GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Tyson Chandler won an NBA championship last year with the Dallas Mavericks, so he knows what it takes to go all the way.
So does Chandler think the addition of point guard Baron Davis is enough to help the Knicks contend in the Eastern Conference?
“I feel so,” Chandler said Monday. “I feel like we’re deep. I feel like we’re very talented, obviously well coached.
“But it’s going to be about growing this year. Talent is nothing. It’s really about just working, working, working throughout the year, never losing focus. If we do that, I feel like it will be a very special year.”
The Miami Heat, the team the Mavs beat in last year’s NBA Finals, remain the team to beat in the East, but Amar’e Stoudemire agrees the Knicks have upped their talent level with the addition of Davis, who may not be able to play until February because of herniated discs in his back.
“You got some great teams up in the East,” Stoudemire said. “Miami obviously are the Eastern Conference champions. Chicago’s right there, Boston’s still right there. We still have some work to do and we got room to improve.”
Yet Stoudemire dismissed the notion that New York now has too many stars with himself, Chandler, Davis and Carmelo Anthony.
“It’s all about chemistry,” Stoudemire said. “It’s more so about really understanding what we’re trying to accomplish. Everybody’s a non-selfish player here. We love to play together. We love to have fun.”
Davis had been known as a scoring point guard throughout his career, but said he looked forward to being a “facilitator” playing with Stoudemire and Anthony.
Still, Stoudemire doesn’t want Davis to stop being an aggressive scorer, either.
“He still can score, we don’t want to definitely limit none of his ability,” Stoudemire said. “He’s going to be that dynamic player that he always was and still is. We ‘re going to want that aggressiveness for sure.”
