The New Orleans Hornets’ defensive anchor, center Tyson Chandler, probably won’t return to the team until after the All-Star break after severely spraining his ankle in a win over the Pacers on Monday.
Coach Byron Scott said Saturday he doesn’t expect Chandler back until possibly after the break, which ends on Feb. 17. Chandler hasn’t practiced since that game and is limping noticeably.
“I mean I got an opportunity to watch that (injury occur) over and over again and it looked pretty bad to me,” Scott said. “I’m trying to be optimistic and say after the All-Star break, but if he comes back soon, I’ll be pleasantly surprised. But right now, I’m probably looking at him being out a little while.”
Chandler was hurt when he came down with a second-quarter rebound and landed on the foot of Pacers guard T.J. Ford. He was carried off by teammates. Chandler is having a bit of a down season, averaging 8.8 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds in 32 games this season. But he remains a disruptive defensive force with his shot blocking.
The Hornets currently are in second place in the very competitive Southwest Division. Should Chandler be out until after the break, that would mean 10 games. You also might find some good betting value on WagerWeb.com against the Hornets on Monday night. They no doubt will be favored against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, but Scott also said he was unsure whether forward David West (back spasms) and backup center Hilton Armstrong (sore left knee) would be available for that game.
West was averaging 20 points and 7.1 rebounds this season, and without he and Chandler, the Hornets frankly have no inside game at all. The Hornets were able to beat New Jersey without those two Wednesday, but it showed in Friday’s loss to Minnesota. New Orleans entered that game allowing 34.1 points in the paint per game, the fewest in the league. But Minnesota had 28 in the first half alone and outscored New Orleans 20-9 in second-chance points.
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