Tyson Chandler on how he became one of the NBA’s best screeners since joining Lakers: ‘If you want to win, you just do what’s necessary’

The way Tyson Chandler helps the Lakers win isn’t always pretty, but the types of advantages his screens create have been appreciated by his teammates, and the numbers back up his value to L.A.

Los Angeles — The best way to see how effective Tyson Chandler has been as a screener for the Lakers since joining the team in early November is to experience it for yourself.

But absent the requisite basketball ability necessary to merit getting on the court with Chandler, the closest approximation I could get was walking out of the locker room with him to talk about screens for this story.

Still, the effect of following Chandler through the bowels of Staples Center in an increasingly crowded postgame atmosphere created by the presence of LeBron James was probably the most similar a blogger can ever feel to what it’s like to be James, with Chandler’s hulking presence acting like a police escort on a crowded freeway, causing much smaller people to make business decisions to get out of the way as Chandler only briefly stopped to chat warmly and promise to catch up with Hollywood Mogul (and member of James’ inner circle) Maverick Carter.

Chandler’s work to create space for James and the rest of their Lakers teammates during games is surely a little more difficult than clearing a path through the media and assorted team employees, but as the saying goes, it’s not work when you love what you do.

“I’m just trying to do whatever I can out there, you know?” Chandler told Silver Screen and Roll. “I want to get my guy going downhill, so whatever I can do to get my guy the advantage, that’s what I try to do.”

Chandler isn’t exaggerating when he says that he’s doing whatever he can do. The 18-year veteran often seems to be using every single little trick he’s learned over his nearly two decades in the league on the same possession, smashing into players under the basket to keep them from contesting a teammate at the rim, or hammering a defender and then giving them an bonus jab of contact to create a second or two of extra space for the teammate he’s screening for.

The numbers back up what the eye test shows, as out of players in the NBA to play in 20 or more games since Chandler joined the Lakers, only five are averaging more screen assists per-36 minutes than Chandler, and only three are having their screen assists lead to more points per-36 minutes.

Chandler is only playing 20.4 minutes per game since signing in L.A., limiting his impact when looking strictly at per game averages, but in his time on the floor he’s been a brick wall with legs, creating extra feet of space that give James and other teammates a borderline unfair advantage while getting to the rack or firing up a three.

Chandler’s strategies to be that effective sometimes strain the lines of what is strictly legal under the NBA rulebook, but don’t take my word for it. Take his teammates, who seem to take a certain glee in the brutality and gamesmanship Chandler uses to free them up.

Right after Chandler joined the Lakers, veteran point guard Rajon Rondo called him “by far the best pick setter we have,” comparing Chandler to his former teammate Kevin Garnett and bragging that Chandler “set about 14 to 18 screens” in one of his first games with the team before adding “and maybe 12 were illegal.”

Kyle Kuzma has been similarly pleased by the way Chandler tries to get him and their other teammates open by any means necessary.

“It’s great with Tyson because he’s one of the best screeners in the NBA. He fouls a lot though,” Kuzma said with a laugh. “But hey, he gets me open so I love it.”

When told of Kuzma and Rondo’s comments, Tyson lets out a hearty laugh, but like the true veteran he is, he wasn’t going to directly confirm or deny his tactics.

“We’re not gonna talk about that. I don’t need no eyes on me,” Chandler said.

Chandler had just hit me with the verbal version of one of his screens, and like a hapless defender whose teammate didn’t call out that Chandler was about to slam me from the right, I had to try and figure out a way through.

Okay, so would you compare your screening to Kevin Garnett?

”I think KG is a perfect example of as a basketball player if you want to win, you just do what’s necessary, and that’s kind of been my case,” Chandler said with a smile.

Doing whatever is necessary is Chandler’s role on a Lakers team that already has the best player of all time in James to go with plenty of other scoring options. Those players need space to operate, space that Chandler is delighted to create. He says his current role is a bookend of sorts for his career, as earlier on he was used to set more screens, and now he is again towards the tail end of his time in the NBA.

It’s not always the traditional definition of pretty, but there is still a certain art to Chandler’s ruthlessness. But he’s not concerned about style points.

“I’m just trying to win,” Chandler said.

Chandler’s screen setting may not show up in traditional box scores, but with advanced numbers to back up its value and my own postgame experience to speak to now, I can confirm it’s making things a lot easier on everyone who gets to take advantage of it.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. All stats per NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.