Tyson Chandler: B-
Defensive Real Plus-Minus: 3.72 (1st)
Field-Goal Percentage Differential: -2.3 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 101.1 (1st)
Offensive Rating: 103 (10th)
On/Off Offensive Differential: -3.0 (9th)
Traditional Stats: 3 PPG, 6 RPG, 1 APG, .609 FG%
When Tyson Chandler signed with the Lakers at the beginning of November he was a defensive godsend for the Purple and Gold.
During November, he played 21 minutes per game and the Lakers went 9-3 with the 3rd ranked defense in the NBA.
In December, Chandler continued his brilliant work on defense. He averaged 20 minutes per game and the Lakers had a record of 8-7 with the 9th best defense in the league.
Things started to change in January, though. During the 1st month of the new year, Chandler’s minutes dropped to 14 per game and the Lakers went 6-9.
In February, Chandler’s playing time decreased even more, down to nine minutes per game and he only managed to suit up for 7 games. The Lakers went 3-6 in February with the 26th rated defense in the league.
During March and April Tyson Chandler only played three games.
When Chandler was on the court he was the Lakers anchor in the middle. He finished the season with a 3.88 defensive real plus-minus rating, by far the best on the team and 4th overall in the NBA. He was also first on the Lakers in defensive rating and 29th in the NBA (minimum 15 minutes per game) for the year.
His play went beyond just holding his own man below his average shooting percentage. When he was on the court he was the Lakers defensive composer, guiding the Purple and Gold through their various songs, helping all the players work together in order to make beautiful music on the less glamorous side of the ball.
Tyson Chandler wasn’t brought in for his offensive acumen, so he didn’t move the needle much in the way of scoring. He averaged three PPG on two field goal attempts.
Even though Chandler rarely put the ball in the basket, he wasn’t resting on offense. He set huge screens which helped free up driving lanes for all of the Lakers ball handlers who played along with him.
Tyson Chandler was great when he was on the court, but unfortunately, due to a number of nagging injuries and his advanced age, Chandler wasn’t able to consistently contribute at the center position for the Lakers as the season advanced into the new year.
Chandler finished the year with 786 total minutes played, about half as many as Lonzo Ball, who only played 47 games during the 2018-2019 season. Chandler gets a B-, not for his play, but for his lack of time on the court.