Why Felton May NOT be the Long Term Option...

by Cadellac on Jan 9, 2012 5:50 PM PST

Don't get me wrong here, Felton is a high quality player, but every night he plays out there just seems awkward. I understand that it is early in the season, and Felton has been bounced around a little, but still. At the start of the season, when most people thought we would be a fastbreak team, Felton seemed like the obvious choice within reason. Now that McMillan has made it clear that we are playing faster, still in a half-court offense, Felton's skills don't seem to be used in the correct way. Since he likes to fastbreak, he tends to push the offense in the halfcourt, which leads to turnouvers. That's a small thing that can be adjusted throughout the season, but the fig one is his mentality. The team is full of hard nosed players. We constantly see people diving on the floor for loose balls, causing havoc. HUSTLE. Raymond works hard, but he seems to move away from potential plays that include hustle and try to get another player to do his dirty work. Then you'll see him flail his arms in frustration and smile in anger. I don't know if he's used to the days as a Bobcat where young Wallace was everywhere on the court at once or if it is his personality, but either way, it doesn't fit the team mentality and sometimes hurts them. I'm not worried about his turnovers, as I think that's just a product of being a youngish, new PG, but I am worried about his personality. He seems like a nice guy, but his mentality on the court has to change.

I'd post a trade here, but the Trade Machine is down so, I was thinking something like Felton and Batum/Wallace for a fitting PG. I don't think we should trade him just yet, but if he doesn't work out after these 66 games then...

Poll

Do you think Felton will fit in by the end of the season?

Yes

191 votes

No

29 votes

He Already is Playing His Best

13 votes

We Won't Be Here

5 votes

238 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 43 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

I think you're selling Felton short

He may not be a star, but you can’t claim he’s lost us a game yet… Wallace seems to be the one who’s up and down with the team. He’s more of a scrapper than Miller was, and although he doesn’t quite have the same basketball smarts yet, hes a darn good PG, and an option long-term for this ball club. We need a long-term center much more than an upgrade to Felton, but Ray is frankly something we can afford to put in a trade as well, as long as we’re getting a long-term option for him. Also, perhaps that lack of going full-out is Felton knowing he needs to stay upright so we aren’t relying on Crawford as our best PG option.

by avalancheman on Jan 9, 2012 6:02 PM PST reply actions

His assist number are very good, and everything else will come in time

The shortened season, training camp, and preseason really halted his ability to know where exactly his teamates would be, otherwise he would be doing better.

Look for his assists to go up, and turnovers go down by the end up the season, but not much else numerically. By the end of the season he will be better in ways you can’t really measure.

by Kais on Jan 9, 2012 6:05 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

“Look for his assists to go up, and turnovers go down by the end up the season, but not much else numerically.”

I’m looking for his 3pt. % to go up as well as his at the rim %.

"Per John Hollingers twitter - Over the final 12:45 of today's game, Brandon Roy's PER was 84.98" GM 4 vs Mavs

by blazinagain on Jan 9, 2012 6:42 PM PST up reply actions

nice comment Kais

I do think his 3pt % will go way up, and fans will see that he runs the team much faster and as capably as Dre had.

"I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all."

by thankyouforblaze on Jan 9, 2012 7:03 PM PST up reply actions

Felton is much more of a shooter than Miller was,

but there are few PG’s as artistic as Miller with setting up shooters and lobbing. Nevertheless, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Felton. He creates a bit of havoc when he squirts through the key and has good vision in setting up cutters to the hoop when he is on the move. I’m willing to trade a few turnovers for a bunch of easy baskets; I hope Nate is too. If Felton’s shooting percentage comes up, he’ll be a real asset. He is playing for his next big contract, either here or elsewhere, so I expect we’ll see his very best.

by kacee on Jan 9, 2012 7:41 PM PST up reply actions

he is doing his job but

id trade him for monte ellis

by riccc_l on Jan 9, 2012 6:15 PM PST reply actions

I wouldn't trade him for Ellis, but I would for Curry.

"Per John Hollingers twitter - Over the final 12:45 of today's game, Brandon Roy's PER was 84.98" GM 4 vs Mavs

by blazinagain on Jan 9, 2012 6:43 PM PST up reply actions

yup, Curry > Ellis

though neither bring any sort of defense.

"I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all."

by thankyouforblaze on Jan 9, 2012 7:04 PM PST up reply actions

I'd take an insurance policy out on that trade...

Rumor is that Curry’s ankle problems look to be a chronic, long-term problem

by FPS NorthWest on Jan 9, 2012 7:33 PM PST up reply actions

He's currently got the third highest +/- on the team behind Wallace and Aldridge

(He has 41 – exactly the same as Kobe Bryant, in 93 fewer minutes)

And, worryingly, Nolan (his supposed backup) has by FAR the worst.

by meru on Jan 9, 2012 6:44 PM PST reply actions

This team can be maddening to watch, but...

…I don’t think there’s an obvious trade that would improve it. And remember, we’re doing pretty well considering the number of relatively new faces (other teams doing well, like the Sixers, Hawks, Spurs and Thunder have been together much longer).

by meru on Jan 9, 2012 6:47 PM PST reply actions

Way too many of his assists are leading to long 2's

and too few are leading to at-rim attempts. If he can fix that, great. But he’s right around his career average in the at-rim department, so I don’t know that he can improve that.

Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!

by HailOden! on Jan 9, 2012 7:11 PM PST reply actions

Some of that it is not Felton's fault

There is virtually little low post options for Felton to pass to.

by tyeforshee on Jan 9, 2012 11:42 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

he would have WAY more assists

he players could finish at the rim

by comptoncory on Jan 10, 2012 11:01 PM PST up reply actions

I wish we coulda kept Dre as a back up

and still got Felton some how. I loved how well Dre and LMA went together like peanut butter and jelly. But dont get me wrong, Ray is young and has plenty of time to grow with this team and become more accustomed to each persons style of play. And I have confidence Ray will be a great player here. We just have to many options for him to pass too, how can he not become great?

by cavejunctionblazer on Jan 9, 2012 7:54 PM PST reply actions

who do you suggest we trade for? it's not easy to trade for a good PG

I see a lot of posts about how we “should just trade for a PG”. From what I can tell, two things are largely lost on Blazers fans here who suggest this:

1) It’s not easy to trade for a good PG. Who do you want? Paul, Williams, Rose, and that tier aren’t going anywhere. Guys like Rondo and Nash have large downsides – likely too much to give up young talent for. Most of the young up-and-comers like Irving, Wall, Westbrook, Jennings, etc. are likely not going to be given up if we don’t gut our team. It would be really hard to trade for a PG and have anything left outside of LMA.

2) We’d actually have to give up assets to make it happen. We’re playing well right now, but we’re not incredibly deep. Felton, Camby, and Crawford’s deals expire at the end of the year. What I’d argue is – what’s better, a re-signed Felton next to Batum, Matthews, Wallace, Aldridge, etc. or a better (and more expensive) PG and Aldridge + maybe Batum or Matthews.

by rip_city_swagger on Jan 9, 2012 8:08 PM PST reply actions 2 recs

I was thinking Felton+Wallace.

Again, I think Felton will work out if he meshes well, but if not then I was thinking Felton and Wallace for somebody like Jose Calderon. (Did you know his NBA profile pic is of him throwing up some three goggles?)

by Cadellac on Jan 9, 2012 9:06 PM PST up reply actions

Really?..

Felton AND Wallace for Jose Calderon???…

I didn’t agree with your assessment of Ray to start with but you just completely lost me with that idea! (even if he is throwing up three goggles…)

I can only assume you under value Felton after not giving him enough time to adapt and FAR over value Calderon.

#7... GO BLAZERS!!!

by Ilikeemall on Jan 9, 2012 10:29 PM PST up reply actions

I mean Felton or Wallace

I DO THINK that Felton is a borderline Allstar when playing his best, I was just saying that he hasn’t meshed in and isn’t in shape right now, so the scare of playing like this the whole season is there. If so, the trade would be a suggestion if that remotely possible theory ever happened.
RAGE!

by Cadellac on Jan 10, 2012 6:50 PM PST up reply actions

why does everyone say he isn't in shape?

he plays the most minutes and pushes the ball? where do you get this stat????

by comptoncory on Jan 10, 2012 11:02 PM PST up reply actions

What I like about Felton that I never thought Dre gave us

is that Felton always seems to really get the attention of the defense. His plays look tantalizingly out-of-control, but then he somehow gets back to the ball after coming around a screen, leaving two defenders behind, and then finds an open man after the remaining defense collapses on what appears to be a loose ball.

I dunno, it’s a funny thing to watch, but I think Felton’s style is wild and break-neck, whereas Dre’s was always metered and controlled. With Dre, you always knew what was coming, and you could always count on it. With Ray, there are more highs—and lows.

./////
(((o)))
../////

by NCBlazerfan on Jan 9, 2012 8:24 PM PST reply actions

Miller did drop 50 for us.

by Oden Mad, Oden Smash! on Jan 9, 2012 9:38 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

He's putting this team in a position to win

It hasn’t been pretty, but it’s been a lot prettier (at least at home) compared to some of these other teams. His individual stats aren’t great, but he’s not sulking about it even though he’s in a contract year.

by Rage_quit on Jan 9, 2012 8:58 PM PST reply actions

aaron brooks

he’ll be available in april and is probably the fastest pg in the league, perfect for the new tempo. he also has led the league in 3 pointers which will spread the floor.

by odensraven on Jan 9, 2012 9:15 PM PST reply actions

I loved his game until he became a head case.

Maybe going international has matured him a little, but the question is whether he will accept a back up role until he can prove himself deserving of starting. I wonder what happened at Phoenix: seemed like the perfect place to show how deserving he was to replace Nash.

by kacee on Jan 9, 2012 9:38 PM PST up reply actions

And he's from Oregon

he’d be a fan favorite, but we already have Crawford as backup ego.

by Cadellac on Jan 9, 2012 9:45 PM PST up reply actions

blaaaaaggggggghhhhhh

that’s to the trade machine being active when the blazers are so fun to watch!

by johnshmidt on Jan 10, 2012 6:10 PM PST up reply actions

and to aaron brooks!

by johnshmidt on Jan 10, 2012 10:22 PM PST up reply actions

...

"I was a victim of a series of accidents, as are we all."

by thankyouforblaze on Jan 14, 2012 8:33 PM PST up reply actions

Felton's better than he's played so far for us,

although I don’t think you’ll see that much of a change in turnovers. But his shooting is very off of his career averages.

Not sure what you’re expecting in terms of turnovers anyways. Lead guards who handle the ball as much as he does and is trying to aggressively create plays also turn the ball over a few times a game. Here’s a link to players this season averaging over 7 assists per 36 minutes sorted by turnovers—Felton’s middle of the pack.

by howlingfantods on Jan 10, 2012 1:49 AM PST reply actions 1 recs

oh and to address your main point:

Felton is who he’s always been, a decent starting point guard. Not a star, not an allstar, but a decent starter, and one who plays pretty decent defense. If you think only stars, allstars, mega allstars are acceptable, then I guess he’s not the point guard of the future. But it’s not a position of need.

But then again, you could’ve said the exact same thing about Andre Miller.

by howlingfantods on Jan 10, 2012 1:55 AM PST up reply actions 3 recs

I'd agree that Felton is certainly fine

considering it’s obviously impossible to have stars at every position like some posters seem to expect. However, while he’s adequate to keep around, he’s also not good enough to justify not be on the constant lookout for potential replacements. The league is littered with late 1st round PGs who have been either now or at their peaks, at least as good as Ray, and in some cases, much better. If you can snag a guy like Collison, Lowry, Lawson, Holliday, George Hill or Rondo (obviously), I think you have to at least throw those guys minutes because it’s not like you need to be a superstar to beat him out.

I’m fine with being in a long-term relationship with Ray as our starting PG, but I think it would be a mistake to be married to the idea.

by Royster on Jan 10, 2012 9:04 AM PST up reply actions

Felton is the best we're likely to have given that the focus

will have to be to first solve the center slot. We need an everyday player to team with Aldridge as our first priority. After we resolve that we can look at other positions, and, we don’t have the assets to do both right now. Portland would be a much stronger team with Felton if we had a second solid front line player, and his game would reflect that.

by ebenc on Jan 10, 2012 4:49 AM PST reply actions

Raymond Felton

He is our point guard for the next many years…He is better than Brooks and there is no comparison with Calderon(Calderon really sucks)…He is not shooting the ball well so far but we all hope that this is just because of this weird season…I hope our team keeps these guys with this way during the season or the summer:Raymond:8.000.000$/season,for the next 3-4 years,Nick:7.000.000$/season,for the next 3 years,Gerald:9.000.000-10.000.000$/season,for the next 3 years,Jamal:7.000.000-8.000.000$/season,for the next 3 years.Let Marcus Camby retire and then we could go after Landry or Millsap or Okafor or Hibbert to fill our power forward or center position…Go Blazers!!!

by sabonis13 on Jan 10, 2012 6:13 AM PST reply actions

There's more than the trade machine

trade checker

I put in “Felton and Batum/Wallace for a fitting PG.”, and it worked!

Nice trade idea.

dinasour type of guys choir boys

by mittsabishy on Jan 10, 2012 9:34 AM PST reply actions

Felton is just ok

At some point we need to figure out who our long term PG is so he and LA can get their mojo workin.

I personally don’t see Felton as that guy. Sure you can get by with him and win a little, but Paul Allen wnats a prom queen, high profile PG and we’ll have the ships and the money to potentially get one this off-season.

I agree with some a poster above who mentions Collison and maybe Deron WIlliams who will surely want out of Jersey. Felton just feels like a stop gap guy and not someone who can get you to the next level…or even the next round.

by breakerfall on Jan 10, 2012 10:59 AM PST reply actions

I think most of the problems you see with our offense are the result of having very little practice

I know we are a couple weeks into the season now and fans want this team to be clicking and meshing like a finely tuned machines, but that is just unrealistic. The reality is that this team is trying to get used to a new style of play, new starting point guard, and learning new plays all with almost no practice. The result is that guys are still trying to get in shape and figure our what is going on all while winning games and playing a fairly entertaining style of basketball. It wasn’t that long ago when andre miller was signed that people were saying he didn’t mesh well with the team and his style wasn’t going to fit with our personel and that he couldn’t play with brandon. Well we all know who andre worked, I sugest that we give ray more then 9 games before we pass judgement on what he can and can’t do.

by PortlandPhil on Jan 11, 2012 11:24 AM PST reply actions