Some good news for the cursed Knicks: Tyson Chandler will be named Defensive Player of the Year today at 3 p.m.
Chandler had been the clear favorite. Chandler also should be named to one of the three All-NBA teams, even though he’s never made an All-Star Game.
It is the first time a Knicks player has won a singular postseason award since John Starks in 1996-97 won Sixth Man of the Year. Chandler, who says he is all but over the flu, led the NBA in FG percentage at 67.9 percent – third highest in NBA history behind two figures by Wilt Chamberlain. The center has been their defensive anchor and emotional leader in his first year with the Knicks. He just missed averaging a double-double with averages of 11.3 points and 9.9 rebounds.
“The series doesn’t start until someone loses on their home floor,” Chandler said of the first-round series with the Heat, who are up 2-0 with Game 3 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
“We can’t get so upset. We’ve got to stick together. They protected home floor. We got to do the same.”
The Knicks were 11-1 at home since Mike Woodson took over as coach with their lone loss coming to the Heat.
* As coach Mike Woodson looks to juggle his lineup with Stoudemire and Shumpert out, the decision to waive swingman Bill Walker and bring in center Dan Gadzuric looks to have backfired. Gadzuric was not in NBA game shape when he arrived 11 days ago, and Woodson did not play him in the first two games of the series.
With Carmelo Anthony potentially moving to power forward, Walker would have been in position for major minutes at small forward. He excelled in the first regular-season meeting against the Heat, hitting eight 3-pointers.
* With a loss tomorrow, the Knicks would set the all-time record for consecutive playoff losses at 13.