Mavericks: Tyson Chandler is back and making a massive impact

The Dallas Mavericks needed a defensive anchor back in 2010, so they traded for Tyson Chandler. The seven-footer was a starter and key piece of their 2011 championship team. His locker room presence and communication endeared him to teammates with his on-court production being massive.

The Mavs traded Chandler to New York after just one season only to re-acquire him in 2014. After just one more season in Dallas, he signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns. Chandler is beloved by MFFL’s despite only spending two total seasons with the Mavericks.

The 38-year-old is not done impacting the franchise. Fans saw him working with the team at the first practice of training camp. Despite Chandler not being an official assistant coach, he is already making a seismic impact. Let us take a closer look at the latest.

Tyson Chandler is back with Dallas Mavericks and making a massive impact

Dwain Price of Mavs.com interviewed Chandler for a fantastic piece that ran on his impacts. The seven-footer notes that he wants to help the team, and his ability to do so is clear. Multiple players mentioned Chandler and his presence during the Mavericks media day on Sept. 27. He has worked closely with Moses Brown and the rest of the big men on improving their games.

Head coach Jason Kidd had this to say about Tyson Chandler following the team’s first practice of training camp on Sept. 28.

"When you talk about Tyson and his presence, I think we all will start with his voice. He’s a great communicator…He wanted to see if he liked it, and he loves it. Sometimes, we tease him that maybe we should look at a 10-day. He’s in great shape. I think what Tyson brings is just who he is, and for people who’ve been around him, he’s always been a giver, always willing to help. When he was a teammate of mine, he was always there to protect, so that’s who he is. He is in there trying to pass on what he’s learned coming out of high school. He hasn’t changed. We are lucky to have someone like that who can help."

Kidd also noted the Chandler and J.J. Barea are both part of the Mavs Legends program that owner Mark Cuban created to allow former players the chance to work with the team. The program is already a success with the impact Chandler is making.

The newest unofficial coach could play a key role in Dallas improving their defense and reaching their goals this season. They want to make a significant improvement on that end of the floor, and Dallas finished 15th in field goal percentage allowed at the rim last season. Chandler's knowledge of how to protect the rim and lockdown the paint could be massive in the Mavs growth.

It will be interesting to see how much Tyson Chandler is around the team this season. Hopefully, the Dallas Mavericks can keep him active because his impact could be impossible to measure.