The Houston Rockets let go of small forward Chandler Parsons after their pursuit of A-list free agents Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James and Chris Bosh fell through. After whiffing they decided to opt for the cheaper veteran Trevor Ariza, and the Rockets' top dogs don't expect to miss a beat.
Dwight Howard, whom Parsons was said to be instrumental in recruiting, said his departure "won't affect us at all." James Harden chimed in as well, saying Parsons wasn't more than a role player.
Parsons was "offended" Rockets didn't match his offer sheet
"Dwight (Howard) and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets," said Harden. "The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team. We've lost some pieces and added some pieces. I think we'll be fine next season."
Parsons performed like much more than a role player last season, scoring 16.6 points per game to go with 5.5 rebounds and four assists. He was also a valuable long-range shooter, drilling 37 percent of his 3-pointers while attempting just under five a night.
Ariza scored 14.4 points per game last season, but actually was a superior marksman who nailed 40.7 percent of his 3-pointers on 5.7 attempts a game. The Rockets should be aware that his 2013-14 mark far exceeded his career rate of 34 percent.
The difference between Parsons and Ariza may not be drastic in terms of stats, but the Rockets will be different next season. In losing Parsons to Dallas and trading Jeremy Lin to the Lakers, Houston has lost two of their top four scorers from a season ago. They also traded away reserve center Omer Asik, a valuable defender and insurance for Dwight Howard should he get hurt.
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