How to enjoy Memphis Grizzlies preseason basketball

1. Watch Chandler Parsons closely

When Chandler Parsons was at his best in Dallas, he was an incredibly valuable player. He shot the ball well from deep, toasted slower players as a secondary ball-handler, and sought to exploit mismatches in the post if teams dared to put a smaller defender on him. He was never an explosive athlete or a particularly good defender, but the breadth of his offensive repertoire made up for those things.

He’s never been anything close to that in Memphis. Parsons played in 34 ugly, disappointing games last year before going down with a season-ending knee injury. That’s not what the Grizzlies envisioned when they signed Parsons one year prior.

They’d hoped to be bringing in the best wing shooter the team had seen in years, and a capable, if not deadly, stretch-4 option. Parsons was meant to be the type of star-level talent that Memphis traditionally could not attract. That might of been overselling him a bit, but he certainly was an above-average starter, with room to grow into something more. His expectations have shifted considerably, but if he can even just stay on the court and shoot the ball well, he should have utility.

The more space that Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have to operate, the more effective they can be. The magnitude of that space correlates directly to the number of threatening, high-volume shooters the team can put on the court. Parsons most definitely did not fit that bill last year, but he has before in his career, and in that sense there may be some hope.

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The preseason will be the public’s first time to see him play since his injury. It should indicate just how close he is to being a useful player again, and at what level. Parsons could swing the entire season, for better or worse. He could even be the difference between making the playoffs or not. That’s not particularly reassuring, but it’s true.