D HOWARD (11-12):
DefRtg 99.3 (Defensive Rating: points allowed per 100 possessions)
FG% 58%
TS% 57.2% (shooting % adjusted for value of FTs and 3-pointers)
Usg% 26.1% (% of plays used by player)

T CHANDLER (11-12):
DefRtg 97.1
FG% 68%
TS% 70.1%
Usg% 12.8%

For all of Howard's defensive renown, Chandler is the better defender. Tyson's Defensive Rating is more than 2 points better than Howard's (per NBA.com). And we have all witnessed Tyson guarding EVERY PLAYER on the floor, 1-5. Howard can only dream of doing that. Yes, Howard defends the paint very well, but so does Chandler.... and there's more to defense than that, as Tyson has shown many, many times (and as the numbers show).

But where Howard supposedly really shines compared to Chandler is on offense, we hear. This is true if you only look at the raw totals... But Howard scores more because he gets the ball much more often. Howard's Usage% is 26.1%, while Chandler's is 12.8%.

But Tyson is MUCH more efficient scoring points. Not only is his straight FG% a full 10 points higher than Howard's, his TS% is RIDICULOUSLY better. Howard's TS% is 57.2%, while Chandler's is 70.1%. Hello!?!!

Btw: Howard is one of the few guys EVER whose TS% actually goes DOWN once you factor in his FTs. (Crazy, that.) You can't just hand-wave Dwight's ridiculously bad FT shooting away. It matters, a lot.

It's important to appreciate what all these numbers really mean. Some may argue: "Well, Dwight will get you 20 and 10." That's true (unless he's guarded by somebody like Tyson, who held Howard's scoring to 8, 12, & 8 in their three meetings this season), but the only numbers that really matter in a game are the point totals at the end. The points Chandler does not score compared to Howard are not lost in space. Those points still get on the board, because other players take those shots. The important thing in a game is efficiency (measured well by a player's TS%). The goal of a team is to always maximize efficiency on offense, and Chandler's offensive efficiency puts Howard's to shame.

In fact, Howard, at 57.2% TS%, is just a little better than the average center this season (53.6%, per Hoopdata)... and worse than quite a few other guys at his position who don't have his rep on offense, like: Pekovic 61.1%, Gortat 58.5%, DeAndre Jordan 63.3%, Horford 58.5%.

And if all that doesn't matter to you, here's something that should: Tyson has a ring. By ALL accounts, he was a key factor in the Mavs' success last year, their defensive anchor. He's smart, and he's a terrific locker room guy, a team player of the highest caliber, at all levels. Howard, on the other hand, is a childish, petulant fool. On that, I think we can agree.

Can Howard change, and somehow pull his team to a championship one day? It's possible. But all signs right now point in the opposite direction.

Fuck Howard. Give me Tyson Chandler, please.