Analysis: Trying to make sense of the Chandler debacle

LOS ANGELES -- Back in early January, the Hornets came into Staples Center and won because David West had 40 points and Chris Paul had 32 points and 15 assists. But more importantly, New Orleans won because it controlled the boards on Los Angeles, which leads the league in rebound average.

On Friday, in a 115-111 overtime loss (Box Score | Recap) to the Lakers, the Hornets showed how they improved on the glass since then, even though L.A. won the battle of the boards by four.

The rescinded Tyson Chandler trade put everybody on New Orleans' frontline on notice. It's time to perform, or else. If Chandler -- one of the team's most popular players -- can be traded, anybody can.

"The last couple games we stepped up, our rebounding has increased and the big fella isn't even out there yet," said Melvin Ely. "They wanted the bigs to produce and we came in tonight and even after the loss we all looked at each other and said, 'If we can play this hard every night we'll be OK.'"

When Hornets GM Jeff Bower announced to the team that Chandler would be returning, he also took the opportunity to let the rest of the New Orleans big men know that improvement was mandatory.

"Our general manager made a good point to all of our players about our bigs and where we stand and the disappointment we feel we've had being 30th in the league -- or last in the league -- I don't even want to say 30th because it's only 30 teams, in rebounding," Hornets coach Byron Scott said. "It's last."

Scott explained the trade as the Hornets needing more bodies and bigger players to attack the boards because, "the other guys weren't getting it done."

The fact of the matter is, no matter how popular in the locker room or how good of a guy Chandler is -- and he certainly is that -- his production on the glass fell off after two seasons of averaging 12.4 boards in 2006-07 and 11.7 in '07-08 to just 8.3 this year.

Three and a half fewer boards might not seem like a dramatic decrease, but that's a 29 percent decline.

Chandler, 26, is supposed to be in the prime of his career. Imagine if LeBron's scoring average suddenly dropped from 30 to 20.

Part of Chandler's struggles this season were because his 7-foot-1, 235-pound frame is fragile. The other explanation for his troubles, according to Scott, is losing his focus of what he does that makes him valuable.

"I think he came into the season thinking more about, 'I worked on my jump shot, I worked on this, I worked on that,' instead of just being who he is, which is a great effort player," Scott said. "He goes after every rebound. Those are the things that made him who he is."

But don't believe that he was sent packing just because he was shooting outside instead of boxing out.

"[The trade] was still a basketball decision, but obviously money is always going to play a little bit of a part of it," Scott said.

The "little bit" in that statement should give pause when you consider:

A.) Who the Hornets were bringing in for Chandler and B.) The fact that Oklahoma City could have waived Chandler's failed physical and brought him in anyway.

Joe Smith is 33 and in his 14th season. In NBA years, that's ancient. Chris Wilcox, like Chandler, saw his scoring dip by five and rebounds descend by 1.7 since last season.

Smith and Wilcox's combined salaries of $11.5 million come off the books this summer. Chandler is owed another $11.9 million guaranteed in 2009-10. These days you have to be surer than sure with your spending. The league's general managers have to think twice before pulling the trigger.

A few years ago, a young team like Oklahoma City might take a chance on an established vet like Chandler despite the doctor's orders and hope he stays healthy. There is no hoping anymore. Every dollar counts. Paying eight figures to a player that can't give you close to 80 games is too big a risk.

Chandler missed the last 12 games before the All-Star break with an ankle injury. An old toe injury that surfaced was the reason he didn't pass the physical.

Last season, rebounding was a strength with the Hornets, ranking 10th in rebound differential while also in the top 10 in rebounds per game. This season they're 22nd in differential and 30th in rebounds at 38.51 per game.

Their first shot at redemption after the airing out with management worked out. Their big men tugged on Superman's cape on Wednesday in a 117-85 win over the Magic, holding Dwight Howard to just eight boards and outrebounding Orlando by 11.

As much as the trade was about Chandler, the message falls on Hilton Armstrong, Sean Marks and Melvin Ely, too. Armstrong is averaging just 0.1 more boards this year despite playing four more minutes. Ely's boards are down 0.6 and Marks has gone from a decoration at the end of the bench with a funny hairdo and accent to a rotation player based solely on the fact that he's hustling to get a whopping 3.1 rebounds.

Not to throw the pride of New Zealand under the bus, but when your team is relying on Marks as one of its primary glass eaters, the notion of championship aspirations seems just a tad off the mark.

Chandler blogged about the whole ordeal on his Web site, titling his post, "It's Destiny, and That's Why I'm Back." But destiny has nothing to do with it. It's Injury. It's Salary. It's Lack of Productivity. And unless Chandler can go back to the rebounder he used to be, the Hornets will have the man they call T.C. back in teal and purple pinstripes, but they won't have any chance at the true T.C. they're gunning for -- The Championship.