Suns Squared: Tyson Chandler Crashing the Glass
Tyson Chandler has always rebounded well, with a career 9.4 rebounds per game, but he is cleaning the glass especially well of late and this season in general.
Chandler is currently averaging 12.2 rebounds per game, which if he continues would be the second best number of his career behind his 6th season (06-07) where he averaged 12.4 RPG for New Orleans.
That average are pretty impressive given Chandler’s age. Most players start to decline as they reach their mid-30s but it seems that Chandler is having a resurgence. In fact, if Chandler can maintain the 12 RPG number through the season he will become only the 7th player to average 12 RPG in a season where they were 34 or older. The first player to do it in almost 20 years as well.
The company Chandler would join is a litany of Hall of Fame big men.
Player |
Age
Season
RPG
Bill Russell
34
68-69
19.3
Wilt Chamberlain
35
71-72
19.2
Wilt Chamberlain
36
72-73
18.6
Wilt Chamberlain
34
70-71
18.2
Dennis Rodman
36
97-98
15.0
Dennis Rodman
34
95-96
14.9
Dikembe Mutombo
34
00-01
13.5
Robert Parish
35
88-89
12.5
Charles Barkley
35
98-99
12.3
Tyson Chandler
34
16-17
12.2
Chandler also has 12 games this year of 15 or more rebounds which is another rather impressive accomplishment for someone of his age. Although pulling those off is more common than averaging 12+ RPG for a season, it is still rather impressive and the company around Chandler is great. If Chandler has 3 more games of 15 or more rebounds, he will jump into the top-ten of 15+ rebound games in a season for someone 34 or older.
The most impressive part of Chandler’s attack of the glass is his current streak of 6 games in a row with 15 or more rebounds. Chandler has done this before, in the 06-07 season where he grabbed 15+ in 6 straight games in February of 2007. Since then only 6 players have managed a streak of greater length:
| Player | Season | Age | Streak |
DeAndre Jordan |
2014-2015
26
10
Anderson Varejao
2012-2013
30
10
Kevin Love
2010-2011
22
10
Andre Drummond
2015-2016
22
9
Kris Humphries
2010-2011
25
7
Dwight Howard
2010-2011
25
7
This list again puts Chandler in good company although not as legendary as the previous measures. However, Chandler is also the oldest to have a streak of this length and Varejao is the only other player to be 30 to do it. When you expand the search to look at streaks of this nature over the last 20 years, you only add Ben Wallace (2001 and 2003), Dennis Rodman (1996-1997), and Dikembe Mutombo (1999 and 00-01) to the list. Both Rodman and Mutombo were in their 30s when they had their streaks.
Overall, Chandler’s current streak is extremely impressive even when you put a historical context on it as only legends like Rodman and Mutombo were able to rebound so proficiently so late into their careers. Hopefully, Chandler can continue to add to the streak tonight against the Knicks.