Wilson Chandler is already developing into a capable sidekick. The only thing he needs to be ready should the Knicks follow through and land a marquee free agent a couple of summers down the road is more court time.
And there's plenty to be had. Chandler only had two years of college experience when he was drafted two years ago. He spent most of last season watching from the sideline but has been a big part of the rotation this season. Experience is critical to expanding his game.
"He's rebounding the ball a lot better," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni told MSG Network. "He needs to do that. He needs to fill up the stat sheet -- rebounds, blocked shots, steals -- and be a player that contributes always and not just if he scores. He's been doing better."
Chandler is averaging 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
"And his shot selection has to get better," D'Antoni added. "He's still 21 years old. He's learning. I do like that he's aggressive and he's really big in the fourth quarter."
JAZZ 112, KNICKS 104: For some reason, there was again no commitment to play defense until the Knicks were on the verge of being humiliated. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni has searched for a solution all season, but there still is no answer.
The only thing missing was a little intensity.
Utah jumped in front 64-44 when Eddy Curry was stripped of the ball 24 seconds before the half and Ronnie Brewer hustled down court for the dunk, and the deficit was 24 points early in the second half. It only took a couple of stops after the break to get the Knicks going again.
They were back within 86-78 heading into the fourth quarter.
"I thought the second half we played great," D'Antoni said. "The first half we were running in mud and didn't play well."
Nate Robinson gave the Knicks a 93-92 lead when he got to the free throw line after David Lee poked a ball away on defense. The Jazz responded with an 11-3 run and refused to let that lead get away.
