Wilson Chandler’s third season in the NBA had a pretty painful opening act; his production was down across the board, and his shooting efficiency in particular -- .405 FG% and .308 3FG% in November -- dropped off significantly from his breakout 2008-2009 campaign. A big part of that was Chandler’s gradual recovery from off-season ankle surgery, which acted as a lead weight on the foot of an athletic, open-court player.
Chandler went on to bounce back throughout the rest of the year, and actually ended up shooting a career high .479 from the field. Wilson’s ankle injuries, however, don’t appear to be behind him. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that Chandler may need to undergo a second surgery on his left ankle, this time to remove scar tissue. Mike Slane of the Knicks’ official website (via Posting and Toasting) tweeted that the surgery is a go for today, with Chandler looking at a 6-8 week recovery period. I worry for New York’s playoff chances.
Chandler should have plenty of time to recover before training camp begins, so the only reason that this particular surgery would have basketball ramifications is if his recovery is complicated and setback significantly. Otherwise, Chandler remains one of the few players under contract for next season’s Knicks, which will also include LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Christopher Walken, and the two sisters from Ace of Base.