At 7-foot-1 and 37 years old, Tyson Chandler probably isn’t a rotation fit for the Houston Rockets — now known as the NBA’s smallest team. But if they need the 19-year NBA veteran in a pinch, it sounds as if he’s ready.
Friday was the seventh consecutive day of practice for the Rockets at the NBA “bubble” complex in Florida, where the 2019-20 season will restart later this month after a long hiatus due to COVID-19.
Just before Friday’s practice, Houston GM Daryl Morey was asked about individual standouts from the first week of “training camp.” Many names — such as guards James Harden and Eric Gordon, and forward Danuel House Jr. — have been well chronicled and were somewhat expected.
[lawrence-related id=34227,33762]
But at the end of his interview, Morey also mentioned Chandler as one of his team’s early standouts in Florida. Here’s what the GM said:
Tyson… has looked very good. I should have mentioned him. I don’t think, given the miles on his wheels, that he’s going to have a huge role in the playoffs. But I do think if Coach called on him, he’d be ready. He was schooling some of the young bucks the last couple days.
Earlier this week, Chandler conceded that he wasn’t initially sure if he’d report to Orlando for the restart. After all, he hasn’t played since the team’s permanent switch to a smaller lineup in late January. But he remains a prominent voice in the Houston locker room as the only Rockets player to have won an NBA title, which he did with Dallas in 2011.
“I didn’t want it to end this way,” Chandler said of his decision to return. “My presence, especially with this team, is a lot in the locker room. It’s a lot of the day-to-day things, and in practice.”
[lawrence-related id=25413]
For example, Mike D’Antoni said that Chandler’s practice on the practice court allows the smaller Rockets to replicate how teams with larger, more traditional big men might try to play them.
“He’s the ultimate professional, he’ll be in shape,” D’Antoni said of Chandler, who clearly reported to Orlando in strong physical condition.
D’Antoni continued his comments:
If we need him, there’s a lot of talent and experience. He’s the only guy, I think, that’s out there who has won a ring. We rely on him to talk us through things. … He’s a valuable piece, whether he’s in the rotation or not, or if it’s an emergency.
[lawrence-related id=34013,33796]
Given his age and Houston’s commitment to playing small, the odds are that barring an emergency, Chandler’s role will continue to be primarily about leadership. But if they need him for more, he’ll be there.
As Chandler recently said: “I always tell Coach [D’Antoni], ‘If you want to switch it up, I’m right here and I’m ready!’”
Chandler has appeared in 26 games this season, with an average of 1.3 points (77.8% FG) and 2.5 rebounds in 8.4 minutes. For his career, he averages 8.2 points (59.7% FG) and 9.0 rebounds in 27.3 minutes. In addition to winning an NBA title with Dallas in 2011, he was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 and an All-Star in 2013.
[vertical-gallery id=34181]