Rick Carlisle on Chandler Parsons: 'He'll be one of the best young players in NBA'
After free agent shooting guard Monta Ellis decided to sign with the Indiana Pacers, a hole opened up on the Dallas Mavericks roster.
While Wesley Matthews filled the void, the responsibility to create offense for others, like Ellis did, is expected to fall on Chandler Parsons as well, who should shoulder more responsibility offensively this upcoming season.
Here's what Carlisle told Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com:
“It’s a big void,” Carlisle confessed while speaking on the loss of Ellis in July. “You know, we’re talking about our leading scorer the last two years and a guy that really, to be totally truthful about it, got us back into the playoffs the last couple of years. Without him, I don’t know if we would have been able to do it. He was that important to us.
“We’ve got to get Parsons back to 100 percent, which will happen,” the coach added. “His game has grown a lot. He’s not only a shooter and a scorer, but he’s a playmaker. He’s a defender and a rebounder. He’s one of our best all-around players. As the season went on, his responsibilities grew, and they will continue to grow going forward. … There are going to be plenty of things that he can do to refine his game, even if he’s not on the court going 100 percent. I’ve had long discussions with him about that. There will be no time wasted, and he will continue to get better and be one of the best young players in the game.”
(h/t Mavs.com)
