Get to know the Suns Biggest Acquisition: Tyson Chandler
By Joshua Frons
Long gone are the days of dumping the ball down to a seven footer 30 times a game and letting him decide your fate. The new NBA is longer, faster, and more athletic. A team doesn’t need a center that can score, but one that can orchestrate the defense, defend the rim, and rebound the basketball.
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In Tyson Chandler, the Suns get somebody who doesn’t just fit that mold, but brings a lot of pedigree with him. Chandler is an NBA Finals Champion, NBA All-Star, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Olympic Gold Medalist. The former number two overall pick inked a four-year $52 million contract with the Suns this offseason.
Most will tell you that Chandler is past his prime. He’s 32 years old and because he went straight from college to the NBA, he’s been in the league since 2001. There was a time when Chandler was a high flyer, catching lobs from Chris Paul in New Orleans and while he can still get up from time to time and throw it down hard, that’s not why the Suns brought him in. Chandler averaged 11.5 rebounds in 75 regular season games last year with the Mavericks. Alex Len, now Chandler’s backup, lead the Suns with 6.6 per game.
In the 2013-2014 season, Dallas was 22nd in defensive efficiency. In just one year, Chandler brought them to 18th in the league. The Suns were 17th in the league last year and have Chandler locked up for four years. There’s no reason Chandler can’t get them competing to be a top 10 defense in basketball.
Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe are both quick, athletic guys who can guard top line backcourt players on a regular basis. P.J. Tucker is a hard working guy who can cover wings and Markieff Morris will do whatever you ask him to on either end of the floor. If Archie Goodwin, T.J. Warren, and Devin Booker continue to improve, the Suns will be once again competing for a spot in the playoffs.