Podcast: What does signing Tyson Chandler mean for Luke Walton?

On yesterday’s Locked on Lakers, I previewed Tyson Chandler from an individual and team perspective. As he’s finally officially signed, it’s worth digging even deeper into what this might mean for the entire Los Angeles Lakers organization, starting with head coach Luke Walton.

To start the show, Pete and I discuss the Chandler addition, and most specifically what he does for a defense that desperately needs a second-string center who won’t be a disaster whenever JaVale McGee subs out of the game. I can confidently say that Tyson Chandler won’t be a disaster whenever JaVale McGee subs out of the game.

Chandler also provides a hint into the style of play that the Lakers will probably have to employ, but Pete and I get into that more specifically over the course of the show. In general, though, if the hope is to be mostly solid defensively, Chandler can help with that.

In regards to Walton, roster construction was always the top thing those who didn’t think he should be fired could point to as a means to ask what exactly the front office expected given the team they gave him.

Now, with Chandler there, that gaping hole in the rotation has been filled with a competent NBA player. If the defense continues to suffer, or the Lakers in general continue to disappoint in the eyes of the front office, Walton can’t refute their annoyances with a mirror. The Lakers have to start producing wins, and now that the roster makes a lot more sense, they have no more excuses.

As always, this is just a tidbit of the full context given in the shows. Listen to the full discussion below and please check out old episodes, or guarantee you won’t miss any ever again by subscribing to either “The Silver Screen and Roll Podcast” or “Locked on Lakers” on iTunes.