Since "barely adequate" is a definition of "mediocre", then you can't say Parsons is mediocre. I'm surprised that you're surprised at all the indignation shown when you called a fan favorite "mediocre". What reaction did you expect...a ticker tape parade?
So playing the 4 he does not show his subpar rebounding as PF? Neither his subpar post defense? Just asking....
I applaud your bravery. For some, it seems they can't place Parsons' face with 'average' and there is nothing you can do to convince them otherwise.
Aaron Brooks was also a 'fan favorite' too when I called him out for being 'bad' not 'mediocre', and now he is a third stringer. When did fan opinion ever have any bearing on reality? On the contrary, fans are generally the definition of delusion. And yes, I do admit to the irony of that coming from someone who saw allstar potential in Marcus Morris.
There is nothing 'average' about Parson's face. It's his game that's average. Nothing to do with bravery. Reality is reality, whether people want to accept it or not, it won't change. Back on topic though: I do think Parsons has a very good chance to become ABOVE average, to even VERY GOOD when used as a stretch 4. Creates all sorts of matchup problems and can be an impact player. Which is to the OP's point about Casspi. We'll see how it plays out, because he WILL get tons of minutes this year at PF.
That was a response to the guy that went ape**** and had a seizure all over his keyboard, and ended up editing his post but not before I quoted him in all his glory. To prompt that type of reaction, Parsons better be coming home to you every night, otherwise it would just be creepy.
I do agree They are really similar. And both have a lot of things to improve Parsons needs to improve rebound and driving. Casspi needs to improve consistency.
Ranking of the Rockets among all NBA players in terms of PER. Just FYI <table border="0"> <tr><td colspan="3" align="center" >Season 2013-14</td></tr> <tr><th><b>Ranking</b></th><th align="center"><b>Player</b></th> <th><b>PER</b></th> </tr> <tr><td align="center">18</td> <td align="left"> James Harden</td> <td align="center">25.42</td> </tr> <tr><td align="center">74</td> <td align="left">Dwight Howard</td> <td align="center">19.55 </td> </tr><tr><td align="center">85</td> <td align="left">Jeremy Lin</td> <td align="center">18.71</td> </tr><tr><td align="center">89</td> <td align="left">Francisco Garcia</td> <td align="center"> 18.68</td> </tr><tr><td align="center">138</td> <td align="left">Chandler Parsons</td> <td align="center"> 14.77</td> </tr><tr><td align="center">146</td> <td align="left">Omri Casspi</td> <td align="center">14.39 </td> </tr><tr><td align="center">173</td> <td align="left">Patrick Beverley</td> <td align="center"> 12.67</td> </tr><tr><td align="center">181</td> <td align="left">Omer Asik</td> <td align="center"> 11.45</td> </tr><tr><td align="center">247</td> <td align="left">Aaron Brooks</td> <td align="center">6.08 </td> </tr></table>
The PER data I presented above supports your eye test result. A PER of 15 is the average performance for an NBA player. Parsons has a PER of 14.77 so far, a typical average performance. Brooks is far below the average. Four Rockets have performed well above average. They are Harden, Howard, Lin, and Garcia. Others are below average in performance.
Beside the Marcus Morris fiasco, I generally think CX is quite a credible poster here and he's pretty much spot on on a lot of topics. Here I also agreed that Parsons and Casspi have a quite a lot of similarities in their game.
While I agree that Parsons is an average player, he's definitely NOT a stretch 4. He's a combo 3-4. Meaning he can play both positions. Generally the idea with stretch 4s is that they can't defend 3s. Parsons can. He can defend SFs. True, he hasn't been the lockdown defender shown as a rookie, but that doesn't mean he's not capable. The fact that Parsons can be our stretch 4 or can play SF when we go big is worth something. Probably not as much as he'll be paid for, but he's definitely one step above Casspi for sure.
Thanks. I was actually only referring to their caliber as players, not necessarily their playing style. Parsons is a much more fluid athlete, better perimeter defender, better finisher at the rim. And better overall player, though it is much closer than people here believe. Casspi has more 'junk in the trunk' and is more suited to play the PF(defensively). They do have a lot of similarities though. Neither are adequate creators off the dribble, although Casspi is slightly better. Neither have a very good handle, although Parsons is slightly better. Both are decent passers. And the biggest similarity of all, both are near elite corner 3 point specialists at close to 50%.
Never said he was exclusively a stretch 4, just that his effectiveness may go up when we use him in that role. Which the Rockets will do plenty of. Agreed that his versatility is a plus. Also agree that he is a step up from Casspi, but not by a wide gulf.
OP mentioned players that are more effective as stretch 4s than their more conventional position at SF. I brought up Parsons as an additional example, as a compliment. Then the butthurt flowed like a river.
I wasn't trying to argue against your posts. I just think it's funny that things in CF don't stay the way OPs probably originally intended them too. I love CP25, but I could see the overrated argument too. Gotta say, it took 3 games for him to get a 3 to fall, and taking all those drives instead of the perimeter shots? I thought the whole purpose of changing up our starting line up was to also shore up our perimeter shots.
CXbby, you're clearly very good at basketbal analysis. Some things though that I think you did not take into account in your deliberations. Yes, Casspi and Parsons are very similar players in a lot of ways, but there is one critical thing that is different. Casspi did not come to the NBA via the college basketball which provides the youngsters the basic skills to survive in the league. Casspi was a bench player in a EuroLeague team. Therefore he gained very little PT experience before his entry to the NBA. When he ended up in two bottom teams with a very ball possessing PG's (Evans and Irving), Casspi had nothing to do on the court (especially as a SF). Therefore his carreer was going down the drain. McHale and Morey are providing him with an entirely different working environment and Casspi is embracing it. Therefore, Casspi and Parsons are in a totally different place on their learning curve. Casspi, being an outsider, needs much more confidence to perform. Again, McHale is giving him that and Casspi pays back. Casspi is a great shooter who knows how to rebound and pass, but more than that he is an energizer (Parsons has that too). They both have the ability to light up the team. So let's look at it this way. Casspi and Parsons are two of the best performance/buck players in the NBA. Casspi will be so also in the 2014/2015 season. The Rockets have two superstar class players and Casspi and Parsons are just about perfect complementation to them. They play exactly the part needed at a very high NBA level. Personally I don't think that the twin tower experiment will last very long and after that the Rockets will be back to their deadly offensive play. Casspi and Parsons are elemental in that.
LA has a lot of Jewish basketball fans. Here's hoping they show up in numbers to cheer on Casspi and the Rockets.
