One Plus One: Danny Granger & Wilson Chandler

--“One Plus One” is a compare/contrast segment of Possession Arrow. We will take one player and compare him to another established player that is already in the Association by using metric analysis.

--This week’s segment will detail the similarities between Knicks’ Wilson Chandler and the Pacers’ Danny Granger. Since Donnie Walsh is knowledgeable about the Pacers’ Danny Granger (he drafted him), he will surely see the similarities between the two.

--Quick Hits: First off, size. Granger is listed as 6’9” @ 228 lbs. Chandler @ 6’8” @ 220 lbs.

--Granger attended New Mexico and Chandler, DePaul.

--Granger’s final season @ NM, he averaged: 18.8 PPG, 2.4 APG, 8.9 RPG, 2.0 BLK, 2.1 STL, and his FG% was .524 whereas his 3PT% was .433.

--Chandler’s final season @ DP, he averaged: 14.6 PPG, 1.4 APG, 6.9 RPG, 1.4 BLK, 0.6 STL, and his FG% was .450 whereas his 3PT% was .333.

--Granger’s first season @ Indiana, he played 78 games and started 17, he averaged: 7.5 PPG, 1.2 APG, 4.9 RPG, 0.8 BLK, 0.7 STL, .462 FG%, .323 3PT%, .777 FT%, and he clocked 22.6 Minutes Per Game (“MPG”).

--Chandler’s first season @ New York, he played 35 games and started 16, he averaged: 7.3 PPG, 0.9 APG, 3.6 RPG, 0.46 BLK, 0.43 STL, .438 FG%, .300 3PT%, .630 FT% and he clocked 19.6 MPG.

--Chandler’s adjusted first season* (taking the fact that Granger averaged 22.6 MPGs, and Chandler only 19.6, that’s a +3.0 in Granger’s favor, therefore, I multiplied Chandler’s stats by 13.27%, the formula being 19.6/22.6, etc.): 8.27 PPG, 1.02 APG, 4.08 RPG, 0.52 BLK, 0.49 STL.

--Judging from their last year’s stats in College and their first year’s stat in the NBA, we can see a similar pattern. Both players did not play in Power Conferences in College, they played @ Mid-Major programs. Granger is a better shooter overall, in every aspect. He is also a better defender.

--Let’s switch gears. Granger’s second season @ Indiana, he bumped up to 13.9/1.4/4.7. Third season (this year), he busted-out and became a legitimate All-Star contender that the Indiana Pacers can build around now that Larry Bird has full-control: 18.9/2.1/6.0.

--Therefore, if Donnie Walsh follows my Open Look segment for the Knicks and gives Chandler the starting nod @ 3, then a line of: 14/2/5.5 is a benchmark to aim for, and then, hopefully, if Chandler pans out, you can see a Granger-esque third-year when they try to compete for the playoffs.