Knicks all-time starting 5: Players who never reached playoffs in NY

SF: Wilson Chandler

The Knicks selected Wilson Chandler with the 23rd overall pick in the 2007 draft. The franchise had missed the playoffs three straight years, and they got this selection from the Bulls in a trade two years earlier. New York needed a wing with Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury as their starting backcourt, and they were hoping Chandler could fill that void.

The 6’8 forward struggled to find a role as a rookie, but he became a starter in year two where he averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 33.4 minutes per game. New York won just 32 games in their first year under Mike D’Antoni, but Chandler continued to blossom.

After three and a half seasons, the Knicks sent Chandler to Denver as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade. New York wanted to contend, and they needed a superstar to do that. One of the best scorers in the league became available, and the Knicks’ front office jumped on it.

Wilson Chandler was a productive role player for the Nuggets for six straight years after leaving the Big Apple, but his team never advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs. Still, his three career postseason appearances all came after leaving the Knicks as New York won just 84 games in his three full seasons with the team.