Chandler Parsons gives Mavericks new weapon

Guest Post By Adam Johnson

As the Houston Rockets declined to match a reported three-year $46 million dollar offer from the Dallas Mavericks, Chandler Parsons joins a team that is looking to win now as the window closes on Dirk Nowitzki‘s hall-of-fame career. But what does Parsons bring to the table for Dallas?

Parsons played in one of fastest paced systems last season with the Rockets (98.8). Dallas will need a player that’s able to play a more uptempo style that can run the floor as the Mavericks’ pace ranked 17th (95.7) in the Association. Sure, three possessions might not make a difference on paper, but multiply that by 82 games and you can understand why pace is important for a team to succeed.

While some Mavs fans are frustrated with the departure of Vince Carter, fans are not ready to give up the swingman’s three-point shooting ability along with his ‘clutch’ gene. Comparatively however, Parsons and Carter are strikingly similar as deep threats.

The league is ever evolving with the stretch-four being the new hot trend for teams to succeed. Last year, Carter shot 39.4 percent from three-point range, compared to Parsons 37 percent from deep. They made and attempted numbers are nearly identical to one another thus inconsequential (Carter, 1.8 – 4.6, Parsons, 1.8 – 4.7). The case can be made the deep threat is improving with Parsons ability to stretch the floor as opposed to Carter.

Parsons shoots over 57 percent near the basket whereas Carter’s age has limited his ability to finish strong inside, only 46 percent. (Parsons, left and Carter, right shot charts below)

Chandler Parsons Shot Chart

Vince Carter Shot Chart

The Mavericks tied Miami for second-best Efficiency Offensive Rating (109), a number which should improve with the addition of Parsons in the lineup. He’ll provide a kickstart on offense that will help the likes of Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki drop the occasional three-point shot as well when Parsons decides to throw out the assist (averaged four assists per game last season)

Along with his ability to pass as a big man, Parsons can rebound as well, averaging just over five boards a game for the Rockets last season. The Mavericks were the fifth-worst rebounding team last season in the NBA so it stands with Parsons (along with Tyson Chandler), Dallas should show significant improvement on the glass.

Versatility is important in the NBA as the definitions of positions are constantly blurred with players breaking the mold of what they should be capable of each season. Parsons is the perfect player to compliment the Mavericks in the dreaded Western Conference and helps make them a true contender next season.

**Adam is a lifelong NBA Fan and D-League nut, covering the Santa Cruz Warriors at his own site seadubscentral.com. An Ike Diogu apologist and a proud father. He’s also a must follow on Twitter. @AdamJNBA