Mahoney: Raymond Felton Has Bright Blazers Future

A little national attention on new Portland Trail Blazers point guard Raymond Felton from Rob Mahoney at the New York Times "Off the Dribble" Blog.
----------------
Getting up and down the court certainly didn’t hurt Felton, but pace alone wasn’t what enabled him to post career highs in P.E.R., assist rate, and offensive rating. Felton doesn’t have the kind of breakneck speed or impressive athleticism that would make him a weapon in the open court. The key was in playing alongside Amar’e Stoudemire, the most talented teammate Felton has ever had, and suiting up for Mike D’Antoni, an offensive wizard whose half-court system is criminally underrated.

With those factors in mind, Felton has actually landed with an interesting Knicks analogue. Portland and New York couldn’t be more different in terms of pace, but the Blazers, too, have an All-Star caliber big man in LaMarcus Aldridge, and a savvy coach in Nate McMillan who can be trusted to orchestrate an offense in a way that Larry Brown and Bernie Bickerstaff simply could not.
----------------

ed: bumped to front page

11 months ago rosco_blazer 19 comments 3 recs |

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Good read

I couldn’t agree more

by sabonis11 on Jul 7, 2011 12:33 PM PDT reply actions

samesies

the NY pace argument in order to completely dismiss what Felton accomplished last season has been way overplayed

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Jul 7, 2011 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions

A good PG elevates his teammates

A good team elevates a PG. I dare say we have a better team than NY.

by GoForthAndDie on Jul 7, 2011 5:42 PM PDT reply actions

hahaha

a savvy coach in Nate McMillan who can be trusted to orchestrate an offense in a way that Larry Brown and Bernie Bickerstaff simply could not.

hahahaaha

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jul 7, 2011 5:58 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs

more lol material

can’t think of a worse fit than nate for felton.

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jul 7, 2011 5:59 PM PDT up reply actions

quote didn't show

He needs a coach willing to let him make mistakes. He needs the systemic flexibility to let him attack in the open court.

PHILLY!

by CleBlazer on Jul 7, 2011 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Right, that'll happen.

by raoulduke on Jul 7, 2011 6:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Felton isnt a rookie,

Blazer fans dont give Nate enough credit for the job he has done coaching a mash unit with the a revolving pg door .
Lets see this team with 2 solid pgs (Felton/Smith) on both ends of the floor.

" I'm coaching here " ...... Nate McMillan

by FrenchieFan on Jul 7, 2011 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions

i disagree

last year, nate gave Dre more leeway and freedom to be himself and orchestrate the offense than we had seen anytime in the past from any of nate’s previous point guards. I would look for this trend to continue given that Felton is a semi-proven veteran. Hopefully we get to see a combination of Nate’s precision D and Felton’s freelance O

"Some things you just can't question. Like you can't question why two plus two is four. So don't question it, don't try to look it up. I don't know who made it, all I know is it was put in my head that two plus two is four. So certain things happen. Why does it rain? Why am I so sexy? I don't know."
Shaq

by LeGarrette Blount's Right Fist on Jul 7, 2011 7:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Dre had to rest

and it went downhill fast. Its not just about Felton. No matter who puts the ball up there LA Nic and Gerald will finish. Add Greg and the other teams better hope the lock out continues.

" I'm coaching here " ...... Nate McMillan

by FrenchieFan on Jul 7, 2011 7:52 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I thought this quote would stick in the craw of many at BE

I don’t know anything about coaching, but I suspect when you try to slow the pace, it’s because you think your offense is worse than your defense.

Honor Alaa Abdelnaby.
First in the NBA. At least alphabetically

by OhOhOden on Jul 7, 2011 6:26 PM PDT up reply actions

whose offense is more efficient?

why is that quote laughable?

"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'

by sammymohawk on Jul 7, 2011 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Heh. Give Nate a break.

He hasn’t exactly been coaching a murderers’ row of offensive players the last several seasons. It’s still a funny quote though.

by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 7, 2011 6:51 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

This isn't good when Bernie is on our coaching staff too.

#20

by hohowan on Jul 7, 2011 7:18 PM PDT up reply actions

my thoughts exactly...

does anyone outside of Portland actually know anything about Nathan McMillan?

by biggfish02 on Jul 8, 2011 8:57 AM PDT up reply actions

Bright future as a hot dog vendor.

by Dustructo on Jul 7, 2011 7:02 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Nate has the reputation of getting the most out of his players.

Some say he puts “shackles” on guys, and doesn’t let them expand their game in hopes to reach their full potential. I think he’s a guy that recognizes players strengths and tries to put guys in positions to maximize those strengths.

I think Felton will do just fine here in Portland.

by EagGolfer3 on Jul 7, 2011 7:37 PM PDT reply actions

Poster child for this:

Travis Outlaw.

Nate got more out of him than anyone ever has. Maybe ever will.

"Anybody might guess beforehand that there would be blunders of the ignorant. What nobody could have guessed, what nobody could have dreamed of in a nightmare, what no morbid mortal imagination could ever have dared to imagine, was the mistakes of the well-informed." - G. K. Chesterton, The Common Man

Blazersedge.com || New to Blazersedge?
Actions -> Rec and Flag. Blazersedge works right when you use these two things.

by T Darkstar on Jul 7, 2011 11:26 PM PDT up reply actions

That is So True

Outlaw is garbage now… well…. worse then when he was in Portland. I think he’s very fortunate to have landed that 34 million? contract.

I know he thrived on that dribble once step back shot, but every time he took a shot i would cringe even though the chances of it going in is pretty good hahaha

by i-vana-tinkle on Jul 8, 2011 8:30 AM PDT up reply actions