While Chandler Parsons’ classmates spent a weekend playing in front of NBA scouts in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament earlier this month, the Gators’ small forward chose not to attend.
Agents Parsons was interviewing with all told him he could only hurt his draft stock by playing, an assessment the NBA’s director of scouting disagrees with.
Parsons ultimately chose an agent, signing with Mark Bartlestein of Priority Sports last week, and said all the agents he interviewed with told him he was a late first-round or early second-round pick.
“I think I’ve done all I can,” said Parsons. “Depending on workouts, I could move up or move down
“It’s all been good feedback. It’s all positive. I’m a hard worker, so anything they tell me I need to improve on, I’m going to.”
Parsons’ versatility earned him SEC Player of the Year honors, the first for any player from Florida. The 6-foot-10 small forward averaged 11.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 turnovers per game in helping Florida to a 29-8 record and an Elite Eight appearance.
Ryan Blake, the NBA’s co-director of scouting, said the PIT would have helped Parsons. Playing five-on-five highlights Parsons’ strengths better than an individual workout will, he said.
“He’s a got a lot of strengths and he does have concerns, and a lot of that is being able to defend, being able to defend out on the wing on these quicker guys,” Blake said. “He’s not a first-round guy right now, so why wouldn’t you want to play to help yourself into the first round?
“That advice to him, if you’re a second-round guy, prove, show the teams that you want to play. What are you going to do now?”
Blake points to Parsons’ classmates, Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus, who played in the invitational and made a good impression.
Macklin averaged 19.0 points, third best in the tournament, and 8.0 rebounds in three games. Tyus led the field in offensive rebounds (5.33/gm) while averaging 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds.
“Macklin came in and proved that he doesn’t have that fear,” Blake said of the 6-foot-10 center. “He has helped himself. He has helped himself to possibly be in the first round.
“Well, Macklin was great. Both really played well. We did testing up there too, and both tested really well.”
Macklin averaged 11.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season for Florida. Tyus added 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
NBADraft.net projects Parsons going to Sacramento with the 35th pick and Macklin being picked 43rd by Golden State. Tyus is not included in the projections, but Blake said he made a good enough impression that he should make a team.
Tyus’ strength comes in his ability to defend – he was often on the opponents’ best forward this season – and willingness to set screens and rebound, Blake said.
“I think they both have the possibility of making a team,” Blake said. “It doesn’t matter if Tyus doesn’t get drafted, he’ll have that opportunity
“Macklin’s a guy, his length, his improved versatility on both ends of the floor,” he added. “Guys can say, ‘This is a guy we need.’”
As for Parsons, he’ll graduate on April 30 and travel the next day to start training with Priority Sports. The draft is June 23.
“I can play four different positions, I can shoot the ball, I have a very high basketball IQ,” Parsons said. “I make people around me better.
“I think a lot of scouts have seen that. I think they’re just excited about my potential and my upside.”
