Tyson Chandler: Knicks Need to Share the Ball, Lack a “Great, Great, Great” Player

The New York Knicks are clearly in trouble in their series with the Indiana Pacers for multiple reasons, but Tyson Chandler thinks a main culprit is the way his team is playing offensively. As in they’re playing selfish basketball.

From Newsday:

Chandler said the Knicks are being too selfish and individuals are trying to win games alone, and this team doesn’t have players who can do that. Chandler didn’t mention anyone by name, but Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith are the Knicks’ volume shooters.

“I watched the tape myself and there’s open looks,” Chandler said after practice Sunday. “We have to be willing passers. You have to sacrifice yourself sometimes for the betterment of the team, for the betterment of your teammates. So when you drive in the paint, you draw, you kick it. We need to do a better job of allowing the game to dictate who takes the shots and not the individuals.

“I’m not saying that anybody is doing it maliciously. I think it’s moreso a situation, you want to take over the game or you want to make a big shot, where you have to just stick to the game plan. Good teams win basketball games. Unless you’re a great, great, great individual, and we’ve only had a few of those come through.”

There’s a lot there, surely spoken from a place of frustration after Roy Hibbert ate the Knicks’ front line for lunch in Game 3, and you don’t want to put words in Chandler’s mouth, but there are really only two guys he can be talking about. But then again, who are Melo and J.R. supposed to kick it out to on the perimeter? Jason Kidd hasn’t scored a basket in a month and the other guys (Steve Novak aside), are hardly reliable shooters from distance. Example: Iman Shumpert was just 3-10 in Game 3. You could actually make the argument that Carmelo needs to shoot more to give the Knicks new life.

We don’t think the “great, great, great” label – or what Chandler sees as a lack thereof on his team – is that big of a deal. How many “greats” is he required to give Carmelo before he’s given ‘Melo the respect he deserves?

Would Melo and J.R. taking less shots give the Knicks a better chance to win in this series? Or should Carmelo shoot MORE?

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