23. Tyson Chandler
Tyson Chandler transformed the culture of the New York Knicks. Mike Woodson is obscenely underrated for doing the same, but Chandler helped the Knicks go from a run-and-gun team with no defense to one of the best defensive squads in the Eastern Conference.
The icing on the cake was the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2012.
Chandler only spent three seasons with the Knicks, but his impact was immense. He won Defensive Player of the Year, made All-NBA and All-Defense, was an All-Star and led the league in field goal percentage.
More importantly, he facilitated the Knicks becoming relevant again.
In his first year with the team, 2011-12, he helped New York win a playoff game for the first time in over a decade. In his second, 2012-13, the Knicks won 54 games—its highest total since 1997.
Chandler’s tenure was brief, but in his first two seasons with the team, he changed the Knicks for the better.
Next: The Immediate Standout