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Philadelphia 76ers: 3 goals for Wilson Chandler in 2018-19

By Jerran Anderson

DENVER, CO - APRIL 9: Wilson Chandler (21) of the Denver Nuggets stands for the national anthem before the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, April 9, 2018. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 9: Wilson Chandler (21) of the Denver Nuggets stands for the national anthem before the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, April 9, 2018. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images /

2. Emerge as a reliable wing defender

Wilson Chandler is approaching the tail-end of his career and will be 31 years of age by the end of the 2018-19 season. He hasn’t shown it in the past couple seasons, but he has the ability to defend at a high level. At one point, he led the charge for the Nuggets back when they made the 2013 NBA Playoffs.

During the 2012-13 season, Chandler finished with a defensive rating of 100.1. In victories, he posted a defensive rating of 99.0 with a net rating of +12.4 on average. It was a season in which he appeared in just 43 contests, but the team posted a record of 33-10 with him in the rotation. The Nuggets finished with a 57-25 record that season, third in the Western Conference.

With different players around him in Philadelphia, his approach to each game is sure to change. Chandler will have Joel Embiid in the paint and Ben Simmons developing around the perimeter as a defender in 2018-19. He has the green light to defend like he once did in his prime seasons with the Nuggets. It should be added motivation for him now that he’s on a playoff team like the Philadelphia 76ers.