Chandler gives Bobcats a strong voice in the middle

Emeka Okafor was a lot of things for the Charlotte Bobcats; rugged and durable, strong as Hercules, remarkably smart.

But never would you call him loquacious. Somewhat introverted, he was this team's quiet man, both on and off the court. And that might be the defining difference between Okafor and the center replacing him, Tyson Chandler.

Call him "Chatterbox" Chandler.

"It's my nature - I'm vocal, I'm going to speak out," said Chandler, who was traded from New Orleans to Charlotte, in exchange for Okafor.

"I feel like (by being vocal and candid), it's going to make everybody gel. I think with me, it's always constructive criticism, but I have a passion for the game and wanting to win."

Not that Okafor lacked passion for winning; he won a national championship at Connecticut.

But he was so circumspect, coaches and teammates sometimes wondered just how he felt. That limited his ability to lead and sometimes was a hindrance on the court, particularly when it came to warning teammates they were about to be screened.

Shooting guard Raja Bell was clobbered by one of those screens last season against the Utah Jazz.

"I'm not throwing Emeka under the bus, but there were a lot of times where he and I had some conversations" about speaking up more, Bell recalled.

"It definitely helps if you have someone who can quarterback (the defense from the center position) because he's the only one who can see the whole floor from under the basket. For him to give us an audio of what's going on, when you can't see it (coming), helps tremendously."

It's natural that Bobcats coach Larry Brown would be attracted to an extrovert like Chandler. Brown is a teacher and a kibitzer; he can spend a half-hour discussing the precise angle at which a certain screen should be set or which pivot foot to establish.

So these two hit it off fast.

"This is going on my ninth year (in the NBA), and he's already teaching me things I never learned," Chandler said

"I'd catch the ball and just drive. He'll stop me when I'm running around the lane and say, 'Hey, establish a pivot foot, so you can drive off that. And when you finish, use your fingertips.'

"I'll do something (sloppy) that still makes the shot and he'll say, 'No! No! No! Do it the right way every time.'"

The student can also teach. Chandler considers himself somewhat expert at low-post defense. He expects to share that knowledge.

"I wouldn't be doing Raymond (Felton) any favors if I wasn't telling him about something he's doing wrong defensively," Chandler described. "And Raymond wouldn't be doing me any favors (by not speaking up when) I'm letting Amare (Stoudemire) or Dwight (Howard) go for 30 on me and I'm playing lazy.

"It's about holding each other accountable to win. That's the ultimate goal and that's what I'm trying to bring here."

He brings other things, many of them different from what Okafor offered. Brown says Chandler isn't as physically strong as Okafor, but he'll play more above the rim and outside the lane.

"He'll extend out (away from the lane) at the defensive end more than maybe Emeka was comfortable doing," Brown said. "The fact that he plays more than one position (center and power forward) gives us the depth we desperately need."

That need is also a value. Center Nazr Mohammed, who has played for Brown in Philadelphia and Charlotte, says the trait Brown values most is versatility.

For all the good work Okafor did here the first five seasons, versatility wasn't his strength. So this change wasn't that surprising.

It's not about better-or-worse, it's about different. Chandler will post up less but catch more lob passes for dunks. He'll be more comfortable in the high screen-and-roll than Okafor was, which Bell says should open driving lanes for Felton and Gerald Wallace.

And the guy's willingness to say what he thinks is apparent.

"This was a team that was on the bubble, a few games out of the playoffs," Chandler described. "I feel I can get this team over that hump and into the playoffs."

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