Chandler Parsons has been struggling so far this season, and that was to be expected after undergoing surgery last May to fix cartilage damage in his right knee. The organization had been somewhat circumspect about the nature of the surgery, which caused him to miss the majority of the Mavs’ postseason run. It wasn’t until late September when it was revealed that he’d had what the team called a hybrid microfracture procedure, which reportedly included a bone marrow transplant to regenerate the damaged cartilage.
Going into Monday night’s contest against the Suns, he’d been averaging just 7.9 points per game in just a little more than 20 minutes of action, but he broke out of that slump with a 17-point performance that just might be the confidence boost he needs to get back on track. Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle, however, thinks it’s his overall attitude and drive that will ultimately get him back to where he wants to be and where the team needs him to be. Via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com:
It was Parsons who picked up the phone Sunday to ask Carlisle to meet him on the Mavs’ practice court. Parsons didn’t think he deserved a day off, and he darn sure didn’t need one. He had Carlisle put him through a game-speed shooting session, running through various actions from the Mavs’ offense.
“He’s working his ass off,” Carlisle said. “He looked pissed. And he’s got to stay pissed.”
Despite Parsons’ spotty play, things have been going swimmingly for Dallas so far this season. Dirk Nowitzki is still effective at age 37, and former pariahs Deron Williams and Raymond Felton have both been playing surprisingly well while the Mavs cling to a fifth place standing in the Western Conference. But a fully-recovered Parsons will be integral if they have any serious designs on a postseason run, and Monday night’s outing was a good place to start. He’ll have another chance to build on that when Dallas travels to Indiana to face the Pacers on Wednesday night.
(Via ESPN.com)
