03/25/2010 - 07:30
A Defensive Presence
by Devon Jeffreys

As the first playoff berth in franchise history draws nearer, bumps in the road will come and go. But this week, Tyson Chandler and the Charlotte Bobcats have shown a keen ability to persevere .

The Bobcats put a halt to a two game losing skid on Tuesday night with a 95-86 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards. One night later, Charlotte didn't even need an extra frame, finishing the Minnesota Timberwolves in the required 48 for a 108-95 victory.

Tyson had his fingerprints all over both victories. In Tuesday's overtime thriller, TC was called upon to command the middle as the extra session got under way. No. 6 played near flawless defense through the overtime period, as the Bobcats limited Washington to only four overtime points. In turn, the Bobcats scored 13 points in overtime to pull away.

Tyson outrebounds nearly all of the Minnesota Timberwolves (Getty Images).

Ty played all but the final 38 seconds of the overtime frame and his thunderous dunk off a Stephen Jackson pass with 2:03 to go in the session was the exclamation point. Tyson also pulled down two boards in the overtime, finishing with eight rebounds on the night. He scored a total of five points, the rest of them coming at the free throw line in regulation. TC also had a steal.

On Wednesday night, Tyson was even more active on the boards. He secured nine rebounds, including five on the offensive end and scored four points.

Seven of his nine rebounds came in the second half and he got both of his buckets off the offensive glass with a second effort tip-in and then a throwdown off a Stephen Jackson miss.

David Arnott of Rufus on Fire credited Tyson and teammate Tyrus Thomas for their activity on the boards.

"Tyson Chandler and Tyrus Thomas were rebounding beasts, with 9 and 8 in under 22 minutes, respectively. Throw in Theo Ratliff's 4 blocks in 30 minutes, and that more than made up for Boris Diaw's sub-par night."

Tyson has now played in 12 consecutive games. Over that span, he's averaged just over 19 minutes per game with 5.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. He also has registered nine blocks in that span.

IMPACT PLAYER
While his numbers have clearly risen on offense, others have taken notice of what TC has brought on the defensive end.

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer wrote recently of Tyson's "impactful" play. Bonnell spoke to Bobcats assistant Dave Hanners about TC's defensive presence:

"Just the way he moved, the way he acted, getting from point A to point B," Hanners said. "It's getting out on pick-and-rolls and then getting back to his man so that nobody had to help anybody else.

"That's so big in the NBA. If I jump out to stop the ball on a pick-and-roll, and I'm a big guy, if I don't get back to my man, somebody else has to take him. And then I have to find somebody else to (guard). By the time you get to their last guy, he already has an open jump shot."

Tyson's value to the Bobcats doesn't come just on the offensive end, where he can turn a pick and roll into a rim-rocking jam and man the offensive glass to keep possessions alive with offensive rebounds. It also lies on the defensive end where he plays a sort of goalkeeper at the rim. With a pair of healthy legs finally allowing him to reach his potential, TC has been a shot blocking machine.

"People don't realize I was basically playing on one leg," Chandler said. "That makes it difficult to change directions, to alter shots, to block shots.

"Now that I have my legs under me, I can get in and out of screen-and-rolls, both on defense and offense, and I can come block those shots."

Tyson told Bonnell that the key to his success in recent weeks has been the ability to develop a rhythm with his teammates.

"Before I was in and out of practice, in out of games, playing 10 minutes, then out seven games," Chandler recalled. "That made it difficult for my teammates to understand me and me to understand my teammates."

NEXT UP
Tyson and his Charlotte teammates continue their five-game homestand on Friday night when they host the same Wizards team that they defeated on Tuesday night in D.C. Tip-off of the game is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and it can be seen on Fox Sports Carolinas.

RELATED STORIES
Chandler gives a glimpse of his impact vs. Heat (Charlotte Observer, March 22, 2010)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/22/1331009/chandler-gives-a-gli...
Charlotte Bobcats top Minnesota Timberwolves 108-95 (Rufus on Fire, March 24, 2010)
http://www.rufusonfire.com/2010/3/24/1389019/charlotte-bobcats-top-minne...
Bobcats Jackson puts hurt on Timberwolves (Charlotte Observer, March 25, 2010)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/25/1334621/bobcats-jackson-puts...
Suicide lines: Chandler's skills, Warriors sale, D'Antoni's defense (Ball Don't Lie, March 22, 2010)
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Suicide-lines-Chandl...