NBA Dallas Mavericks

Chandler Parsons Can Become a Superstar With Dallas Mavericks

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By @DSchultz89

Chandler Parsons NBA Mavericks

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Chandler Parsons signed a three-year, $46 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason after the team he spent three seasons with, the Houston Rockets, declined to match this offer sheet and instead let him walk to their bitter in-state rivals.

Parsons was apparently not too pleased after his former teammate, James Harden, was quoted as saying:

“Dwight [Howard] and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets. The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team. We’ve lost some pieces and added some pieces. I think we’ll be fine next season.”

Upon hearing Harden’s remarks, Parsons responded:

“That’s a pretty ridiculous statement if he meant that. That’s one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Dallas. I’m ready for the next step. I’m ready for a bigger role and I’m ready for more leadership. If anyone should understand that, it should be James because he was in the same situation in Oklahoma City then he got his chance to come to Houston and shine.”

While Parsons later said there was no bad blood between him and Harden, it is clear that he thinks very highly of himself and believes he can become a true superstar in this league. This is great if you are a Mavericks fan, because this is exactly what you want to hear from one of the biggest pieces on your roster.

So how can Parsons become a superstar in this league?

In Houston, he really flourished as a spot-up shooter who did his best operating off pick and pops and double-teams on Howard. He shot very well from the three-point range during his time with the Rockets and also showed a great amount of confidence in his shooting abilities as his career progressed with them. With the “spotting up” aspect of his game already covered, Parsons needs to improve how he angles his body after shot fakes so he can get to the rim once his defender bites. One underrated part of his game is his passing ability, where he averaged 4.0 APG for the Rockets last year. Being that he is 6-foot-9 and a threat to score around the rim, this means defenses will commit if he beats his man with a pump fake or straight off the dribble. He already has the reputation as a fearless shooter, but if he could develop a superb pump fake like the ones we see from Louis Williams and Manu Ginobili, this will make him a really special player.

Also, given his height and his athleticism, I would like to see him up his rebounding average to at least 7.0 RPG from the 5.5 he averaged last season. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, they cannot expect center Tyson Chandler to remain healthy for an entire season, which will probably mean a lot of small-ball lineups that push Parsons to being a “stretch four” in their offensive sets. This means that Parsons needs to be ready to bang in the post for rebounds, or else the Mavericks could risk getting killed on the offensive glass.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Parsons must also drastically improve on defense. His weak-side help is actually quite good, where he can sometimes come up with a steal or block when the opposition is not expecting it. His lateral quickness, especially on the perimeter, needs attention considering he is simply not as aggressive as he should be in terms of staying in front of his man. He has the talent to get up at the rim on offense as well as push the offensive break, but I would like to see some quick-footed, intense lock-down defense on the perimeter from him this coming season.

Can he become a superstar in the NBA? I think so. He clearly has the drive and work ethic to prove his doubters wrong and show everyone that he is worthy of the max contract he received this summer. He is already a gifted offensive player who will only get better as he adds different tools to his game. If he can concentrate on his defense this season, I think he could make the leap to stardom.

The Mavericks are hoping for big things from Parsons, and it will be fascinating to watch his maturation into a special player in this league with his new team.

Dan Schultz is an NBA sports writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @dschultz89. “Like” him on Facebook and add him on Google.

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