The LoHud Knicks Blog

So it’s hard to know exactly how seriously to take the whole “Tyson Chandler wants to shoot more midrange jumpers” idea.

After all, the offseason, and preseason, is full of “Summer of George” pronouncements, and few come to fruition.

But this one shouldn’t even be an aspiration.

Consider that Tyson Chandler, last season, had a True Shooting Percentage of .708. That was best in the NBA. Nor was this an aberration; he posted a TS% of .697 in 2010-11 for Dallas. In other words, he’s the most efficient offensive player in the league.

Now let’s compare this overall effectiveness to how well he shot from 3-9 feet. Last season, he shot 36.4 percent from that distance. The year before, 43.1 percent. The four years before that included three in the mid-thirties, one 44 percent. So well below his overall shooting percentage: the biggest single drag on his overall shooting numbers.

Now, if Chandler operated as something approximating the first offensive option on the Knicks, perhaps a case could be made to have him expand his repertoire. But that’s not at all where this team is.

With Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire in the starting lineup, the Knicks already have two high-volume scorers. Having a center who is both able to add some points in a hyper-efficient way, and do it without needing focus in the offense, is already a perfect scenario.

Let’s say Chandler, with hard work, returns to his highest level of performing at the 3-9 foot range in six years, an even 44 percent. That is a significantly less effective weapon than Carmelo Anthony overall, or Amar’e Stoudemire overall, just last season, when both of them struggled relative to their career norms.

To be clear: Tyson Chandler is an extremely important member of the New York Knicks, and that goes for offense and defense. And sure, on the rare occasions he finds himself with the ball from 3-9 feet away, and no time left on the shot clock, a higher percentage of makes would be just lovely.

But this ought to be idle preseason chatter; Tyson Chandler, offensively, really shouldn’t change a thing.