Mavs' Parsons: Knee 'definitely got worse' in return for playoffs
DALLAS -- Chandler Parsons was a bit glum on Thursday afternoon when addressing the media for the first time since news that he was out for the rest of this season with a right knee injury, but that's totally understandable.
After all, the man who finished the regular season as the third-leading scorer for the Dallas Mavericks had just returned from a six-game absence due to that aforementioned knee issue on Tuesday night in Houston.
Late in the first half of Game 1 of the Mavericks first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Saturday night at Toyota Center, Parsons left the floor.
However, he returned to play much of the second half and finished with 37 minutes, a long run of minutes that he now admits contributed to him now needing surgery on his knee.
"Yeah, it definitely got worse," Parsons said on Thursday in front of the Mavs' executive offices.
Parsons couldn't offer any specific details about the surgery he expects to undergo in the near future, but he did say that there is no structural damage and added that he expects to be fully recovered in time for the start of training camp in late September or early October.
The former Florida standout was asked specifically when the issues with his right knee began and he cited a game at the Indiana Pacers on March 29 as the origin of his knee issues.
"I had landed funny and it was sore," Parsons said. "And I played a couple of games after that and it just continued to get worse and worse. I rested the last six games of the regular season hoping that would maybe help it, maybe heal it faster."
But as he looks back on how things have played out, he admits might not have pushed himself so hard to play in Game 1 had the Mavs' opponent been anybody besides Houston, his former team.
"Game 1 was kind of a stretch. If it was anybody but Houston, I honestly probably wouldn't have played in Game 1," Parsons said. "It just sucks. I've never been hurt and I want to play and I can't."
And if there's anyone on the Mavs roster who can empathize with exactly what Parsons is going through it's backup point guard Devin Harris, who missed Game 2 with a toe injury after playing in Game 1.
"He's truly upset about it. You feel for him," Harris said of Parsons. "But the best thing we can do for him is play as hard as we can and try to get a win."
However, it's not like Parsons regrets his decision to make a go of it in Game 1. Like most of his NBA brethren, he realizes that trips to the playoffs are far from guaranteed and that this time of the year, sucking it up and playing hurt is something which is normal for many in the league.
"Regret? I mean, no. It's the playoffs," Parsons said. "I thought with everything I had done to prepare myself, I could get through it. Didn't work out. Didn't feel well. Didn't play well, but it was a risk I had to take."
Now, his role shifts from one where he can benefit his teammates on the court to one where he can now help them off it, more of a support role.
It's a definite paradigm shift for Parsons, but one he welcomes considering the circumstances.
"Just support. Be another set of eyes out there, help them with play calls or any sets that I'm familiar with coming from Houston. Still come in and watch practice and do everything I can just to be a good teammate," was how Parsons said he can still help his teammates. "They've been a great teammate to me all year long. Now it's my time to obviously step back, I can't play, but be another coach out there, be another voice to help these guys."
Parsons is most definitely headed for surgery on his knee, something which could happen in the next few weeks. It's a terrible way to end a season, especially with the Mavs still being in the playoffs.
And being the competitor that he is, it was hard for him to hide his disappointment with just how his first season in Dallas came to an end.
"It's just so frustrating right now because obviously I want to be playing with my team. I want to be out there. The playoffs are the most fun time of the year, and I was obviously looking forward to this series against Houston. And it's all taken away from me," Parsons said.
He added: "It's devastating and I want to be out there. I've tried everything. I've tried every possible thing to try and play. Rehab and rest, different treatments, and nothing's worked. A couple of options I'll go over with doctors next week and make a decision next week on what I'm going to do."
Parsons missed a total of 16 games during the regular season, and the Mavs were 9-7 without him in the lineup.
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