Battier's defensive ability and leadership made him a critical asset for any team, since leaving he helped Miami winning a championship even with his best days behind him. This Battier hate seems foolish given he was repeatedly one of the NBA's top perimeter defenders. Parsons has shown a overall range of skills that if he continues to develop could make him a better player then Battier, but I am concerned because his defense has fallen off. If he continues on this path, he will never be better the Battier better years, because Battier as a piece was one of the ultimate glue guys, Parsons if he can't be counted on to defend better then he has in some of the games is just another 15 wingman that can run the court in a league filled with them. One good game against Kobe, does not make one a defensive heavyweight, it takes several.
he makes the Heat defense better. But Parsons is more of a scoring threat. And he's making a third of what Battier is making in salary. All around good value.
battier is one of the most overrated rockets ever. overrated defender and overrated "intangibles" parsons overall (scoring, rebounding, playmaking) gives you more than battier
I think with a more defensive minded coach, Parsons could be as good as Battier. He clearly applies himself more on the offensive end so he will probably always have higher scoring numbers. The Parsons-Pippen comparison is a bit premature only in the sense that Pippen was one of the top defensive wings ever. He was probably better than Artest. That being said, with the right focus, Parsons could come close to this. What I do agree with in the Pippen comparison is that Parsons fits the Point-Forward mold that Scottie excelled in.
Parsons can do a lot more than that,wait till he becomes a more consistent shooter. Shane had a high IQ,but he has relied on the stars throughout his career to be truly effective. If Parsons,keeps working hard he will have a far better career than Battier.
