If Wednesday night is a foreshadow of Chandler Parsons’ future then get excited Mavs fans because he’s ready to be a star. Parsons said that his season starts on January 1st. After 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists it’s clear to see that Parsons has caught up with the rest of the Mavs in mid-season form. With Parsons just warming up, this Mavericks team will be very competitive.

After the Dallas Mavericks hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2011, the next stop on the NBA calendar was the draft. It was a talented group set to enter the NBA, highlighted by Duke PG Kyrie Irving, Kentucky’s Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker of Connecticut, all of whom went in the first round. Chandler Parsons, however, was not selected in the first-round, but number 38 to the Houston Rockets. There was even a player from Montenegro selected prior to the Florida native, not that it means anything but I’ll always make a Montenegro reference when applicable. And believe me they’re far and few between. The knock on Parsons heading into the NBA was that he shot poorly from the stripe and he was too unselfish, believe it or not. When compared to pros with similar traits and abilities the most common comparison was Luke Walton. Which as a player, might be the worst person to share a comparison with aside from Adam Morrison. In his rookie year Parsons did anything but set the league on fire, averaging 9.5 points per game in 28 minutes each contest. The following two years in Houston Parsons improved in every aspects of his game from points to rebounds and even his free throw percentage improved to 74%, which caught the attention of their upstate rivals. After his 3rd year in Houston, Parsons’ potential was pointing up and Dallas wanted the talented versatile shooting forward.

Chandler Parsons signed a 3-year / $46,084,500 contract with the Dallas Mavericks, all of which is guaranteed, at an annual average salary of $15,361,500 after Houston refused to match the offer. With the Mavericks last year, Parsons dealt with injuries while not improving his points per game from the prior year for the first time in his career. The 2014-2015 season for Parsons begin with injuries mainly due to a knee surgery in the off-season. Although through the eye test Parsons appears healthier, much to the excitement of the Mavs. With Parson healthy the Mavericks boast one of the best offensive attacks in the NBA with Deron Williams resurrecting his career, Wesley Matthews playing lights out, Dirk being vintage Dirk and Zaza Pachulia bringing the toughness. Now insert Chandler Parsons and his rare combination of height, speed, ball-handling, and finishing ability, they will be a force.

As an individual Chandler Parson has all the tools that it takes necessary to be an All-Star in the NBA. He has an owner that believes in him and vice versa, as Parsons said “I truly think he’s the best owner in sports”. He has a great cast of players that are all in on winning, as well as a future hall of fame coach. Even though Mavericks fans hate to think about it, Dirk Nowitzki cannot play for that much longer and Dallas needs to think about how to replace his production. Seeing how the Mavs have whiffed on free agency in recent years I doubt they’ll land a big time player anytime soon. Their next star is going to come from someone already in a Mavericks uniform. The path is clear for Parson to take the next step on his way to becoming a star, and the feeling around Dallas is he’s ready to take it.