NEW YORK — Count Tyson Chandler among those who wants to see Marcus Camby come back for the Knicks today against the Lakers.
“Absolutely,” Chandler said Sunday after the team beat the Wolves before it headed out on a three-game West Coast swing. “We need him. We need him right now. We’re short bigs and I could use him.”
The 6-11 Camby has missed 12 games with what the team is calling a “sore left foot,” but has been reported as plantar fasciitis.
He probably won’t be able to give the Knicks much today, but if he’s able to contribute some meaningful minutes going forward it could give Chandler a break at the center position.
Meantime, Chandler, a native of Compton, Calif., is excited about spending Christmas in Los Angeles, where his wife and other family members are.
“I’m just excited to spend Christmas with my family,” he said. “It’s been about 12 years since I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with my family, and be able to see my grandparents. Looking forward to that.”
Asked his thoughts on the new-look Lakers featuring Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, who have won four in a row under former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, Chandler said: “They’ll be different. I watched them against Golden State. Looks like they’re trying to go to a smaller lineup, two bigs, speed the tempo.
“But like I’ve said before, it’s about what we do. No matter who we face…we gotta make sure that we play our game.”
