Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Fizdale has confirmed forward Chandler Parsons will begin the regular season on the bench, the Commercial Appeal’s Ronald Tillery reports.
https://twitter.com/CAGrizBeat/status/919629778164027395
With Parsons assuming a bench role, James Ennis gets the starting small forward spot for the Grizzlies. To Parsons' credit, he took the decision relatively well and said all the right things.
https://twitter.com/CAGrizBeat/status/919631805548040192
https://twitter.com/CAGrizBeat/status/919634022896201729
Parsons participated in four of the Grizzlies’ five games this preseason, but was not particularly impressive. He scored 11 points in 36 minutes through his first two games, but went scoreless in the 22 minutes he played in his last two games.
Parsons had a disastrous first season in Memphis after signing a four-year, $94 deal. He averaged a career-low 6.2 points in 20 minutes per game as he was limited to just 34 appearances due to lingering knee issues.
Clearly, Fizdale didn’t see enough from Parsons to justify starting him in front of Ennis, who had a much more productive preseason. Ennis averaged 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds on 62 percent shooting in his five preseason contests. He started 28 games for the Grizzlies last season with Parsons absent for much of the campaign, and averaged 6.7 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Despite Parsons’ costly contract, nothing is being handed to him. The onus will still be on him to prove he’s capable of being a positive contributor for the Grizzlies this year.
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