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Dwight Howard Says Chandler Parsons' Exit from Rockets 'Won't Affect Us at All'
July 18, 2014
He may sound like a bitter ex, but there's actually a lot of truth to Dwight Howard's recent comments on the loss of Chandler Parsons.
Speaking to the media, Howard said, "It won't affect us at all," when asked about Parsons no longer being with the Houston Rockets.
Parsons had his team option declined by Houston at the start of free agency, when the Rockets were doing all they could to make space for Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh.
While their attempts to land either of those big stars were floundering, Parsons signed a three-year offer sheet worth $46 million with the Dallas Mavericks.
After Houston declined to match the offer, Parsons shared his frustration with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:
Honestly, I was offended by the whole process. They publicly said that they were going out looking for a third star when I thought they had one right in front of them. I guess that's just how they viewed me as a player. I don't think I've scratched the surface of where I can be as a player and I think I'm ready for that role.
Parsons may still have an upside, but he's not as young as you think. At 25, Parsons is just three years younger than Trevor Ariza, whom Houston signed as his replacement.
And one could argue that Ariza is actually an upgrade at small forward. The offensive numbers of the two wings are similar, but Ariza was the better outside shooter and perimeter defender in 2013-14.
| Chandler Parsons vs. Trevor Ariza | ||||||||
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | 3P% | ORtg | DRtg | PER | |
| Chandler Parsons | 16.6 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 37.0 | 114 | 108 | 15.9 |
| Trevor Ariza | 14.4 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 40.7 | 113 | 104 | 15.8 |
| Basketball-Reference.com | ||||||||
Howard shared his thoughts with reporters on the addition of Ariza, saying:
He'll go through a wall for you. Just to have soldiers on your team like that is great. We have that one-two punch with me and James. We're filling out our roster with guys who are willing to go through that wall and doing whatever it takes to win.
Combine that with what Howard calls the "best center and the best two guard in the game," and you have the makings of a very solid team.
As always, it will be tough to compete in the Western Conference, but losing Parsons won't knock the Rockets out of the picture.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him at @AndrewDBailey.