N.Y. Knicks: Team Almost Unraveled In Chandler's Absence

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS: Tyson Chandler's Return Came Just In Time To Possibly Save Coach Woodson From Himself.

Tyson Chandler couldn't have returned a game too soon.  Playing without him, and continued play without an effective point guard have weighed heavily on this team, to the point it all almost unraveled in the aftermath of a brutal loss against Washington.  Time-Out Gate, and the inquisition that followed could very well have been the end of Mike Woodson, right then and there.

Who knows what he was thinking, or not thinking at that moment?  It doesn't matter, because the lasting impression will be that Coach was unprepared for the closing moment of their game against the Wizards.  Afterwards, players pointed fingers as if identifying a locker room perp from a line-up.  But I think Coach himself exacerbated the situation, by bringing his former pupil, and current Nets sharpshooter, Joe Johnson into the conversation.  That's a huge no-no, and Woodson has to know that, especially in the realm of Dolan.  Secondly, he took an indirect, direct shot at his guy, his mule, Carmelo Anthony, who was actually first to hurl Coach under the bus by not standing up for him.

If winning cures all, or most all, then losing is a disease that can spread quickly throughout the system, if not diagnosed early and treated properly.  In the Knicks case, Tyson Chandler was just what the doctor ordered.  He played big minutes in his first game back.  The fact the Knicks  rebounded after the Wizards debacle, to defeat Milwaukee, coupled with Tyson's return, is all you need to know.  The Knicks missed him immeasurably.

Chandler will at least start changing the general conversation, and at a minimum, restore order in the paint.  Chandler is however, unlikely to get Woodson off J.R. Smith's and Iman Shumpert's back, or mediate the difference of opinion between Coach and Amare on Twitter.  Furthermore, that stunt Pablo Prigioni pulled against Milwaukee further demonstrates how little everybody's heads are in the game right now.  Getting back to Shump, he one scored one point in 31 minutes against the Bucks.  That's ponderous.

A legitimate point guard could clean up the remaining mess and confusion on the floor.




Mike.BTB