Most of Tyson Chandler’s special talents on the basketball court get displayed when he rises above it, either to snare a rebound or affect an opponent’s shot.
But following Monday’s short practice at the Berto Center, Chandler showed one more trick with his feet planted firmly on the ground.
Asked if it surprised him that he helped hold Minnesota’s All-Star Kevin Garnett scoreless in Sunday’s fourth quarter, Chandler said the following without the slightest hint of cockiness or ego:
“No. That’s when you wear guys down.”
Chandler’s matter-of-fact demeanor about his defensive responsibilities speaks to how firmly he grasps his role on this Bulls team.
Such a hold–as firm as when Chandler clutches a rebound–isn’t easy for all players to master, especially those who are 22 and in a contract season. A lack of touches in the NBA is typically grounds for outrage.
“It never distracts me at all,” Chandler said. “I know what I’m doing on the other [defensive] end is more effective than what I would be doing on this end anyway.”
Coach Scott Skiles insists Chandler’s offensive skills are improving in practice, although certain awkward, praying-mantis-on-caffeine moves would suggest otherwise. But the Bulls’ coach knows how unusual Chandler’s ability to shun glory for dirty work is in this day and age.
“It can be discouraging when you’re out there giving it everything you’ve got and you don’t have a basket to show for it,” Skiles said. “What I think he’s done a good job of is not let that upset and fluster him and focus on the things he does well, which he does very, very well. He rebounds, runs, blocks shots, challenges shots and hustles as well as anyone for his size.”
Chandler failed to score Sunday in Minneapolis but played a monster game with 11 rebounds, two blocks and aggressive defense. Last week in Houston, Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy noted that Chandler is one of those rare players who can be a difference-maker without the ball.
Skiles knows that, too, which is why he uses Chandler similarly to a baseball manager using a closer.
“You can put him on centers or forwards,” Skiles said. “There’s no question one of the reasons for a lot of our victories is Tyson’s defensive ability in the fourth quarters.
“He is the one guy on our roster who’s a defensive factor at the basket. You’ve got to have a guy like that in at the end of tight games if you’re going to win because good teams will try to attack the front of the rim. He’s done a good job of stopping that.”
Chandler ranks 10th with 1.8 blocks and 15th with 9.3 rebounds per game, the latter statistic jumping to fourth in the league when prorated to 48 minutes. He believes a day will come when his offense will too.
“Right now, that’s just not my position,” Chandler said. “We have great scorers on this team. What I do is equally if not more important than what a lot of other guys do.”
