Dallas Mavericks Are Relying on Chandler Parsons More Than Ever

While Chandler Parsons embraced a virtual front-office role as the Dallas Mavericks' lead recruiter in free agency this summer, his responsibilities on the court are set to be amplified as well.

With the Mavs replacing a ball-dominant 2-guard in Monta Ellis with less of a playmaker in Wesley Matthews, it's clear that Parsons will have to dominate more possessions moving forward.

Dirk Nowitzki is also not getting any younger, either. Dallas can't run the majority of its offense through the German next year, although his skill set remains an essential crutch in head coach Rick Carlisle's free-flowing system.

Parsons had a slow start and went through a shooting slump early in 2014-15, but his importance to the Mavs offense remained indispensable. There are very few small forwards in the league who embody the shooting, driving and passing expertise in one package. Parsons is one of those guys, and he will be frequently featured as the primary offensive option next season.

Adjusting to a New Role

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With Ellis running the show last season, Parsons rarely had a chance to create offense from scratch. Ellis or another guard usually ran a pick-and-roll, Tyson Chandler sucked in defenders with his rolls to the rim and the ball would then be kicked out to the perimeter if the initial action was repressed.

That's when Parsons would get the ball and either shoot, pump fake and drive or run a secondary pick-and-roll action on the wing. At that point, the defense would generally be distorted enough for Parsons to either finish himself or use his excellent vision to find Dallas' athletic bigs with lobs or shooters spotting up on the perimeter.

Parsons sees the floor very well, and he doesn't necessarily need to drive into the teeth of a defense to make a play. Here he simply dishes a bullet pass to Devin Harris in the corner, after an Ellis-Brandan Wright pick-and-roll forces opposing defenders to collapse in the paint:

Whenever Parsons had a chance to initiate the offense, he also had a lot of success. Take a look at this play:

Parsons uses the Chandler screen very well, exploding to the rim. He draws the attention of all five San Antonio Spurs defenders, freezes Tim Duncan with a nifty in-and-out dribble and finishes with a rim-rattling dunk. Even if the Spurs had prevented the rim attack, Parsons had plenty of passing options out of just one simple high pick-and-roll. Chasing a guy of Parsons' speed and strength off a high pick is a tall task.

The positive eye test was also reflected in the statistical department. Among players who logged at least 150 possessions as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, Parsons ranked fifth in the league in points per possession, per NBA.com.

Out of the top 18 players in this category, Parsons was the lone forward. Unfortunately, he spent just 18.3 percent of his offensive possessions as the finisher in pick-and-rolls, the second-lowest mark among those players.

The fact that Dallas snatched up Deron Williams will alleviate some of the pressure on Parsons. Even though Williams' last couple of seasons haven't been pretty, he's still more than capable of running an NBA offense, especially with talented players around him. He's a good playmaker, but also a cleaner fit next to a small forward who needs the ball in his hands.

While Ellis was a more explosive scorer, Williams' shooting stroke will allow him to let Parsons run the show while spotting up from beyond the arc, as Bobby Karalla of Mavs.com described:

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It’s also important, in the Mavs’ case, to find a point guard who not only can run an offense himself, but also complement Parsons well. After all, the small forward is in line for an expanded offensive role this season. Williams fits the bill in that respect, too, as he shot a blistering 42.2 percent on catch-and-shoot threes last season, per NBA.com.

While Parsons knifes his way through the lane in his own pick-and-roll, Williams will act as a threat on the perimeter which will command defensive attention.

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Williams will undoubtedly have an easier time creating looks for himself within a well-spaced offense, but he'll also be able to enjoy open looks created by others.

In reality, Parsons won't have to change his role as much as he'll have to redistribute his touches. He'll still be a reliable secondary attacker when needed but also enjoy a healthier dose of the ball-handling duties.

Without Ellis, Dallas won't necessarily have a high-level self-sufficient scorer on the court—a player who can create something out of nothing when the offense gets stagnant. Both Williams and Parsons can create looks off the dribble, but it remains to be seen whether they can fill Monta's shoes when the Mavs need a big shot.

Part of the Future

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Dallas went out and signed Parsons last summer purely for on-court purposes. With Shawn Marion leaving, it needed a younger, more versatile wing to fill the void. The fact that Parsons has become so involved within the franchise is simply a welcomed bonus.

Parsons certainly worked overtime in free agency, being at the forefront of the Mavs' pitches to free agents. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, he reportedly dined five nights in a row with DeAndre Jordan and managed to get the center to commit to Dallas.

It wasn't really Parsons' fault that Jordan got cold feet, but the fact that he even managed to convince such a conflicted individual in the first place is a testament to his recruiting skills.

Parsons played a big part in the Wesley Matthews signing, and he also greatly assisted the Houston Rockets in landing Dwight Howard. The fact that he enjoys the process of recruitment will be of great help to Dallas moving forward. Even when the Mavs struck out on Jordan, Parsons remained positive, and he clearly envisions a long-term future with the organization:

"I think this is my team," Parsons said, according to MacMahon. "I think we have the best owner. We’ll get over this. We’ll move forward. If we struggle next year, so be it, but we will bounce back, and we have a lot of hungry guys that we’ve signed."

With the relationships Parsons has managed to forge in Dallas and around the league, his value already transcends the versatile offensive skill set on the court. He may not be a legitimate superstar, but he should be one of the franchise's primary faces for years to come.

You can follow me on Twitter: @VytisLasaitis.