Tyson Chandler Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award

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New York Knicks Center Tyson Chandler was named the Defensive Player of the Year earlier this week.  There is no player that deserved the honor as much as him.

This award has been a year in the making for Chandler.  He was the main cog in the defense that slowed down Lebron James and the Miami Heat last season en route to an NBA title last season for the Dallas Mavericks. 

Following that championship run last season, Chandler joined the Knicks this off-season as a free agent.  He came to a Knicks team that is not known for their defense, ranking 22^nd in defensive efficiency last season.  This season, with Chandler manning the middle, the Knicks improved to 5^th in defensive efficiency this season.  

Interim Head Coach Mike Woodson has, on multiple occasions, said that Chandler deserved the award.  “He’s done everything to put us in the position where we are today,” Woodson said last month.  “You don’t find very many centers that (are) committed like he is, don’t have any hidden agendas.  You know, it’s not about Tyson Chandler, it’s always about the team and, you know, that speaks volumes.”

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Chandler averaged 11.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals per game this season.  They are not eye popping numbers, but the impact Chandler had on a team as a whole plays into the decision for him winning the award.  He was able to change the culture around a team that had previously just worried about how many points they could score in a game. 

Chandler is not one to put personal goals ahead of the team, but this award is one he sets his sights on.  “It seemed like every time I thought I maybe I got close to being an All-Star or something like that, it was like something always came up,” he said.  “And so to win this … I never set out for individual goals, except for this one because I felt like if you’re Defensive Player of the Year, you’re changing something and you’re helping win ballgames.  So to win it, I was speechless.”

Chandler was presented the trophy before Game 3 between the Knicks and Heat by four-time award winner Dikembe Mutombo.  He is also the first Knick to receive the award in the history of the franchise.

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs Pre-Game News and Notes March 7th

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs 
Wednesday, March 7th 8:30 ET on MSG 

After dropping the last two against the Celtics and Mavericks, the road does not get any easier tonight in San Antonio against the Spurs. The Knicks are on the second night of a back-to-back while San Antonio should be well rested, last playing Sunday afternoon losing to the Denver Nuggets. Here are some things to watch for in tonight’s game. 

Changes to the Starting Lineup? 
-The starting lineup has been playing lackluster and uninspired basketball since the all-star break, putting the team in a whole right from the beginning sometimes too deep to recover from. Sluggish play from superstar Carmelo Anthony and a wearing down Jeremy Lin have contributed to the slow starts. Landry Fields also has not been playing well, seeing his minutes cut drastically with the addition of JR Smith and the emergence of Iman Shumpert and Steve Novak off the bench. So is tonight the night Mike D’Antoni finally makes a change to jumpstart the starting five? There are rumblings that a days after saying he will not shake up the lineup, that that is in fact what will be done. Iman Shumpert is expected to take over the starting Shooting Guard spot tonight for Landry Fields. This should help kick-start the Knicks earlier in games because of the intensity and energy that Shumpert brings to the game, especially on the defensive end of the court. 

Pick and Roll Defense 
-The Mavericks thrived against the Knicks in pick and roll situations. Jason Kidd was knockdown like normal from deep, going 3-6 and scoring a season high 15 points and dishing out 6 assists. Dirk Nowitzki also did his thing, scoring 28 points. The pick and roll defense will have to improve, and it starts with Jeremy Lin. For everything positive that Lin has brought the Knicks, he also comes with some negatives. One of those is his lateral quickness on defense. Lin at times seems he would have trouble guarding a garbage can. Opposing Point Guards have torched the Knicks in recent games, from Deron Williams scoring 38 to Rajon Rondo’s historic triple double, making Tony Parker who the Knicks should key in on tonight’s game. The Spurs are a lot like the Knicks in the offense they run, mostly pick-and-rolls-and-space-out offense, currently sitting 2nd in the NBA in 3point shooting percentage (39.6) and 3rd in makes (299). One thing the Knicks should stop doing to improve their defense is stop switching on the pick-and-rolls. The Knicks have a habit of switching at almost every opportunity, no matter which players are that are switching, which causes terrible match-ups for them. You will notice multiple times throughout the game Iman Shumpert or Jeremy Lin getting stuck guarding big-men on switches leading to easy baskets for the opposing team. Switching on defense is a good tactic when used sparingly and in certain situations, not as the game-plan. 

When Will We See The Old Carmelo Anthony? 
-The Knicks have to make it a point to get their struggling and seemingly disgruntled superstar more involved in not only the offense, but the game as a whole. Carmelo usually has big games after poor ones throughout the season. When he scored 13 points on Dec. 28 against the Warriors, he had 27 one night later against the Lakers. When he scored 13 points on Jan. 7 against the Pistons, he had 22 two nights later against the Bobcats. And then when he scored 12 points on Jan. 18 against the Suns, he had 35 two nights later against the Bucks. Can only hope for more of the same this time around, and hopefully another win as the Knicks are also only 1-2 in those Melo bounce back games. To get the offense moving, they need to get Melo moving. He is capable of getting easy baskets; he just has to be willing to get them. Melo thus-far has been settling for too many deep 2point shots, resulting in his worst season statistically in his career. If the Knicks want to get back to having sweet harmony on the offensive end during the beginning of Linsanity, they have to make it more of a point to get Melo involved in the offense, not have to make the offense himself. 

New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks Pre-Game News and Notes March 6th

Knicks News: 
It was announced earlier this afternoon that Shooting Guard/Small Forward Bill Walker will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks after undergoing surgery to his left elbow. Walker had been a part of the Knicks rotation through January and the early February before suffering the injury February 17th against the New Orleans Hornets. It is widely considered that if need Walker could have toughed through the injury, but because of the new found depth of the Knicks roster, minutes for Walker would have been hard to come by. Coach Mike D’Antoni is hopeful to have Walker back in time for the playoffs, but in the mean time will have to make due without the services of Sky-Walker. 

There are a number of people that are starting to become aware of Iman Shumpert’s play thus far in his rookie season and want to see him on the court more. These are mostly the same people that would like to see Shumpert take over the starting role from current Shooting Guard Landry Fields. D’Antoni acknowledges that Shumpert has been playing well, but has no intentions of changing the lineup. "I’m sticking with guys, we’re getting better," D'Antoni said. "You never know what the ripple effect is. The team is always fluid. That’s why I always said, even Baron, that’s always fluid. I’m never going to put a ceiling on somebody. But I like what we’ve got. Landry didn’t have a great game yesterday, but I’ve got complete confidence in him." In my opinion, there is no reason to mess with a good thing. Yes the Knicks have a losing record, but changing the lineup would only cause more chaos for D’Antoni in managing minutes for everyone. As long as the Knicks keep developing as they seem to currently be, everyone should be happy in the end. 

What To Watch For vs. Mavericks 

-How Tyson Chandler responds to his injuries 
Tyson Chandler has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and this season seems to be no different. Chandler has been battling through nagging injuries to his back and both wrists, and it seems now that the injury to his left wrist could cause some problems. When asked about the injury, Chandler responded with "It’s a lot of doctor stuff that me and you both would have to go back to school to understand. We’ll just say it’s sprains and stuff..... It’s a couple of different things." An MRI taken 3 days ago revealed the damage but Chandler intends to continue playing through the injury. It is believed as of now that the left wrist injury will not require any surgery, but will require plenty of rest. It will be interesting to see how Chandler comes out in the game against the Mavericks as he will be running on high adrenaline receiving his NBA Finals Championship ring and returning to the place he called home last season. 

-Can The Bench Keep It Going 
In the first meeting against the Mavericks, a 104-97 Knicks win, the bench play was lackluster for the Knicks. Jeremy Lin led the Knicks to a fast start, but Iman Shumpert was unable to run the offense allowing the Mavericks back into the game. This time around the Knicks will have Baron Davis to replace Lin, which should make the offense run a little bit smoother this time around. Bench play has been strength for the Knicks the past couple of games and look to continue their strong play against a formidable Mavericks bench which sports annual 6th man of the year candidate Jason Terry as well as veteran Lamar Odom and up and coming youngster Roddy Beaubois. 

-New Face In The Starting Lineup For Mavericks 
The Mavericks have been able to keep healthy for most of the season, but may have suffered a blow to their starting lineup. Starting Center Brandon Haywood badly rolled his ankle in the first minute of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and did not return. Replacing him was Ian Mahinmi, who had a strong game in his place against a tough Thunder interior of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins, finishing with 13 points on 5-6FG’s with 5 rebounds 2 assists 1 block and 2 steals. Judging from those stats and his 6 fouls, Mahinmi showed a lot of energy and hustle off the bench and was prepared to play. The Knicks have to watch out for him and make him commit fouls just as the Thunder did to take him out of the game. The less inside presence the Mavericks show the easier it will be for the Knicks to work the paint with Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. 

New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks Post Game Recap March 6th

Final Score: Knicks 85 Mavericks 95 

The Mavericks had complete control for most of the game from start to finish. The only time the Knicks showed any life was the start of the 4th quarter when they went on a 15-0 run to take a 1 point lead behind the shooting of Steve Novak (13pts 4-10FG 4-8 3pt 3 Reb), defense of Iman Shumpert (3 steals) and the aggressiveness of Amar’e Stoudemire The Mavericks quickly responded with their own 14-0 run behind Dirk Nowitzki (28 pts 8-18FG 12-12FT) and Jason Kidd (16 pts 4 Reb 5 Ast) to put the game away. It was a tough game to watch as a Knicks fan outside of that 6 and a half minute stretch. The rest of the game was sloppy and uninspiring for the most part. 

-Technical Fouls 
The Knicks were whistled for 3 technical fouls in the game tonight while the Mavericks had one of their own. J.R. Smith, Tyson Chandler and Mike D’Antoni received them for the Knicks, and Dirk Nowitzki received one for the Mavericks. Technical fouls have been a problem for Tyson Chandler, who has racked up 10 thus far this season. It is something to keep an eye on for the remainder of the season, because if Chandler reaches 16, a mandatory game suspension is put in place. He is then suspended one game for every 2 technical following the 16th. The technical foul was all you really heard from J.R. Smith tonight, as he had another lackluster game off the bench. 

-Wear and Tear Becoming Evident 
Jeremy Lin did not have a bad game tonight, finishing with 14 points 7 assists and only 2 turnovers, but it was a struggle at points. He shot only 4-13 from the field, floating out towards the perimeter and not attacking the basket as much as Knicks fans are accustomed to seeing. He took multiple hard hits while driving to the basket, which could have played a part in him playing more on the perimeter. For the Knicks to succeed, they need Lin to continue breaking down the defense and attacking the paint, not shooting 3 pointers. This was the 3rd game in a row that the team played in a better rhythm with Baron Davis running the point instead of Lin. Davis was the one leading the team during the ferocious comeback to start the 4th quarter. 

-Carmel-No 
Carmelo Anthony struggled again tonight, scoring only 6 points on 2-12 shooting from the field, 0-3 from 3 point and 2-4 from the foul line. Melo did have 8 rebounds, but only 1 assist. He showed aggressiveness in the 1st quarter, attacking the basket trying to get involved in the game but it did not show any results. At one point in the game, he looked more interested in carrying a conversation with Shawn Marion than the actual game, which resulted in one of the 16 Knicks turnovers (Melo threw an inbounds pass without looking, instead jawing with Marion. The result was a Jason Kidd steal.). For the rest of the game he looked disinterested and did not seem to care much about the outcome. He could be seen standing around just watching his teammates play. He took only one shot in the 4th quarter and was more than willing to become a spectator. Like everyone else, Melo needs to start developing chemistry and finding his niche with this new look Knicks squad. It would also be great to see Melo and Amar’e play well on the offensive end of the court in the same game. 

-Back to His Old Ways? 
One bright spot for the Knicks tonight was Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire had a strong performance, showing some of the old bounce he had and finishing above the rim. He finished with 26 points on 10-18 field goals and 6-8 from the foul line to go along with 7 rebounds. "I went back to the old STAT, played uptempo basketball." Stoudemire said. Stoudemire provided the Knicks with timely buckets and also provided some unexpected defense. For a good part of the game, Stoudemire took it upon himself to guard Mavericks star and Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki. The game plan had originally called for defensive minded Tyson Chandler to guard Nowitzki, but Amar’e told the coaching staff he wanted to do it before the game started. Amar’e took Dirk out of his game for a large portion of the contest, even causing Dirk to uncharacteristically lash out at the referees, resulting in a technical foul. In my opinion, this was Stoudemire’s most complete game of the season because he had an impact not only on the offensive end of the court, but the defensive end of the court as well. Hopefully this is a building block game for Amar’e and he can continue dominating teams through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. 


Next Game: Wednesday March 7th @ San Antonio Spurs 8:30 ET