shoot the ball well, Chandler's production is noticeably different than it is when the Knicks shoot the ball poorly.

The Knicks average FG Percentage per game this season is 45.76%. In 9 of their 17 games so far they have shot over 45.76% and in 8 of the 17 games, they have shot under their average. In the 8 games that the Knicks have shot UNDER their season FG percentage, Chandler has 44 offensive rebounds, 115 points, and shoots the ball at 76%. In the 9 games that the Knicks have shot OVER their season FG percentage, Chandler has 25 offensive rebounds, 109 points, and shoots 69%. The biggest difference in these stats is the 19 offensive rebounds. These rebounds are a result of Knicks misses and Chandler being there to clean up the mess.

This is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination though. The Knicks need Tyson Chandler to keep this up and be a difference maker when they are not playing their best ball. Chandler has to keep up this production for the whole season in order to ensure the Knicks success. Mike Woodson's Knicks love the 3 ball, evidenced by the fact that they are leading the NBA in three point attempts per game (28.1). If the Knicks keep shooting this many times from long distance per game, they have to be assured that there will be an interior presence creating at least a few second chance possessions per game.