Chandler Parsons Living Up to Huge Contract and Expectations, Sometimes

When it comes to sports, people jump to preemptive conclusions all the time. Chandler Parsons, who signed with the Dallas Mavericks for more than $45 million last summer, has been on the receiving end of a lot of hasty judgement.

Those who collect big pay checks are always targets for more scrutiny than an average NBA player. Parsons, 26, has gone through an extended shooting slump, which might have gone unnoticed had he still been a member of the Houston Rockets.

The 6'9" forward was the firm third fiddle with the Rockets. The hierarchy isn't as defined in Dallas' offense, which makes it hard to set out reasonable expectations. 

He has certainly had some terrible games as a Maverick, but early signs would suggest Parsons will be just fine moving forward.

Offensive Role

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Parsons was in a terrible shooting slump in early November, failing to crack 40 percent from the field during four consecutive games. He certainly didn't hang his head because of that.

“Law of averages, I’m not going to continue to shoot the ball this poorly throughout an 82-game [season], but it’s definitely frustrating. I’ve just got to continue to shoot the ball,” Parsons said, according to ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon.

During that stretch, a lot of the shots Parsons took were generally good looks. It appeared as though he lacked a little confidence when shooting, which hasn't been the case lately. Perhaps he was simply too eager to perform and prove his value.

He has connected on around 48 percent of his attempts from the field over the last three games, which have all been blowouts. Parsons has also been a menace to opponents in other facets of the game, especially passing the ball.

His assist numbers are a little down from last year, but he doesn't play as many minutes as he did in Houston and is still settling into his role.

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The numbers will balance themselves out. What has been particularly encouraging is how well Parsons has fit into head coach Rick Carlisle's offensive system.

Dallas was already one of the best offensive teams in the league last season. With Parsons replacing Shawn Marion, most expected them to be even better this year. Even though he hasn't shot the ball well so far, his versatile presence has helped in meeting those expectations.

If you look around the league, there are very few 6'9" guys who can play both forward positions, shoot from deep, pass and put the ball on the floor. Parsons embodies all those qualities, which is why his market value was so high last summer.

Parsons has struggled guarding bulky guys when playing power forward, and Carlisle has opted for bigger lineups with Brandan Wright at the 4 position lately. It will be interesting to see how much small ball the Mavs play this season, but having the option of bumping Parsons into Dirk Nowitzki's spot is obviously a luxury.

The Mavericks get their looks by attacking the basket and making the extra pass, two things Parsons has excelled at. He has one of the best pump fakes in the league, with which he constantly burns defenders. Take a look at this play:

As seen in the play above, the Mavs simply penetrate the lane, kick out to the open shooter and proceed from there. Most perimeter players on the team can drive, which means they punish defenders who close out too hard. That's exactly what happened on that particular play, as Parsons got to the free-throw line.

Having a wing who can shoot and get to the rim has added another dimension to Dallas' offense, which is by far the best in the league so far at 115.5 points per 100 possessions.

When the Mavs don't attack with waves of penetration, Nowitzki constantly draws double-teams in the post. Parsons, along with just about every single Maverick so far, is great at swiftly moving the ball along the perimeter to beat defensive rotations. 

Other than simply moving the ball in a timely manner, Parsons sees the floor well. Take a look at this nugget of a pass:

Parsons instantly finds his cutting teammate below the basket and hits him with a perfect bullet pass.

Other than simply driving and kicking the ball out to the perimeter, he has shown an ability to compromise defenses with excellent vision.

The looks Parsons has been getting have been great. He will start making them at a more consistent clip eventually, which will be bad news for the rest of the league.

Defense

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Few people genuinely expected Parsons to competently fill the departed Marion's defensive role. The void was simply too big to fill. The mystery was rather how much of a drop-off the perimeter defense would suffer.

So far, Parsons' defense has been somewhat inconsistent. Let's start with the good. Here are two interesting plays:

In the first clip, Parsons does everything well. He sticks to his man in the beginning, pesters Minnesota Timberwolves' Nikola Pekovic with a double-team and then recovers to his man. He closes out a little too hard, but manages to run his guy off the spot and switches.

Parsons has mostly done a decent job when it comes to one-on-one defense and containing his man in pick-and-rolls. He is long and quick, which are positive physical attributes for his position. Parsons is good at fighting over picks and closing the distance to his man.

In the second play, he slides his feet effectively and forces a tough shot, as Boston Celtics' Jeff Green goes away from the screen. 

It's not all positive though. Most Mavericks have been guilty of over-helping early on in the season. Parsons often tries to cheat off his man to provide weak-side help. He has a tendency to stray off too far from his assignment, which leads to open shots around the perimeter.

Giving up a layup is against Carlisle's philosophy, but Parsons sometimes helps even when there is no need for it. Dallas' defense as a whole is a work in progress, and this aspect should get better when the players are more accustomed to each other.

Parsons tries hard defensively but occasionally loses concentration completely. Take a look at this play:

Playing a couple of seasons with James Harden might have rubbed off a little.

In the play, Parsons does an excellent impersonation of his former teammate. He isn't guarding anyone, doesn't help on the baseline drive, ignores his cutting man and is just rooted in place.

Before the season tipped off, Parsons told media he is dialed in on defense. While he still has his flaws, he has mostly followed through on that promise.

A lot of the Mavs' defensive issues are due to bad communication, which should improve. As long as Parsons continues to put in the effort on both ends of the floor and avoids blunders like the one above, he will be a decent wing defender.

Closing Thoughts

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Fans always want immediate results, so it's not surprising Parsons' somewhat rocky start as a Maverick has worried people. 

He might not be shooting the ball very well so far, but it's actually admirable how well he has fit in. Dallas went through a huge roster turnover, which makes it all the more surprising that everything is seemingly clicking.

The salary cap is projected to skyrocket within the next couple of seasons. Parsons might not have convinced everyone of his value just yet, but in a year or two his deal could potentially look like a steal. 

All statistics are courtesy of NBA.com, unless otherwise noted.

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