Tyson Chandler | Tyson Sees Future in Charlotte | The Official Website www.TysonChandler.com

04/06/2010 - 08:21
Tyson Sees Future in Charlotte
by Devon Jeffreys

As the end of the regular season approaches, talk of the future is inevitable and with an option on his contract, Tyson Chandler's future has some question marks.

But for Tyson, the choice is simple: Charlotte is where he wants to be, as he told AOL FanHouse:

"I'm sure I'll be here,'' Chandler said. "I'm sure this is going to be where I'm going to be. I'm sure. I'll finish out the final year of my contract. This team is continuing to go in the right direction.''

Tyson has made his home in Charlotte after being traded from the New Orleans Hornets last offseason and feels he has landed in a place where he belongs.

"I'm sure this is where I'll be,'' said Chandler, averaging 6.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. "I love it here. I'm just starting to come in and playing with the guys and being healthy and they're starting to see who I am. We're starting to jell.''

The good news that TC plans to stay in the Queen City was part of a one and one weekend for the Bobcats as they picked up a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday before dropping the second half of their back-to-back in Chicago on Saturday night.

TC fared well against the Bucks, scoring seven points on 2-3 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line. No. 6 also pulled down six rebounds, three on each end of the floor. David Arnott of Rufus on Fire was impressed by another strong game from Tyson:

"In 23 minutes, Tyson Chandler provided the high level of play that we'd hoped we'd get for full games. He's getting to the line, getting rebounds, and playing solid defense. Chandler finished with 7 points on 2-3 from the field, and 6 rebounds."

Ty scored his first three points of the game at the free throw line and his other four around the basket. His first field goal came with 8:16 left in the fourth and the scored tied at 69. Tyson picked off a pass by John Salmons and, after some ball movement, finished the play on the offensive end with a layup off a feed from Stephen Jackson.

The score remained close for the rest of the game with neither team leading by more than three and the teams remained tied at the end of the regulation, 80-80.

The Cats fell behind to begin the overtime when Carlos Delfino sank a jumper to give Milwaukee an 82-80 lead, but TC answered with his final points of the game. Raymond Felton drove to the hoop for a layup and couldn’t get it to fall, but Tyson was there to cleanup with a putback slam to tie the score at 82.

In all, TC pulled in three of his six boards during the overtime. His offensive rebound off a Felton miss with 2.9 seconds remaining and Charlotte ahead by just one preserved the 87-86 win.

"We knew this game was going to be a playoff type of game," TC told Bobcats Break. "Whenever you can get extra possessions, it's key. On that last shot, I knew they would all crash the boards and I knew that we had guards back so I tipped it out to one of my teammates."

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer described it as the "play that won the game":

"How appropriate that the play that won this one wasn't a dunk or a 3-pointer or even a free throw.

It was Charlotte Bobcats center Tyson Chandler sticking his nose into a beehive of Milwaukee Bucks as Raymond Felton's shot came off the rim. Chandler got a hand on the ball, slapping it backward toward Felton to kill the last few seconds of an 87-86 overtime victory."

TC, a playoff veteran unlike many of his teammates, felt some playoff style emotion as the game came down to the wire between two teams that seem headed toward postseason play, as he told reporters afterward:

"We went into overtime and only scored in the 80's. It was a grind," No. 6 said. "The refs let us play out there. It was playoff type basketball. Hard picks, tough fouls, this is what it's going to be like. The crowd was into it. It's definitely a playoff atmosphere."

Watch TC talk more about the big win below:

TOUGH GO ON THE ROAD
After their emotional victory over Milwaukee, which featured the first quarter ejection of coach Larry Brown, the Cats hit the road for a one-game stop in Chicago to play the Bulls.

Back in his old stomping grounds, Tyson reflected on his first return to Chi-town and what it might be like for Tyrus Thomas in his first trip back, as quoted by Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.

“There ain’t nothing I can say, because there was nothing nobody could say to me,” Chandler said with a laugh. “I was so juiced, my veins were probably about to pop out when I came in for the first time.

“I just know it will go incredibly great or horribly wrong. When you come back home, there can’t be anything in between.”

Tyson scored two points and grabbed four boards, but after falling behind early the Bobcats could not complete a comeback, dropping it 96-88.

TC was also asked about his employer, Michael Jordan, who happens to have some history with the Bulls himself. Tyson told Chicago reporters that MJ has established his presence with the Bobcats, as quoted in the Daily Herald:

"He's everywhere," Bobcats center Tyson Chandler said. "He's been at practices, every game. It would be OK if it wasn't the greatest player ever sitting next to you. What can you say when you walk over there? There isn't much you can say to him.

"No, it's good. He's been good to me. You would think with his competitive nature and who he is, you would think it may be tough with him right there. But he's been good, he's been nothing but positive in everything he's saying."

MIND OVER MATTER
The key to Tyson's resurgence in his return from injury hasn't just been physical health, but it's also been a great deal of mental health.

After being dogged by injuries for the better part of two seasons, it's easy to see why TC would be unsure of himself. But as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes, a trip to his doctor and a heart-to-heart with his coach went a long way toward getting Ty to think positively.

This reclamation began in late February when Chandler left a road trip to confer with the specialist who had performed various surgeries on his left ankle and big toe.

Chandler was so skittish about his physical condition that there was frequent speculation he might shut himself down for the season.

He didn't play much - three games from Dec. 22 to March 5 - and when he did play, he didn't do much. So he flew to New York to ask his doctor a simple question: Am I OK?

"Better than OK," came the response.

The doctor pulled out magnetic resonance imagings, X-rays and bone scans, each one illustrating Chandler's foot was in proper alignment and healing. The doctor assured him he wasn't in particular danger of further injury.

The results of the tests were a huge confidence booster for No. 6. But as Bonnell continues, it was the talk with coach Larry Brown that really put things back into focus.

Known to be relentless in pursuing a player's best, Brown did something Chandler didn't anticipate:

He lowered Chandler's bar, at least for now.

"I didn't want him to feel the pressure of being the Tyson Chandler we all expected. I told him we're all sensitive to the fact that he's coming off an injury," Brown described at practice Thursday. "My only expectation was for him to give us whatever he could, as long as he wasn't jeopardizing himself in terms of injury."

Tyson said Brown showed him a different side that gave him even more respect for the legendary coach. To read Bonnell's entire piece, click here.

NEXT UP
TC and the Cats are back in action after a two day layoff tonight when they host a potential playoff opponent at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The seventh seeded Bobcats take on the third seeded Atlanta Hawks tonight. The Bobcats are two games out of the sixth seed in the East, which would play third seeded Atlanta if the season ended today. Both teams are still fighting for their playoff position in the final two weeks and each team has six games remaining.

Tip-off of the game is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and the game can be seen on SportsSouth.

RELATED STORIES
Chandler finds his footing (Charlotte Observer, April 2, 2010)
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/02/417616/chandler-finds-footing.htm...
Felton, Chandler, seek return to up-and-coming Bobcats (AOL FanHouse, April 3, 2010)
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/04/02/felton-chandler-seek-return-to-up-and...
Jordan a no-show at United Center (Chicago Tribune, April 3, 2010)
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-04-03/sports/ct-spt-0404-bits-bu...
All of a sudden, Jordan's everywhere (Daily Herald, April 3, 2010)
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-04-03/sports/ct-spt-0404-bits-bu...
Bobcats vs. Bucks: Inside the Locker Room (Bobcats Break, April 2, 2010)
http://www.bobcatsbreak.com/?p=2179
Playoffs? Bobcats win vs. Bucks felt like it (Charlotte Observer, April 2, 2010)
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/04/02/1353083/bobcats-pull-out-ot-...
Charlotte Bobcats beat Milwaukee Bucks in OT, 87-86 (Rufus on Fire, April 2, 2010)
http://www.rufusonfire.com/2010/4/2/1403036/charlotte-bobcats-defeat-mil...