Chandler Parsons has only suited up in four games for the Hawks this season, and riding out the final year of a max deal.
Parsons, 31, was traded to Atlanta last summer, and says “it really sucks” to be glued to the bench.
The veteran forward is eager enter unrestricted free agency July 1, and knows the Hawks are committed to “developing these young guys.”
Per HoopsHype:
How hard is it for you to not get that playing time even with knowing how important it is for Atlanta to develop their young core?
Chandler Parsons: “It sucks. It really sucks. Obviously, I want to play. I want to help. I’m healthy and I’m in a contract year, so I want to show the team that I’m healthy and I can play and I can definitely help this team win. But at the same time, I understand the objective here and I understand the operation and knowing that development, so I’m just staying ready. Like I said, I’m being a leader and being a good locker room guy. Whenever he wants to play me, I’ll be ready.”
What do you see happening in the future in terms of your playing career? What are some things that you think you can provide a team moving forward?
CP: “I know that in today’s NBA I can definitely be a stretch forward. And I feel like, with these lineups, I can also even play the five. Also: twos and threes are the same positions, so I can play two-through-five. And I can bring the ball up, I can shoot the ball and I’m 6-foot-10. There’s not a lot of people that can move like me who are this height. I’m tall, man. It’s always been about health with me and I’m the most healthy I’ve been in a long time. I’ve just got to sustain that and keep managing it. My knees feel great, my body feels great. Hopefully, it’s just a blessing in disguise that I’m not playing now and I’ll be ready. It sucks, but at the same time I’m preserving my body and like I said… I’m dying to play but it’s out of my control.”
Do you think that there were misconceptions about you and the way everything went down with your contract situation and with your finish in Memphis?
CP: “I think anybody with a brain in my situation would have taken the contract. It’s funny. People that are hating on it, if they were in my shoes or if their son was in my shoes, they would have told them to do the same thing. Right? Should I have predicted that I was going to be hurt and took less or took half the money? That’s psychotic. Now the contract is what it was and, obviously, I didn’t live up to it. I think if I was healthy, I fully would have done that and I think I was on the path of being a really good player in this league. But people are judged off of their salary and I understand that and that’s how it goes. It was out of my control as far as injuries go and not being able to play as much as I wanted to in Memphis sucked. But it’s silly when people hate on it. Anybody in their right mind would’ve done the same thing.”
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