The Importance of Being Wilson

This season, Knicks fans and people around the league have discovered a fresh, young talent with electrifying potential. Wil's an explosive athlete, his shot is coming along, and he's matched up capably with big-name offensive threats. We love Wilson, and he'l probably be in the running for Most Improved come springtime. Now, I'm here to tell you that Chandler's success may have even more significance than it seems. Using my revolutionary Scoring Comparison Of Wins and Losses! (SCOWL!, and yes the exclamation point is mandatory) statistic, I've uncovered some telling numbers behind Wilson's performance this season. Let's check some numbers. Using NBA.com's player card, I've determined the following:

- The Knicks (a 13-20 team) are 10-6 when Chandler (14.6 ppg) scores 15 or more points.

- Chandler shoots .521 (.450 from three) in wins and .355 (.230 from three) in losses.

- Chandler averages 18.2 points per win and 12.3 points per loss. That's a SCOWL! stat of +5.9 points.

Now, it seems like a given that players providing above-average output would translate to team wins, but look at the SCOWL! numbers for other key Knicks:

Chris Duhon: -0.7

David Lee: +0.2

Al Harrington: +4.5

Nate Robinson: -0.5

Quentin Richardson: -0.7

Stephon Marbury: 0.0 (just kidding)

So, with the exception of Al Harrington, the main Knicks average about the same in wins and losses. I know this is crude, and I guarantee that there's an intelligent statistic out there that better describes this phenomenon, but I dig the simplicity. My point is that, to the naked eye, Wilson Chandler's output has been in sync with team success. Indeed, the team has fared better on Wilson's hot scoring nights, and his point production appears to correspond more with winning than any other meaningful Knick's. I hereby declare that Wilson Chandler is the lynchpin of New York's success. Rack them points up, Wil.