Chandler’s Role Crucial to Knicks

“It doesn’t matter to me,” Chandler said Tuesday of when he gets into a game. “As long as the team is doing good, as long as we’re winning, there’s no difference.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/sports/basketball/28knicks.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

“I think he can be a star,” Harrington said of Chandler. “He reminds of me of a Stephen Jackson, one of those guys who is like a glue to a team and can do just everything, and possibly take it to an All-Star level.”


“We’ve struggled here and there, but for the most part, we’re way better than last year,” Chandler said. “I think the team wants to win, and that’s all I can ask for.”

"It didn't surprise me because that's who he is," D'Antoni said. "He's gonna play hard, he's gonna try to get better."

Chandler was doing that again after practice yesterday, working with Allan Houston and Danilo Gallinari after everyone else had left the floor.

"You look at his talent and athletic potential and you say, 'He can be great,' " said Houston, who is now a special assistant to Donnie Walsh. "The thing that he's doing every day is saying, 'How do I do that?'

"I think what Mike has done a great job of is trust in him."

"Once you get in the heat of competition, it's the heck with that, we're trying to win the game," D'Antoni said... But most of the time, he's one of our best guys down the stretch, so it's not even a hard decision."

dan.martin@nypost.com

GKFv2 - what do you mean "some people"?

I wasn't aware of a posting quota.

While you might prefer to compress The Mayor's status into a 4 game slump, I would prefer to note his work ethic in following a tough stretch with extra gym work and a strong defensive effort against one of the best players in the league, Tracy McGrady.

That is a sign of solid character.







[Edited by - misterearl on 01-28-2009 07:31 AM]

Be All That You Can Be

"He needs to realize how good he is,"

franco - that is a curious angle worth taking a closer look at.

I like to refer to the discovery process as "finding one's voice". It is not unlike to the process of exploration that a child starts the moment he or she opens eyes to a new environment of light, movement and colors. In the first weeks that child learns the meaning of sounds. At about one year that child learns to form words

Trial and error. Mistakes. Correction. Growth.

"how good he is" has as much to do with self-image (along with external support) as it does the number of minutes he is trusted in crunch time. If he thinks he is unstoppable, will he be unstoppable?

That epiphany moment of realizing "how good he is" only comes with varied experiences. It will require a rare capacity to process information and constantly make adjustments.

It can only happen after a series of facing down high and low moments, listening to Allan Houston explain ball rotation until his ears throb, seeing the hoop look as big as a hula hoop or as small as a thimble, guarding Kobe at least 6-8 times...



... and playing at least 82 games.

Chandler really needs to take all aspects of his game up another notch. He is good, but he has to improve significantly (especially in his 3 pt shooting and ball handling) before I would call him a starting caliber SF (By this I mean a guy of whom you say, "We are set at SF for the next 6-7 years"). He has shown that he can improve and I am fairly confident that he will be one of our top-3 players in 2 years.

Ira - well stated

Here is a The Mayors Course Schedule (Leading To His 82 Game Report Card)

Intermediate Outside shooting inside the arc - 3 credits: so far decent, can elevate off the dribble and rarely has his shot blocked, may drift a bit to one side, Visiting Professor: Allan Houston with Guest Lecturer Dick Barnett

Introduction to Three Point Shooting and Muscle Memory - 2 credits: not World B Free, but still learning his spots, shot selection remedial class a fall back option, Associate Professor: Jerry Lucas

Advanced Offensive Gaming Inside The Paint - 3 credit hours: demonstrates ability to improvise and adjust in the air, the dunk was nasty, Guest Lecturer: Bernard King

Defensive Footwork on the Perimeter - 4 credits: guarding TMac or Kobe is no picnic, will improve once he studies tendencies and gains confidence against guys he probably owns posters of. Master Shuffle Artist In Residence: MC Hammer

Defensive Upper Body Strength Inside The Paint - 2 credits: will benefit from learning timing on his jump and how to hold position. Instructors: Herb Williams and Charles Oakley

Selective Assertiveness/ Advanced Poker Face - 3 Bonus Credits: Chandler has demonstrated the rare ability to mask his emotions while performing at a high level of competitiveness

Professor Emeritus: Dr Walt Frazier

[Edited by - misterearl on 01-28-2009 11:50 AM]

The Answer Man Loves It When Reporters Celebrate The Strong Silent Types That Just Go Out And Do Their Jobs With Little or No Flamboyance, Fanfare or Funky Endzone Dances

Q. Stephen Jackson?

A. My thoughts exactly. Stephen Jackson plays with the raw edge of Spree and Ron Artest.

The Mayor ain't angry with nobody.

There are a ton of good small forwards in this up coming draft. Maybe we should be grooming Chandler into a SG. I wonder if we are already.

Earl, don't listen to GKF, we aren't going to respect you no matter what you write.

I love that Chandler didn't pout and leave the plane before the game. I love that he accepted his "reassignment" focused and got his game on track. He needs to learn from this so in the future we don't have to worry about him being benched to see this offensive fire from him. But he really stepped up and took the "benching" like a man. That's the type of attitude we have needed and have missed for so long here. Not that they care but I'm proud of both him and Al for the way they handled these things. The culture is definitely changing.

I'm really looking forward to another thread just like this one when Chandler has another good game after a few mediocre to subpar games.

Posted by nixluva:

Posted by islesfan:

I'm really looking forward to another thread just like this one when Chandler has another good game after a few mediocre to subpar games.

Man you truly are the Grinch of UltimateKnicks.com!!! How about actually giving your opinion on Chan, rather than bashing the thread? Don't you at least like the idea that the kid dusted himself off and quietly went about his business. He put in extra work and came out intent on playing better. That's exactly what we would want any of our young developing players to do. Chan shows a ton of upside and really only lacks a bit more development here and there and confidence. For a 21 yr old that was hidden on his college team and then left to rot on the bench by Isiah, he's come a long way.

How low can your expectations go? You want an unproven professional basketball player to be praised for doing what he's being paid millions to do and for not turning turtle when things get a little bit tough? Gimme a freaking break. I'd expect Chandler and any other professional athlete to do exactly what Chandler did, which was prepare himself for the next game. But this isn't about Chandler, it's about seeing this same ridiculous thread every time Chandler has a decent game regardless of how mediocre or subpar he's been lately.