Tyson Chandler Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Tyson Chandler Wins Defensive Player Of The Year

May 2nd, 2012 at 2:32pm CST by Sean Highkin

WEDNESDAY, 2:32pm: Chandler officially received the Defensive Player of the Year award today at a press conference in New York. Serge Ibaka, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and Kevin Garnett finished second through fifth, respectively, in the voting. Chandler barely edged out the Thunder big man, with 311 points to Ibaka's 294.

TUESDAY, 8:10pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports that Knicks center Tyson Chandler will be named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year for the 2011/12 season. Chandler is expected to be presented the award on Thursday at Madison Square Garden, prior to the Knicks taking on the Miami Heat in game three of their playoff series.

In December, Chandler signed a four-year contract with the Knicks worth approximately $55.4MM, as part of a sign-and-trade involving Chandler's former team, the Dallas Mavericks. The signing has paid off immensely for New York, as he has averaged 11.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 1.4 BPG and anchoring their defense.

This is Chandler's first Defensive Player of the Year award. Previously, Dwight Howard had won it three years in a row.

Anthony Davis To Be Added To Team USA Pool

May 2nd, 2012 at 12:43pm CST by Sean Highkin

12:43pm: Monroe won't be the second addition to the U.S. Olympic pool, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.

12:18pm: Anthony Davis will be one of the two finalists added to the Team USA pool, according to SI.com's Sam Amick. Along with Monroe, Al Jefferson is a candidate to be the second finalist, says Amick.

11:08am: Lamar Odom hasn't been ruled out for the 2012 Olympic roster yet, Colangelo tells Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Colangelo also said that Cousins won't be added to the player pool this year, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.

WEDNESDAY, 8:09am: DeMarcus Cousins, Greg Monroe, and Anthony Davis are among the big men being considered for the Team USA pool, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Hibbert, unfortunately, is ineligible to play for the U.S. team because he played for Jamaica's senior national squad during the 2010 Centrobasket tournament. FIBA rules prevent players from representing two different countries at the senior level.

TUESDAY, 8:29pm: Jerry Colangelo told reporters (Associated Press link via ESPN.com) that he is leaning towards adding a couple of players to the pool from which the final Olympic team will be drawn. He gave no indication as to who those players might be, however.

7:30pm: With the U.S. Olympic team's projected roster increasingly depleted due to injuries, Jerry Colangelo is reportedly reconsidering his stance against adding new players. According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, Pacers center Roy Hibbert has expressed interest in joining the team should they look to add new talent.

“It would be nice to be able to do something like that,” Hibbert said. “I always said I wanted to play in the Olympics for the US. I played with Team Jamaica last year. Hopefully I can get a quick release. It would mean the world to me to be able to participate for Team USA.”

With Dwight Howard and LaMarcus Aldridge out for the summer, the frontcourt rotation for Team USA is looking thin outside of Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, and Tyson Chandler. If Colangelo does decide to bring on new players, Hibbert, who made his first All-Star appearance in 2011/12, would appear to be a logical candidate.

Mavs Notes: Deron, Chandler, Barea

May 1st, 2012 at 9:28pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes surrounding the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night:

SportsDayDFW's Eddie Sefko has a mailbag column in which he outlines several reasons why Deron Williams should consider signing with the Mavs, most notably Williams' roots in the area and the opportunity to play with Dirk Nowitzki.
Sefko also notes that the contracts of Nowitzki and Shawn Marion expire the same year, which could potentially allow the team to sign another star to pair with Williams while the guard is still in his prime.
SportsDayDFW's Brad Townsend writes that the Mavs are feeling the loss of Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea, both of whom left the team in free agency before the season.

Knicks Notes: Playoff Race, Chandler, Stoudemire

April 22nd, 2012 at 11:00am CST by Daniel Seco

The Knicks look to rebound from a disappointing eight-point road loss to the Cavs on Friday as they take on the Hawks Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. The Hawks are looking to secure home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs by finishing the season with a better record than the Celtics. Here's the latest from Mike Woodson's squad as the team heads into the final week of the regular season.

Entering Sunday's matchup against the Hawks, the Knicks are tied record-wise with the Sixers but currently hold the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker against Philadelphia, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. A loss to the Hawks would drop the Knicks to the eighth seed and allow for the Sixers to move up a spot before taking on the Nets in Newark on Monday night. Based on current standings, the eighth seed would face the Bulls in the first round while the seventh seed would head to Miami to play the Heat.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reports Tyson Chandler may be in need of some much deserved rest but could potentially find himself on the court this week to keep the Knicks starters in sync for the playoffs. Chandler, 29, has missed only two games all season as he's built a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year thanks to his intimidating presence in the paint. Unfortunately for Chandler, Woodson said on Friday that he wants to have all of his starters continue to play so that the team can build momentum heading into the playoffs.
The Knicks need to find a way for Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire to effectively coexist on the court if they hope to make a run in the playoffs, contends Berman. With $65MM remaining on the oft-injured Stoudemire's contract, the Knicks have little recourse but to make the tandem work with three games remaining in the regular season. However, Woodson would consider removing Stoudemire from the starting lineup if Knicks co-captains Anthony and Stoudemire agree sending the former Suns star to the bench serves for the greater good of the team.

Knicks Notes: Chandler, Stoudemire, Carmelo

April 15th, 2012 at 7:11pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Knicks' home winning streak under Mike Woodson was snapped at nine games at the hands of the Heat this afternoon. New York still holds the eighth and final playoff spot but are just two games ahead of the Bucks with six games left to play. You can find today's Knicks-related stories here:

Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com says that center Tyson Chandler doesn't expect to miss any time after getting hurt during today's game. Chandler banged knees with Joel Anthony during the third quarter. In another article, Josh Newman (also of ZagsBlog) writes about how today's meeting could be a preview of a Knicks-Heat first round matchup.
Newsday's Al Iannazzone noted Dwyane Wade's comments about how the return of Amare will create an adjustment period for the Knicks. ESPN New York's Christopher Hunt took a different focus with Wade's other postgame input, saying that they're tougher and better with Stoudemire in the lineup.
Ian Begley of ESPN New York writes that the Knicks will need more than just Carmelo Anthony's scoring if they want to be competitive against any of the top seeds in the East during the playoffs.
Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com reacts to the Knicks loss, discussing the Heat's halfcourt struggles, the need for help for Carmelo, how the Knicks will fare with the return of Amare Stoudemire, and the team's identity defensively.
Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York discusses pace as it relates to New York's lack of production in the fourth quarter.

Top 5 Offseason Acquisitions Of 2011/2012

April 14th, 2012 at 9:53pm CST by Daniel Seco

While not all trades or free-agent signings work out as planned (right, Lamar?), an offseason addition can mean the difference between making the playoffs and spending late spring on an early vacation. Whether a player provides MVP-like numbers or veteran leadership to a youthful squad, adding the right player to the right team can prove to be a difficult process. Let's look at the top five offseason acquisitions of the 2011/2012 and see how these players impacted their respective teams.

Chris Paul: Almost landing with the other Los Angeles team, Paul has done wonders for the Clippers as the squad has solidified its standing as one of the best in the Western Conference. The former Wake Forest star has given the youthful team an identity while improving the play of his teammates, especially young big men Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. With averages of 19.3 PPG and 8.9 APG, Paul is among the top contenders for league MVP.
Tyson Chandler: After helping the Mavericks take the NBA title last season, Chandler landed with the Knicks after it became clear the squad wasn't going to be able to land Paul or Dwight Howard. Brought in to provide a big body in the paint and championship experience, Chandler has exceeded all expectations with his quality of play and locker room leadership. While factors outside of Chandler's control have kept the Knicks from achieving their lofty preseason goals, the team could still make some noise in the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Jeremy Lin*: Technically acquired after the start of the season (two days after Christmas), Lin captivated the basketball world with a dynamic style of play during the month of February. The undrafted former Harvard star struggled in his first season as a member of the Warriors before going on to average 14.6 PPG and 6.1 APG in 35 appearances with the Knicks. Unfortunately for Lin, his season came to an early end when he had surgery on April 3rd to repair a torn meniscus.
Shane Battier: Not known for his ability to score 20 points in a game or grab double-digit rebounds, Battier has made a living in the NBA by playing highly-effective basketball. The former Duke star has provided exceptional defense to a Heat squad loaded with offensive firepower. As his value to his team doesn't always show up in the box score, Battier must be judged beyond his 4.8 PPG and 2.3 RPG with the Heat.
Brandon Bass: With sincere apologies to David West, the Celtics' trade with the Magic to rid themselves of Glen Davis netted them arguably the fifth-best acquisition of the entire 2011/2012 offseason. Originally slotted to provide the Celtics' second unit with depth and a youthful spark off the bench, Bass' role quickly shifted when injuries plagued the team's roster. Given the opportunity to start regularly for the first time in his career, Bass has responded with 12.3 PPG and 6.1 RPG as the squad's starting power forward.

Iannazzone on Chandler, Calipari, Playoffs

April 7th, 2012 at 10:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In what could be a preview of a first-round matchup in this year's Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bulls and Knicks will begin a home-and-home series on Sunday in New York. Carmelo Anthony understands those implications and views these next two games as playoff games, according to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com. Al Iannazzone of Newsday also offered some input about the Knicks tonight, and here's his latest work out of the Big Apple:

Contrary to Anthony's claim that Tyson Chandler is playing with a fractured hand, the team's starting center refuted the notion but did imply that he is playing through inexplicable pain.
John Calipari could be a legitimate candidate to coach the Knicks next season, says Iannazone, and cites Calipari's ties to the Creative Artists Agency (which has affiliations to people within Knicks management and with whom Carmelo is also a client) as a possible factor.
In a separate piece, Iannazone looks at the challenge of the next 11 games for the Knicks as it relates to their push to make the playoffs while facing a daunting schedule.

Magic Seeking Commitment From Dwight Howard

March 14th, 2012 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic are telling teams they will trade Dwight Howard by the deadline if Howard doesn't make a commitment to staying in Orlando past this season, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

"Dwight's dreaming if he thinks Orlando won't trade him without a commitment,'' a source told Broussard. "He needs to make some small commitment to them. They're saying it can't be one way.''

Although the Magic would prefer to lock Howard up long-term, they would settle for D12 opting into the final year of his contract and staying for 2012/13. However, Howard hasn't shown that he's even willing to do that, leading to increased tension between the team and Howard's camp. Sources tell Broussard that the Magic are "incensed" with agent Dan Fegan, who they feel is leading the charge to convince the star center to leave Orlando.

The Magic were also upset over Howard's "roll the dice" comments after last night's game, and according to Broussard, Orlando has essentially invited teams to make their best offers. The ideal situation for the Magic would be creating a bidding war the Nets and Lakers, Broussard writes in a separate piece. Orlando would also be interested in a package of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, but there's no indication the Knicks would make such an offer, particularly without assurances about Howard's long-term future.

You can find the rest of today's Howard updates here.

Knicks Notes: Smith, Chandler, Backcourt

March 11th, 2012 at 10:50am CST by Daniel Seco

Struggling to make any strides in a muddled playoff picture, the Knicks kick off a full slate of NBA action on Sunday against a 76ers team currently allowing the fewest amount of points per game. The Knicks presently occupy the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with a middling Bucks squad two games back. Making noise in the news for a multitude of reasons, let's head to the Garden to see what's going on with the Knicks.

With J.R. Smith demonstrating inconsistency as a starter since assuming Landry Fields' former role, Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni has reinstated Fields into the starting lineup effective immediately thanks to his improved play as a reserve, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Smith, signed just prior to the All-Star break after a stint in China, has averaged 8.9 PPG in his nine games with the Knicks. The former first-round pick out of New Jersey has been making headlines for his risque actions off the court leading to a hefty fine by the league.
By many accounts the Knicks made one of the best moves of the abbreviated off-season by luring Tyson Chandler away from the Mavericks with a lucrative contract. According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Chandler believes the Knicks' roster has enough talent to close out games. "I feel like we may be the deepest team in the league. We should be able to come at teams in waves. It's a matter of putting that together." A newly-beardless Chandler, 29, makes his return to the starting lineup Sunday against the Sixers after missing two games with hamstring issues.
Rather than focusing on fixing the struggling Knicks via trade, D'Antoni wants to explore providing the tandem of Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis more minutes together on the court to see how such a pairing may improve the squad's overall performance, writes Mark Hale of the New York Post.

Terry Calls For Roster Changes

March 11th, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Daniel Seco

Plummeting quicker than Carmelo Anthony's trade value, the Mavericks have found themselves mired in strife in the first nine games after the All-Star break. With a 2-7 record since returning from the festivities in Orlando, the Mavericks are trying to come up with answers before it becomes too late for the squad to even consider defending its title, says Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. More vocal than the rest of his teammates, Mavs guard Jason Terry points to personnel changes as a viable option for management to consider before the trade deadline.

Terry's view is a fair one as the team that beat the Miami Heat last June is not only comprised of different players, but the ones that remain are also one year older. The Mavs, with the second oldest roster in the league, have been dealing with myriad issues ever since they reached the pinnacle of the sport by taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in 2011. Losing Tyson Chandler to the Knicks has proved to be a more difficult void to fill than expected and the acquisition of Lamar Odom has been nothing short of a disaster.

Unfortunately for Terry, the Mavs are unlikely to make the type of deal that would alter the team's course for the rest of the season. As rumors circulate from numerous media outlets, the Mavs are presumably looking to build salary cap space for the summer in order to make a run at some of the marque free agents set to become available on the market. The main problem for the Mavs isn't that they are just consistently being beaten by better teams, but rather are losing games to teams that have inferior talent to the reigning NBA champions. A continuing trend the rest of the season may spell the end of the Mavs careers for many players currently calling Dallas home.