Grizzlies news: Chandler Parsons says playing only 15 minutes 'sucks'

Chandler Parsons has had a rough first couple of years as a member of the Grizzlies, getting the ire of fans for his huge contract but abysmal play.

After signing a lucrative four-year, $98 million max deal with the Memphis Grizzlies last year, Chandler Parsons has not proven yet that he deserves that big of a contract. He was only able to appear in 34 games for his team last season, and only has pedestrian averages to show as well. Now in his second campaign with the Grizzlies, he is slowly losing his spot in the rotation, as he’s only playing 15 minutes per game.

When asked how he feels with the limited role he’s getting, Chandler Parsons admitted it’s not what he expected, and that he is unhappy with the development in his career. However he also added, via Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, that he still believes he will regain the trust of the coaching staff, and will give him more court action soon, especially when it matters the most.

“It sucks right now playing 15 minutes a night to be honest with you,” Parsons said. “But they have a plan in place that, hopefully, I’ll be playing big minutes when it matters.”

Just last week, he was booed by the home crowd inside the FedEx Forum, which goes to show how his relationship with the Grizzlies' fans has turned sour. He went on to say it was a “tasteless” act from them, but it's also understandable why they believe he is not worthy of being paid the $98 million owed to him, as he has not helped the team much in their quest to contend for a title.

During his earlier days in the NBA, while playing for the Houston Rockets, Chandler Parsons established himself as one of the better small forwards in the league. His ability to score in different ways, and make plays for teammates became his strongest suit, which made him an appealing prospect when he became a free agent. Multiple knee injuries could be blamed for the decline in his game, but now that he is healthy once again, he’s still looking lost in the system of the Grizzlies, resulting to his subpar performances.

The good news for Chandler Parsons is that it’s still early in the season, and he could be given an opportunity by head coach David Fizdale to showcase his skill set in any of their future games. It could only take one strong performance for him, to earn the coach's trust, and be given the usual number of minutes he’s been accustomed to again.