Chandler also made 72% of his shots near the rim last year, which is a significant improvement on the Knicks' low-post game: In last season's first-round playoff defeat to the Boston Celtics, the team took 17 shots while posting up near the basket and made just two of them.

WSJ: Knicks Targeting Another Big Name: Tyson Chandler

If one ignored the fortunes of South-East Asia's basket cases, with their messy democracies and puny stockmarkets, there were reasons for optimism all round.

ECONOMIST: Asia’s rollercoaster rides | The