Haynes: Felton Claims McMillan Comments "Taken Out Of Context"
Here we go with Round 3 regarding comments made by Portland Trail Blazers guard Raymond Felton following a Thursday night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Round 1: Felton told Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that he wasn't feeling the confidence from coach Nate McMillan and that it's difficult to play well when he is going "in and out of games."
Round 2: McMillan told Jason Quick of The Oregonian that Felton denied making the comments in a meeting on Friday.
Round 3: Felton now claims his comments were taken out of context in a statement to Haynes.
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CSNNW.com stands by the story as published. This afternoon, Felton had this to say, "Last night was an emotional time for me and some of the quotes made to Chris Haynes were taken out of context by another reporter. I met with coach McMillan today and I want everyone to know that I am fully behind him and my coaching staff and they are in full support of me and my teammates."
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Earlier this week, Felton also contrasted McMillan's system with that of New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.
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"Look at Jeremy Lin," Felton said. "Some people’s systems are for players. D’Antoni is one of those coaches where people excel in his offense. He’s a great offensive coach.
"But I’m not going to sit here and knock anything Coach Nate has done. We’re all fighting together, trying to figure this thing out. Being his point guard, I’m with him."
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-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter
3 months ago
Ben Golliver
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Comments
Felton goes after Quick?
I assume he’s referring to Quick?
Last night was an emotional time for me and some of the quotes made to Chris Haynes were taken out of context by another reporter.
Say what? Now it’s Quick’s fault for what he said?
These were direct quotes from Haynes article.
"I know I’m struggling, but it’s hard to perform the way you know how when you know they don’t have confidence in you," Felton told CSNNW.com. "Never in my days playing basketball, have I felt like a coach wasn’t confident in my abilities. It’s hard to play knowing that."
How can Quick take a direct quote from Haynes article “out of context”?
This gets better and better.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Feb 17, 2012 4:28 PM PST reply actions
I really don't know what "context" could be added to the quote
that would make it sound like he was saying something other than “I’m playing like crap because my coach doesn’t believe in me.”
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
I forget
What happened with Petteri Koponen? I seemed to remember that he was released or something this year…. because now would be a good time to bring him over if they still could.
by heybabydrinkyourmilk on Feb 17, 2012 4:30 PM PST reply actions
Traded to Dallas as part of the 3-team deal to get Felton.
"You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man." - Matty Walker in Body Heat (1981)
by BlazerFanSince1970 on Feb 17, 2012 4:31 PM PST up reply actions
Nate's system (or lack there of) has never been conducive to utilizing the strengths of the players.
Last night Nate should have rode Batums hot hand instead of benching him almost the entire 2nd quarter. He did the same thing in the Dallas game to LaMarcus Aldridge. Felton is having his worst season this year. In my opinion that is a direct result of Nate’s system and the way he doesn’t trust his players. Confidence wins, so what happens when your “coach” strips you of it?
We miss you B Roy.
players get tired
people seem to drift back and forth between “Nate is running our guys into the ground!!!!” and “WTH didn’t Nate play that guy 46 minutes!!!”
Nate's system is designed to get the most out of the individual if they have individual skills.
Nate’s system doesn’t get “stats” out of role players.
dinasour type of guys choir boys
Disagree
Outlaw got a ridiculous contract because he got stats as a role player that were not a true indication of his talent.
by robertjcase on Feb 17, 2012 5:31 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Oh, sure.
Nate’s “system” causes guys to constantly brick wide open treys.
Go fish.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 5:48 PM PST up reply actions 8 recs
so that's our problem!
couldn’t figure out how a 10 year old was lights out from 3pt on an 11 foot hoop and yet our NBA guys can’t make those shots. Nate’s system completely makes sense though!
In other news,
Nate’s system totally held Sergio back.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 5:55 PM PST up reply actions 4 recs
I don't see it that way. Sorry.
All people improve the gene pool; some by birth, some by their demise!
This isn't on Nate.
I’m all for dismissing Sarge, but Felton’s struggles aren’t McMillan’s fault.
Nope, this is 100% on Ray himself. He should take a long look into a mirror.
Man I wish we had a backup PG
This wouldn’t be so bothersome if we weren’t essentially forced to play Felton.
I know where I come from, and when you always have in mind where you come from the rest will be easy. I think the rest will be easy.
-- M. Rivera
We HAVE a backup PG.
We just don’t have a starter.
Si equum mortuum flagellēs, non celerium currat.
by EngineerScotty on Feb 17, 2012 5:06 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs
If we did still have Koponens rights Nate would destroy his confidence too.
We miss you B Roy.
If you are a pro athlete
playing in the best league in the world. You have NO excuse to perform the way Felton has this year. Go a head a blame Nate all you want, this is Felton’s problem and his alone.
@ GMan, we have a backup point guard...... Nate just refuses to develop him.
We miss you B Roy.
Who?
Nolan? Williams? This is classic “grass is greener” thinking.
I know where I come from, and when you always have in mind where you come from the rest will be easy. I think the rest will be easy.
-- M. Rivera
by GMan83201 on Feb 17, 2012 5:16 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Nolan
that’s why we drafted him isn’t it? It’s less “grass is greener” thinking than it is “find out if the guy can do what we drafted him for because he can’t be worse than Felton right now” thinking
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Smith certainly can be worse than Felton
Given, stats in a small sample of minutes can be misleading, but Nolan hasn’t shown any signs that he’s ready.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
agreed. Ray is capable of playing ok defense when he isn't tired
That being said, either Nolan, Armon or both need more minutes along with EWill. Throw them to the wolves and see if they come out of it alive.
Right now the result of Felton's poor play is losses
Nolan could technically be worse, but worst case scenario is still just a loss.
I also don’t think Nolan would be as bad as people think, but regardless we should find out and not assume. Right now we have the worst PG in the NBA, and that’s not hyperbole
"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 Feb 17, 2012 6:43 PM PST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
yeah we definitely need to find out what we have
Nolan, Armon and EWill.
Armon looked better than Nolan does to me
He had a rough stretch but he also had some pretty interesting stretches…including one near comeback after Nate had already thrown the white flag.
I’m sure Nolan is probably closer to being ready…or he should be anyway…but I really wouldn’t mind seeing Armon get some more time. He has some serious flaws but I think he has potential.
IMO
Armon doesn’t have much between his ears. Nolan seem’s like a smarter playing to me.
Armon looked like he had at least a Bayless kind of potential to me
Crazy combo guard. The thing that annoys me about Nolan is his decision making is still really questionable. I had hoped for more from him.
I’m sure with minutes Nolan would prove to be the more game ready.
I agree
A loss is a loss, so why does it matter whether Felton or Smith is in. IMO, Smith is good enough going to the rim or shooting outside shots that at least they will have to show him some respect, unlike Felton leaving him completely unguarded. and then there is the big chance that like in his last year in college, given the reins and more time, he might just prosper like he did with Duke.
hg
Speaking of "grass is greener"
http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/3/30/3445/61055
“On the bright side, Kevin Pritchard can call off the rest of his scouting trips. The Blazers’ point guard of the future was in the Rose Garden tonight. Not Jack, not Blake, not Rodriguez. Raymond Felton. Mr. Pritchard, wherever you are, start working your voodoo on Michael Jordan and get Felton in a black and red jersey ASAP.”
by BlazersMakr on Feb 17, 2012 5:31 PM PST up reply actions 13 recs
just goes to show
no one could have predicted this level of suck from Felton
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Or goes to show
that fans on Blazersedge are never happy with their current PG, always looking elsewhere, and love to complain…
He’s 31 games into his Blazers career. I’ll repeat what I said below:
“Imagine if we lose on Saturday and drop all the way down to 16-16, and matched that horrible terrible Blazer team’s record from last year after 32 games…
The calls to bench the pure pg for shooting 36% in Felton, for a shoot-first SG/SF who is shooting a much better 38% will only get louder (who cares that Felton is averaging more ass/min, reb/min, steals/min; shooting that 2% better is what’s needed at PG)."
by BlazersMakr on Feb 17, 2012 5:42 PM PST up reply actions 3 recs
Blazersedge doesn't matter
we don’t make these trades. If they wanted to keep Dre, they would have.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
well, Blazersedge does of course matter
but it’s not the reason we have Felton. It’s not the reason we haven’t drafted a good PG.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
of course
but I’d argue that unless the blazers have chris paul, that the threads on blazersedge will always revolve around getting a better court general….
If we had Chris Paul...
…and he played like he did for 3 quarters last night people would be on him.
I do have to say though that right now something has to give with the PG situation. Ray’s confidence is obviously deflated. He knows when he shoots it’s not going in and he’s chocking up in pressure situations.
As a guy who actually liked Steve Blake I can’t be called someone who will never be happy with our PG rotation but right now it is truly hurting the team.
#7... GO BLAZERS!!!
Chris Paul is allowed to have a few bad games.
much like Aldridge or any other superstar, because they do so much every other game. as long as they don’t disappear in a crucial game, like LeBron.
"Wide, girthy. Just like a Rhino. Sometimes my horns are visible."
The way we used Steve Blake
was not at all the way a lot of big name point guards operate like Nash and Rose. Blake’s biggest duty was to bring the ball up the court safely and from there he played off the ball a lot.
I also liked Blake but I’m not necessarily saying he’s the answer here. I just wonder if Nate’s system even needs a point guard.
People talk about Batum playing point as a solution to this. He’s my favorite player but I wouldn’t trust him handling the ball excessively under lots of pressure. But do we even need to spend big money on a point guard? Doesn’t seem like the worst idea to just give up the PGOTF (it’s been a while with not even anything close to success) concept and maybe just get someone who can handle the ball and tell them their only other job on the court is to play D. I bet you could get someone like that for pretty cheap.
"I just wonder if Nate’s system even needs a point guard."
There’s a good argument that this offense needs a shot creator on the wing more than anything else, while neither Nicolas Batum nor Wesley Matthews are the answer.
Perhaps.
Although I was thinking if Aldridge continues to play this well (or even get better! crosses fingers), we could play more inside/outside basketball where you don’t need shot creators as much as decent shooters to help space the court and give Aldridge some room.
BATUUUUM SHAKALAKA!
With his chunky butt
He HAS to average the most ass/min.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:08 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Well said.
2% makes all the difference doesn’t it?
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
click the link
It’s Ben’s writeup of a game between the Bobcats and Blazers….
well Ben did get this part of it right:
Down the stretch, he looked like Baron Davis
Never knew Ben was such a psychic did you?
Nice pull...
…and reality check!
A lot of people thought this was a good pick up and NOBODY could have foreseen the utter disaster that has been Ray Felton’s season.
I also think that any sentiment that Nate killed Ray’s game is crazy. Dude just plain hasn’t performed. When he shoots everybody watching knows it isn’t going in the hoop and we’re all on edge when he dribbles in traffic. It’s not because he’s fat… or out of shape. It’s not Nate’s system or his control. Raymond Felton has quite simply lost his mojo.
Thanks for finding this BlazersMakr. It kinda puts things in perspective for me.
#7... GO BLAZERS!!!
Felton has NEVER had a season even close to this bad. So why now? Why under Nates tutelage does he all of a sudden play so horribly?
We miss you B Roy.
I think there's more evidence against Felton in the form of missed wide open jumpshots, and just horrible passes/turnovers from sloppiness...and he's overweight
by meRoy on Feb 17, 2012 4:46 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Agree
If a video was posted of him shooting it might provide some insight as to why he is shooting so poorly. In regular time it does not look fluid at all.
I have my issues with Nate, but Felton’s confidence or shooting woes are not among them.
It's all in Felton's head, which is a result of Nate McMillan.
Go ahead and call out Felton for being unprofessional, but I was under the impression coach’s were supposed to help the players. Nate’s system is NOT meant for this team, and it’s having a negative effect on the players. Coach shouldn’t be an obstacle the players have to get over to play well. Same thing with Andre happened, ‘cept Dre is the man and got over it. Can’t expect that from everyone, tho.
by Jpar on Feb 17, 2012 5:00 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
my goodness
it’s amazing how much of a pass Felton is getting for his terrible play. No player getting that many minutes has played this poorly in the NBA this season…at any position.
He is literally the worst player in the NBA getting this many minutes. That’s because we don’t have other options that Nate wants to utilize, but this line of thinking that it’s Nate’s fault Felton came in fat and fell off a cliff production wise is laughable to say the least.
"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 Feb 17, 2012 5:27 PM PST up reply actions 8 recs
completely agree
guy is averaging 33+ mpg for crying out loud. What the heck else is Nate supposed to give him at this point? A hug?
The claim that Ray forgot how to play basketball when he got traded to Portland is laughable.
To put it simply, when I have the entirety of Ray Felton’s career before this season pointing torwards this being Nate’s fault, and I have the entirety of Nate McMillan’s coaching career pointing torward this being Nate’s fault, I’m gonna go with this being Nate’s fault. I mean, what the heck are the benefits in keeping Nate? We’ll never get the most out of our players but we’ll get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round? Oh, joy!
What are you talking about?
Felton had one decent year last year. Every other season he has been terrible. Was evidence exactly points to Ray playing quality basketball? This claim is what is laughable.
by robertjcase on Feb 17, 2012 5:34 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
No one is claiming this isn't his worse season
they are just claiming that other then his half season in NY, he has always been a subpar PG.
I have the entirety of Ray Felton’s career before this season pointing torwards this being Nate’s fault, and I have the entirety of Nate McMillan’s coaching career pointing torward this being Nate’s fault
just…wow
by poorwebguy on Feb 17, 2012 5:39 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Did he not come in overweight and out of shape?
After all, he’s already lost 13 lbs since the start of the season.
Is Nate the reason he can’t hit a wide open jumper? That his 3pt% and FG% have plummeted? That’s Nate’s fault?
He’s turning the ball over more than ever because of Nate’s wild and crazy run and gun system that’s killed so many PGs?
This is about personal responsibility.
Jamal isn’t the worst player in the NBA getting this many minutes. Andre Miller wasn’t. Steve Blake wasn’t. Jarrett Jack wasn’t.
One guy is….and it’s Ray Felton. Nate is being scapegoated. Blame Nate for the valid shortcomings, do not blame him for Felton’s joke of a season. Felton has had all the trust and opportunity he’s needed and far more than he’s deserved.
That’s it. Ray needs to grow up. Be a man. Be a basketball player. The ball is in your hands. Don’t suck. Period.
This is on him. When the ball is in your hands and you’re getting 30+ mpg that is on you. All he has to do is not be the worst player in the NBA, and right now he can’t even do that. That is not a Nate thing.
"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 Feb 17, 2012 5:45 PM PST up reply actions 12 recs
Wow sammy
This is exactly what I was thinking. Perfectly stated.
BBS
by BringBackSabonis on Feb 17, 2012 10:37 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks sammy...
This isn’t high school. Nate may have limits as a coach but he shouldn’t be blamed for the fact that a multi-millionaire NBA basketball player can’t hit an open shot and has zero confidence taking them.
Giving Ray a free pass because of Nate’s relationship with any other PG holds no water for me. Felton is getting his opportunity and just isn’t performing.
#7... GO BLAZERS!!!
Never?
He had one decent season last year. His career shooting percentages hovers around 40%. Is it really outside the realm of possibility that he is around 37% this year? Nate was running the three other teams that gave up on him.
has Felton ever been in a lock out situation before?
People keep saying he is in shape. He probably is in better shape than most. But he probably is NOT in as good shape as he has been after a “regular” off season. NBA basketball requires lots of cardio STAMINA.
Which I think Felton doesn’t have. And when someone is not in the shape they should be in to play the game, they are going to make mistakes, their fine motor coordination is not going to be as good as it should be.
It all stems from this…add in Nate’s style of coaching, becoming more and more tense about what people are saying about his play (he said that friends/relatives have told him what the media is saying) ..and voila….“all of a sudden playing so horribly.” is what you get.
yeah Ray looks visibly tired to me after about 20 mins
and really starts walking the ball and making mistakes later on in the 3rd and 4th quarters. It would be interesting to see how much better he shoots early in the game.
Felton shooting stats this year
1st quarter shooting: 36/80 45%
2nd quarter shooting: 21/66 32%
3rd quarter shooting: 29/89 32%
4th quarter shooting: 22/52 42%
by BlazersMakr on Feb 17, 2012 6:31 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
nice! ty
does look like he shoots better early. I’m not sure if he’s feeling more rested later or maybe the game is slowing down a bit. He’s had some terrible stretches in the 4th though even if he’s shooting a bit better.
Some more stats
Inside 10 ft:
1st quarter: 20/35 57%
2nd quarter: 16/26 61%
3rd quarter: 13/31 42%
4th quarter: 10/18 56%
Outside 10 ft:
1st quarter: 16/45 35%
2nd quarter: 5/40 12%
3rd quarter: 16/58 27%
4th quarter: 12/34 32%
Percentage of shots inside 10ft:
1st quarter: 44%
2nd quarter: 39%
3rd quarter: 34%
4th quarter: 34%
As the game continues, he’s taking more and more outside shots, which I’d argue is a sign that he’s tired/slowing down. And we can see that he’s not doing all that well outside of 10ft.
by BlazersMakr on Feb 17, 2012 6:50 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Personally
I’d like to see that number(percentage of shots inside 10ft) at 45-50% in every quarter.
Go to the hole Felton! Use that weight and muscle to get to the basket.
really good info. Thanks for posting it
yeah looks like if we could get him to consistently attack the rim it would make a big difference. Would be nice if he could hit the 3 but I think things would improve if he mostly stopped trying.
Just wretched outside shooting numbers
Henne is the greatest and the Dolphins will go 14-2 this year and win the SB
Felton Hears a Who!
Felton: I meant what I said, I said what I meant
A PG is faithful 100%.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Feb 17, 2012 4:51 PM PST reply actions 9 recs
Me being a Kindergarten teacher,
I gotta Rec. that one!
My favorite teams are the Blazers and any team that is playing the Lakers.
by OCBlazerFan1 on Feb 17, 2012 4:58 PM PST up reply actions
Read between the lines..
“Look at Jeremy Lin,” Felton said. "Some people’s systems are for players. D’Antoni is one of those coaches where people excel in his offense. He’s a great offensive coach.
He’s basically saying McMillan’s system isn’t meant for players like him. He’s saying only certain players (iso) players excel in McMillan’s offense, and that he’s not a good offensive coach.
Maybe, but I don't know why he would say those things about D'Antoni unless they were a contrast to his current situation.
I think you're right, that's probably what Felton meant
But he’s wrong. The system is not the problem. Nate even changed his system to accommodate Felton.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
What system?
Standing around on and moving the ball along the perimeter a few times is a “system”? If that’s not screaming iso-ball offense, then I don’t know what is. At least Felton recognizes that he’s not an iso player.
that's not the system
standing around is on the guys. Usually happens when they’re tired and no-one wants to move off the ball. When that happens guys don’t get any space off their defenders and good shots are harder to come by. The offense stagnates.
You could see it visibly in the 2nd half last game. When there’s no movement we’re stuck with leaving the offense up to guys that can create. Without Aldridge that’s pretty much just Jamal…unless you’d rather have Ray try to shoot. If Jamal was a PG it may not have all ended in iso but we have what we have.
I would also add that Nate didn't really "change" his system.
Running the ball up the floor instead of walking it up does not constitute a changed system. To have a “running team” you first need to have guys that can consistently overpower the other team on the boards (see team of the early 90’s). We don’t have that. Therefore, we can’t have a “running team”.
All Nate's system requires at this point
is a guy that won’t pass to people’s ankles, can hit the open 3pt at an ok clip…even 30%, will run the pick and roll and play some semblance of defense.
What pray tell is so tough about that? People are going crazy on the iso stuff but you have to be able to score in the half court. We don’t have many guys that can by themselves and our PG isn’t worth guarding on the pick and roll.
A PG who was a threat in the pick and roll would do wonders. Might not have to iso every freaking time in the half court then when the game is grinding. You want less isos then tell Ray to become a threat in the pick and roll.
by poorwebguy on Feb 17, 2012 5:09 PM PST up reply actions 4 recs
Nate's system is crap for our personnel and it's showing in their play.
Ray has never played anywhere near as bad as he has been playing under Nate, period. He didn’t get traded to Portland and forget how to play basketball. Ray has never been amazing but he isn’t this bad. Ray isn’t the only one who would benefit from a more dynamic offense on this team, either. He’s just the only one who has publicly came out and said so.
Yes, this team would be better with a more dynamic point guard because great players can carry mediocre coaches. Good coaches get the most out of the players they have. Good coaches run an offense that best fits his teams personnel. Nate tries to conform every player that comes here into his terrible, predictable, basic “low turnover” offense. An offense that has proved nothing all the years Nate has been here other then a team can do decently in the regular season with it if you have a talent like Brandon Roy and then get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round because it’s predictable and overall bad.
by Jpar on Feb 17, 2012 5:30 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Weak argument
Yes a system like NY will make your stats look better. Does that make you a better player no? If D’Antoni was so great why was NY in 10th place two weeks ago? Felton has been bad his entire career.
Of course a system like the one NY ran will boost a players stats a little bit.
Same with that mythical, world-beating offense the Bobcats were running from 2006 to 2010. That offense, man. So good. It definitely explains why Ray is doing so badly this year.
I also don’t understand why people use the “HE ONLY DID WELL BECAUSE OF THE SYSTEM” card. I mean, god forbid we have a coach that benefits the team or plays to it’s strengths or somethin’
Tell me then...
What are Felton’s strengths that Nate is ignoring?
Huh?
What are you talking about. Felton sucked in CHA. That’s why they got rid of him.
You convinced me.
Your articulate, well thought out, argument has convinced me.
by Oden Mad, Oden Smash! on Feb 17, 2012 8:42 PM PST up reply actions
actually I read that Larry Brown was sorry to see Felton go
just sayin, not black and white.
of course that was then.
right now it's exactly how bad he is
Ray has never been amazing but he isn’t this bad.
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
You're right...
Ray didn’t get traded to Portland and forget how to play. He got traded to Portland, there was a lockout, and he let himself get way out of shape. The experts predicted it would happen. It happened. And now the experts again note that it happened. Ray is shooting badly because he’s too heavy to get proper elevation on his shots or finish at the hoop. And because he’s easily fatigued, he gets sloppy leading to lots of turnovers. And now his bad play early probably has him psyched out. None of that is Nate’s fault.
If anything, Nate did an amazing job of adjusting his system to the new players he has. There’s no question things have changed drastically this year from last. And he did that with a non-existent training camp and almost no in-season practices.
Ray is playing poorly. Ray should man up and take responsibility for that. He has nobody to blame but himself.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
by DC Blazer on Feb 17, 2012 6:10 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
LOL
Ya, Boris Diaw look great in PHX also. And Marion made multiple Allstar teams there. What have they done since?
yes, boris diaw works as an argument.
but Shawn Marion was just last year the third best player on a championship-winning Mavs team. Despite his ugly shot, dude is a good player.
"Wide, girthy. Just like a Rhino. Sometimes my horns are visible."
Yeah, but it took him years of crappy play other places
And he’s still never looked like the player he appeared to be in PHX
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:11 PM PST up reply actions
Everybody looks better in Phoenix
Nash could even make Babbitt look like a superstar. Which is why we have to get Nash! I’m sick of not having Nash! I want Nash! I want Nash! I want Nash! GET ME NASH RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Benny A La Vikings on Feb 18, 2012 4:10 AM PST up reply actions
Marion
Not saying he isn’t a good player. Just saying he looked way better in PHX than he has everywhere else.
Well they should be great together then...
…because right now Felton’s not a good offensive PLAYER.
If Ray said that… he shouldn’t have! You don’t have to read between the lines to know Ray has no confidence and is failing to perform. When you’re a PG playing 33 minutes a game that’s your issue not the coaches.
The way he’s playing no team is meant for him.
#7... GO BLAZERS!!!
Man, I hope we don't lose on Saturday to the Hawks
Imagine if we dropped all the way down to 16-16, and matched horrible terrible Blazer team’s record from last year after 32 games…
The calls to bench the pure pg for shooting 36% in Felton, for a shoot-first SG/SF who is shooting a much better 38% will only get louder (who cares that Felton is averaging more ass/min, reb/min, steals/min; shooting that 2% better is what’s needed at PG).
But they had 50 games to make up for the slow start
We have 34.
I know where I come from, and when you always have in mind where you come from the rest will be easy. I think the rest will be easy.
-- M. Rivera
by GMan83201 on Feb 17, 2012 5:18 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
A Weak Cop Out
Felton has a low BB IQ and is showing that he is full of excuses. When you start looking around and blaming the system, all you’re really saying is that you’re a niche player and are not capable of influencing the game with your talents and intelligence. By and large, good players will be good players regardless of the system. Kobe is having a career year despite a new system. Kevin Love has played well in two completely different systems. Anyone think Durant wouldn’t be good on the Spurs? It’s a lame excuse offered up by a player searching to account for his own abysmal performance.
So...
is this considered a turnover?
by Mister Hooligan on Feb 17, 2012 5:30 PM PST reply actions 5 recs
Okay, you guys are right, NATES DOING AN AWESOME JOB!!!!! HE'S A GREAT COACH!!!!!! WERE WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We miss you B Roy.
absolutely no one is saying that
but making Nate the source of all our problems, and therefore expecting them to all magically go away with him, is also very inaccurate.
"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 Feb 17, 2012 5:48 PM PST up reply actions 7 recs
exactly
Fire Nate if you want but don’t use him as Ray’s scapegoat!
So...
Felton’s issues are on Nate? Really? His stupid unforced turnovers? Constant bricks from outside, inside, outside, inside…inside, outside, leave me alooone. Inside, outside, no one is hooome.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 5:54 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Nate is messing with his mind!
Freaking him out with the crazy eye!
Wow... I must have missed that claim.
Maybe they both suck but I think saying Ray sucks because of Nate is ridiculous.
Would it be any different if I said…. Okay, you’re right. Ray is awesome and if we’d just fire Nate we’ll win a championship?
#7... GO BLAZERS!!!
I'm not going to stick up for Felton's terrible and undisciplined play
But I think everyone can agree that (as a team) this is one of the most undisciplined team’s to play in Portland. You need only point to the 15 point a game home/road disparity to recognize that there is a coaching problem.
by heybabydrinkyourmilk on Feb 17, 2012 5:48 PM PST via mobile reply actions
So they have a history
of disciplined played and this year is the abberation and that is on the coach and not the new players?
by robertjcase on Feb 17, 2012 5:58 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I think it’s both
I’d argue Portland has been overcoming McMillan’s lack of vision and ability to make in-game adjustments in years past by running essentially a one play offense (ran immaculately by Brandon Roy). Travis you stand in the corner, Steve you stand at the top, and if you happen to get it shoot it. Then Andre Miller was acquired, Roy didn’t like that. Miller was the MVP of the team two years ago. How many times have you seen a play completely break down because of a lack of originality or execution, and Miller bail the team out with a mid-range jumper or a late drive to the hoop? –Constantly is my memory. Still, you have the embarrassing jump shot offense Barkley often made a point to make fun of, all the embarrassing blowouts in the playoffs, Roy coming back too soon for the Phoenix series – playing crippled, then the next year while it was obvious to everyone, even then Ron Artest that something was wrong with Roy, you have him playing 40 minutes a game until he finally had to come out to the press (instead of to the coach) and say he needs less minutes, you have him in at the 1 minute mark in the 25 point blowout at Memphis, to get numbers. Then when the team decides to not use the amnesty on Roy (without one practice) you have McMillan leaning towards starting him. You have Hubie Brown wondering why if you’re going to have Aldridge in through 4 minutes of the second quarter why you don’t run a single play for him. You have Chris Mullin saying with regard to Gerald Wallace’s home/road disparity of 11 a game that he is "really surprised to see that from a veteran player", and "yikes". You have the predisposition to go small at the end of games. You have the unwillingness to play young players. You have the lack of respect from his own players to vigilantly run the plays he calls, the lack of professionalism in the teams that he has headed. The sorry propensity to be content to trade jumpers until they fall behind, and playing to the level of whatever team they are playing.
But you also have the new players. Felton. Wallace, an energy player with an 11 point differential between home and away games. If there is no accountability the pros will play inconsistently, but the weak minded/willed will fall apart, and I think that’s what we’re seeing with both Felton and Wallace. Crawford is also not someone I like. He never looks for Batum off the pick. People always wonder why Batum always disappears in the second half… well, who has the ball in their hands?
by heybabydrinkyourmilk on Feb 17, 2012 9:37 PM PST up reply actions
Not completely disagreeing but...
at what point do players blame the responsibilities for the way they play? To say that a system is responsible for forcing standing around to me is an oversimplification. You can hear Nate constantly yelling “Move.” It’s on Nate that LA doesn’t get the ball? What about Felton and Crawford who insist on jacking up all of their horrible shots? Do you really believe Nate is designing an offense for Felton to jack up shots? Why is it that the offense look fined when LA was rolling, but then the offense was the problem when the PLAYERS on the floor stopped getting him the ball or missing wide open shots?
Out of context?
The actual quote:
“I love Nate McMillan. He’s the greatest coach ever. It’s my dream to be playing under him. I know I’m struggling, but it’s hard to perform the way you know how when you know they don’t have confidence in you. Never in my days playing basketball, have I felt like a coach wasn’t confident in my abilities. It’s hard to play knowing that. But seriously, if I could have babies I’d want to have Nate’s. I’d name it Nate Jr. too.”
—Dave
by Dave on Feb 17, 2012 5:48 PM PST reply actions 7 recs
interesting
still shouldn’t have been said but that does soften the blow a little
by poorwebguy on Feb 17, 2012 5:50 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
it's possible that I need to adjust my sarcasm meter
should have gone name brand
(slaps forehead) NOW it makes sense
"If I had a dime for every basket I made today, you'd still suck!" - from the book 'John Dies @ the End'
Yeah
Must blame reporters looking through the blinds.
This changes things
Ah, the entirety of a quote.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:15 PM PST up reply actions
lol I dont buy it in the nba a coach shows confidence in you by giving you minutes . Nate hasnt touched Feltons minutes yet hes crying about Nate not having confidence in him ?
LOL at Feltons play suddenly being attached to his coaches confidence in him ? Its a contract year .
This guy is a major distraction and hilarious all at the same time .
Maybe someone should ask him what does he think Nate could do to get him to play better as i said the other day Ive never seen a team with so many players who have all these stipulations about what has to happen for them to do there jobs
I swear I thionk the problems on this team is Felton AND Wallace .
Wallace Nate be told what to do he has to be left alone to roam freely and Felton has to be coddled like a new born under Nates arm pit or he cant play .
SERENITY NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Willie Beamon on Feb 17, 2012 9:04 PM PST up reply actions
This IS a good example of how things can be out of context
and blown out of proportion.
Media loves drama because it increases eyes on their product and when they’re a for profit business, those eyes are more important than fair and balanced reporting.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
Lol that anyone
could actually think this was the actual quote. “…if I could have babies I’d want to have Nate’s” why on God’s name would Ray EVER say this hahahaha.
Honestly
I’d wager that 95% (made up statistic, no factual bearing) of all controversial quotes from athletes are taken out of context.
It’s to create buzz especially amidst the collective sentiments of the general population.
The whole Brandon Roy making “negative comments” to Andre Miller is a good example. Quick and Canzano ran off with it and ESPN picked it up with hopes of adding some drama. In reality, Roy’s teammates said they didn’t notice him saying anything offensive.
But anyway, it’s obvious Felton is frustrated with his situation. The signs of unhappiness is a combination of lack of control and lack of success.
It sucks he’s had a negative experience thus far in an otherwise hardcore basketball town.
by FreewheelinDylan on Feb 17, 2012 5:48 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
You think Canzano, Quick, etc dream about being the next David Kahn
And use their platform to show how great their GM abilities/basketball knowledge is… Thats preposterous.
Read below comment.
It’s just a dumb thing to say.
When in doubt: “both teams played hard.”
Felton should be the last guy talking right now. He sucks. People who suck don’t get to talk.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 5:53 PM PST up reply actions
Oh I know
It’s a totally stupid thing to say.
He hasn’t shown any responsibility on the court. Instead of trying to change his style, he’s asking people to change themselves for him. So naturally, all blame will fall on him. Comments like this don’t help his case either.
It’s the way he acts, though. And I feel sorry for him for acting like that.
I mean, in contrast, I recall Miller being pretty pissed off at Quick for awhile because he wrote a negative article about him. He chose to ignore him and let his game speak for itself.
I don’t think Felton will do the same. The way he reacts to negative press…he’ll do something else.
by FreewheelinDylan on Feb 17, 2012 6:27 PM PST up reply actions
"People who suck don’t get to talk."
Oh, they’ve got every right to talk.
It’s just that they’ll get reamed out when run their mouth.
Ray...Dude...
“Some people’s systems are for players. D’Antoni is one of those coaches where people excel in his offense. He’s a great offensive coach.
“But I’m not going to sit here and knock anything Coach Nate has done. We’re all fighting together, trying to figure this thing out. Being his point guard, I’m with him.”
Seriously?

Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 5:51 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
Also:
re: “I know I’m struggling, but it’s hard to perform the way you know how when you know they don’t have confidence in you.”
Name someone who’s seen the Blazers play more than twice this season who DOES have confidence in Raymond Felton at this point.
—Dave
by Dave on Feb 17, 2012 5:56 PM PST reply actions 4 recs
suprised to see you jumping on the hate train Dave
I have faith in Felton and I bet his team does too
The tensions are so high because the stakes are so low!
by tylercomp on Feb 17, 2012 7:16 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
It's not a hate train though.
He’s well below his career averages in pretty much every category, especially PER. Andre’s assists went down “in Nate’s system”, but his effective field goal percentages didn’t plummet.
I don’t “hate” Ray for that. I think it stinks that he’s not in top physical condition, but I don’t hate him for being a bad point guard so far this season.
No, his comments show the root of the problem: he doesn’t take accountability for his own actions. That’s why he’s out of shape and that’s why his shooting stroke makes Babbitt look like Ray Allen.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 8:22 PM PST up reply actions
Calling my comments "hate" is unfair
I don’t hate Felton. I root for him every time he takes the floor. In fact I’d guess I’m less disappointed than many because I had a fairly good purchase on who he was before he came here. Obviously this Felton is worse than the average but the drop isn’t quite as far for me as for most. However it’s completely fair to take a guy to task for uttering something that’s out of touch with reality. In this case deeply out of touch. You have to fix your own screw-ups before you blame somebody else. Also if the cause you’re pinning the mistakes on is something that’s happening in your head (in this case perceiving a coach’s lack of confidence in you) then you work on what’s happening in your head. You don’t expect the other person to change for you. As several people have mentioned, Nate is not shooting those three-pointers with horrible form and results for Raymond. How about working on that first—something you can control—and then worrying about the other stuff that you can’t control as much after you’ve fixed your own?
Having faith in Raymond Felton is different than having confidence in him too.
—Dave
wurd
I have been told ‘hate’ is a strong word. I meant it to be read as displeasure train I guess.
The tensions are so high because the stakes are so low!
"hater" drives me nuts
because people can disagree and debate without hate.
People seem to take disagreement far too personally today and equate that with a personal attack vs a different point of view.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
The word "hater"
as used today, does not cary the same meaning as it use to. It’s kind of like calling something “gay” when not speaking towards happiness or homosexuality. Its just a modern hip way of saying you don’t like something, or don’t support it.
"Hater" is a dismissive term.
If you’re called a “hater” it means someone has told you that you dislike something irrationally, so your opinion is irrelevant. It’s neither modern, nor hip, it’s simply dismissive, regardless of how it’s being co-opted.
We will have to agree to disagree
I already know you disagree with me on this. I’m going to mark it down as a generational disagreement.
do you have faith in Raymond?
How is it different? To me, it is kind of the same. I don’t have faith in someone unless I have confidence in them.
I have faith in him
that he knows what he is supposed to do, that he will try to do it, that he isn’t short-changing this franchise intentionally, and that he’s the best point guard option the Blazers have right now. That does not translate into confidence that he will play well in a given game nor even that he’ll connect with a jumper when he goes up. I root for him. I put my emotion behind him in a positive sense. But I’m not sure at any given moment that he’ll produce results.
—Dave
Why are people defending Nate so vehemently?
I’m just gonna quote what I said in the previous thread since I don’t think many people read it and I’m not writing any more paragraphs on this.
His comments SOUND absolutely ridiculous.. I mean, Nate has given him quite a "long-leash" – he’s gotten lot’s of playing time for someone who’s been playing as terrible as he has – but I believe there’s more to the story. Raymond isn’t the first player to come to Portland and complain about Nate. To me, it look’s like "Sarge" is trying to get the players to conform to his idea of "good basketball". The problem is the personnel we have don’t fit the bill, and whether or not his idea of good basketball is actually good basketball is arguable.
Our personnel needs a coach that runs good, set plays, to get good, open shots. Gets out on the break. ISN’T afraid to try an offense that fits the team’s personnel even if it leads to a couple more turnovers as long as the end result is a more efficient offense. This coach isn’t Nate. Nate is a decent (not even gonna say GOOD) coach for excellent isolation players such as Brandon Roy. We don’t have B-Roy anymore. Nate doesn’t fit the bill.
To go back to what I was originally stating, I don’t think what Felton said specifically is necessarily true, but I do believe coach is having an effect on his play. I don’t think it’s that coach has a lack of confidence in him, I think it’s that he isn’t good at what coach is ramming down his throat and that’s causing Ray himself to "lose confidence" and state things such as this after tough games. I just can’t blame Ray here. I believe basketball is a very mental sport, and if coach is making players lose confidence because he’s trying to make them conform to his idea of an ‘efficient" offense rather then working on playing torwards the team’s strengths, I can’t blame that on Felton.
Felton isn’t as bad as he’s been playing. He may be as bad as he’s been playing in Nate’s system, but that’s because Nate isn’t the right fit for him. Nobody on the roster is besides Jamal (is it a coincidence that when Jamal signed here, there was instantly that story about Nate wanting to "get his name into the rafters"? Favoritism torwards iso players much?). Also, let’s get something straight – Ray isn’t the only one to call out Nate McMillan in the past few years PUBLICLY. That’s a big claim because most guy’s don’t have the balls to say something like this publicly. I believe that there’s other players on this roster who are probably sick of Nate but just don’t say anything to the media. I believe that Raymond would be playing BETTER if we had a different coach, along with most of the guys on our team.
If you disagree with me, fine. I just have absolutely no reason to continue supporting Nate McMillan. He has proven nothing other then he can run a terrible predictable offense that doesn’t work in the playoffs. He’s proven he’s gonna continue running this terrible system when the majority of the players on the team would benefit from a different one. If that’s cool with you, then OK.
by Jpar on Feb 17, 2012 5:57 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
It really is fine that you hate Nate and want him fired
I just can’t agree to blame Ray’s bad play on Nate. It’s neither right nor logical. Nate might have an effect on his play but if anything Nate is guilty for giving him as many minutes as he has lately.
I can’t go for the whole “blame Nate for everything and scream FIRE NATE” thing. Blame Nate for the things that are his fault and if he gets fired so be it. Ray gets responsibility for his cruddy play.
First you say you can't blame Ray's play on Nate, then you say Nate might have an effect on his play. Which one is it?
I don’t understand how people honestly believe coach has no effect on how he’s playing? By that logic Mike D’Antoni had nothing to do with the stats he put up last year in New York. While I think Ray deserves a bit more credit for how well he played in both NY and DEN last year, obviously coaching had something to do with it.
you're taking pieces of people's replies and spinning them
I don’t understand how people honestly believe coach has no effect on how he’s playing?
Nate can’t be blamed for Ray’s terrible play. To say that a coach has no effect on the way players play, though, is ludicrous. Nate can’t make Ray pass the ball to people’s ankles, come into the season out of shape or miss wide open shots.
You’re oversimplifying the way reality works to try to make a point against an argument that doesn’t even exist.
by poorwebguy on Feb 17, 2012 6:34 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
People are defending Nate because your bashing the hell outta the guy
in defense of Ray. To even suggest Nate is the reason Ray is sucking from day one is absurd.
I would guess that’s why.
I guess if you wanna bash Nate go ahead but there’s no possible argument outside of Ray himself sucking all on his own that would truly suggest that Nate is making Ray play poorly
by blazerblaze on Feb 17, 2012 6:26 PM PST up reply actions 5 recs
You didn't know
Nate has told and taught Ray to pass the ball to LMA’s ankles, hit the rim or nothing on 80% of his 3 point shots and even told him that dribbling off your feet is the best way to win your fans over?
Nate struggled when Oden was playing well in '10.
There is substance to Jpar’s argument. A LOT of substance.
"Brandon Roy has done this before."
Who?
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:17 PM PST up reply actions
Secondly are you REALLY going to try and drag Oden into this?
Really? Two words: Sample Size.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:18 PM PST up reply actions
I think that had a lot to do with the Roy/Oden dynamic
Roy was used to having guys like Jones, Blake, Jack, LA, Frye, and Outlaw on the court at all times, along with either Joel or MF-recovery Oden, screen-setting C’s who created openings for Roy but didn’t draw defenders into the paint. Once Oden became an offensive threat, there were too many defenders close to the basket and it made it a lot harder for Roy to score.
But we actually did relatively well once Oden’s offensive game came around. Nate adjusted well in that situation, it just took the players a few games to adjust to their new roles.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
I think Nate struggled only because Roy didn't like Oden's play.
Roy complained that Oden was clogging up the lane.
Yes, I too hate this system of wide open threes
So horrible.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:17 PM PST up reply actions
You're combining two different conversations.
The issue with Felton is that people can look externally or internally for the cause of their issues. The issue is that you can generally only change the internal stuff (unless you leave and change your external situation)
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
I agree with the history
too many stories of players having problems with Nate and also our “system”
Rebuttal
1. When has Felton demonstrated that he plays winning basketball?
2. What skills does Felton have that Nate is ignoring?
3. How many other players did Nate turn into bad players that were good before and good after?
4. Felton is bad. He’s a career 40% shooter. His assist-turnover ration has always been bad. He has never been a good 3pt shooter.
5. What system are you talking about. People used to complain that Nate’s system was to halfcourt to accomodate Roy. Now he is running a much more open offense that is is part allowing players like Felton to jack up all of his terrible ill-adivised shots. And now thats a problem?
by robertjcase on Feb 17, 2012 6:04 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
Some skills Felton has shown, and is continuing to display
Been in the top 10 in assists 4 out of the past 5 years.
Been in the top 10 in steals 2 out of the past 3 years.
his assists are practically the same
so i don’t really get what you are saying.
Feltons Career vs This Year
FG% 41% : 36%
FT% 79% : 79%
Assists 6.7 : 6.3
Steals 1.4 :1.3
TO 2.6 : 2.9
Min 35 : 33
The only marked difference is 3% which is 32% (career) to 21% season. Considering most of those are wide open shots, I’m not sure how the blame goes on anyone but him.
With these numbers I’m struggling to figure out how anyone can claim that Felton isn’t really this bad. Help please?
this one took me a minute
The only marked difference is 3% which is 32% (career) to 21% season
but I got it…That tiny math part of my brain was glitching
I'm stumped too
I’m assuming his shooting goes up a little over the next 34 games. He’ll probably finish right around 40% somewhere. He’s had similar seasons with other teams and in other systems. He came in out of shape and there’s a lot of bad shooting going on in lockout shortened season. Not a stretch at all really.
Bad part about it is he’ll get traded, do a little better with another team because his pride will overcome a bit of whatever he has in his head right now and then we’ll never hear the end of it from the “Nate is screwing up Felton” crowd.
.bq Bad part about it is he’ll get traded, do a little better with another team because his pride will overcome a bit of whatever he has in his head right now and then we’ll never hear the end of it from the "Nate is screwing up Felton" crowd.
Because in that case it was Nate’s fault.
can't agree with that
reality is seldom that cut and dry. Also, a little better probably still wouldn’t be that great.
He's been at his worst in crunch time
with unforced errors with his handle.
He’s also been porous on defense of late. Is that Nate’s schemes keeping a “fast” PG from being able to move laterally? I don’t think so. He DID just have Wall, Curry, and CP3 in a row, though. That’ll wear a guy down.
He’s in a terrible slump right now though, just when the team can ill afford horrible production at the guard spots. Wes is having his minutes scrutinized, but instead of pouting you’ll hear Wes say all the right things and you’ll see him out there working his a@@ off.
That’s why fans hate Felton and love Matthews, even though they’re both producing spotty results of late.
Come on, let's all hug it out.
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Feb 17, 2012 8:30 PM PST up reply actions
reality is seldom that cut and dry.
I like arguments and not meaningless figures of speech. Him going elsewhere and playing better is the equivalent to us getting a new coach and playing better, unless you for some reason think that he doesn’t get along with the players or like Portland, and there’s nothing pointing torwards that. Not to mention an argument can easily be made that the majority of Portland’s roster would play better under a different coach who plays a system that maximizes the player’s on this team’s strengths
by Jpar on Feb 17, 2012 6:39 PM PST reply actions 4 recs
it's not a meaningless figure of speech
I simply meant that the situation is more complicated than what you were implying. There are more variables at play then you’re accounting for.
Not to mention an argument can easily be made that the majority of Portland’s roster would play better under a different coach who plays a system that maximizes the player’s on this team’s strengths
Could be. Still can’t put all of Ray’s terrible play on Nate though.
by poorwebguy on Feb 17, 2012 6:43 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Who cares? Why does that matter?
Look at the big picture. Nate isn’t helping this team anymore, period. He’s an OBSTACLE for the majority of the players on this team, when the coach should be HELPING. Looking at the facts, I don’t see how anyone can argue that. Nobody’s even trying to argue that every single time that I state it, people just seem to be ignoring it and nit-picking my arguments to me being an illogical Raymond Felton fan. I don’t even like Raymond Felton the player.
I’d much rather take that figure who has obviously become a burden to the team (NATE) out of the equation before I pass judgment on to the players. OBVIOUSLY you can’t put all of the blame on Nate, that should be needless to say (and you guys say I’m being illogical? You can’t even assume things that are common sense.), but I’d much rather see how the players we have play under a different coach before I start hating them, calling to trade them, calling them worthless, etc.
I understand you don't like Nate
That’s perfectly fine. A lot of what you’re saying is opinion though and you’re claiming it as fact. My only contention in this thread is that Nate can’t be blamed for Ray’s terrible play.
That’s it. Call Nate the devil for all I care. Having a different coach intrigues me at this point too honestly. I just can’t agree with a lot of the stuff Nate is being accused of.
No need to stress. More than anything, for me this is about keeping Nate’s responsibility separate from Ray’s responsibility. Ray has been screwing up and he needs to take responsibility for that. Nate has his own shortcomings.
by poorwebguy on Feb 17, 2012 6:57 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
You're wrong on alot of levels.
I just can’t agree with a lot of the stuff Nate is being accused of.
Nate isn’t being accused of anything that isn’t true. You’re the one assuming that because the obvious shortcomings of Nate McMillan are being brought up that the people bringing them up think thats the sole reason Raymond Felton is playing like crap. That isn’t true and I’ve said that already.
Nate’s responsibility is to help the team. (yes, reality IS that cut and dry, thank you) Because of his insistence to run a terrible offensive scheme that doesn’t fit the personnel at all and his refusal to change it, he isn’t helping Ray or almost anyone else on the team. We’d be better off with a different coach because of this. I’d rather see how Raymond performs under a different coach before I start calling for his head. I don’t care if Raymond "takes responsibility "or not if he plays better for us under a different coach. Maybe he should, but I’m not his mother. I’m a basketball fan.
Sorry but this so wrong . Weve already seen how feltons perform under different coaches
Felton played for one of the best coaches of all time in Larry brown and he quickly decided Felton is best used off the ball and started DJ Augustine at PG .
Felton went to NY and played in Dantonis number inflation system and started great and his play got rose every month he was there until they dealt him .
He went to Denver and they said hes backing up Lawson they said we will play beside him and give you some backup minutes but we are not giving you the keys .
Nates mistake was given someone who basically has proven themselves to be anything but a nba floor general the keys . Feltons not a PG but a small SG struggling with his shot because a true PG game is not dictated by how well he is hooting the ball .
I cant believe anyone would think Nate is hurting Felton by playing him 33 mpg over players who have out played him .
Felts comments are so crazy because to be frank jamal is the only player on the team whose been asked to sacrifice so far and he has no problem with it . How can Felton say its hard to play coming in out of the lineup ? Wouldnt that be something Crawford whose played 31 mpg but is now playing 25 and coming in and out of the lineup be saying ?
The offensive scheme has nothing to do with Feltons problems his problems start and end with the fact we are asking him to actually run a club and be responsible for it and he simply cant do it .
There is a reason the Bobcats got rid of Felton and Wallace
by Willie Beamon on Feb 17, 2012 7:50 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
I'm really not assuming anything
You must not be reading my posts. If you’re saying that Felton is to blame for his terrible play than most likely we are in agreement.
Then you need to argue logically.
Oops. I accidentally recced you. My bad.
#52--------I believe in Greg Oden
I may have been a little harsh in frustration but maybe this team should just let Felton do whatever he wants out there.
Nate should let Felton play even when he isn’t doing good things. These guys don’t need our support when everything is going well, they need it in times like this. When things aren’t going great. I think Felton will get better with this team but Nate has to keep trusting him.
Felton is the most self-conscious player on the floor. In New York he was in a situation where he didn’t need to think so much.
Nolan Smith...
is he that much less skilled than Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette, Isiah Thomas, Brandon Knight? And I am just naming a handful of pg playing many more minutes than him.
You can see bad in anyone if you focus enough
I have seen plenty of times where felton creates shots and makes shots to help this team. Everyone is hyper focusing on him and any faults he makes. He is not the only one to make mistakes in crunch time… I would say he has one of the best handles on this team and I hope Blazers fans don’t have a hand making his experience here negetive…
The tensions are so high because the stakes are so low!
Blazer fans hope Felton's play doen't have a hand in making his stay here negative
Oh. Dang.
Law of Logical Argument
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
by blacknoiseNW on Feb 17, 2012 7:43 PM PST up reply actions
I think someone could be blind drunk and hallucinating and still be able to
notice flaws in Felton’s game.
I would totally eat that pretzel right now
by hoodieNation on Feb 17, 2012 11:06 PM PST up reply actions
If I was in the NBA
i’d be the white Felton
by hoodieNation on Feb 18, 2012 5:16 PM PST up reply actions
Felton's the last PG we've had in Nate's time here that should be passing the blame to the coach.
Felton’s been absolutely horrible this year and he can only blame himself. Nate’s had this problem with most of his guards, but if anything, Nate’s given him too much trust for how badly he’s played with the high amount of minutes he’s been given. Felton’s delusional.
As for people agreeing with Felton’s blame on Nate, I can see your point too, but Felton’s just not a good example for this argument. Nate wasn’t a great PG, but he didn’t make a lot of mistakes or try to do too much, and his defense was solid. I think this is what causes some of his issues with coaching point guards. He values not making mistakes and playing within a system too much, at the expense of allowing a talented PG freedom to be better than Nate could have ever been. This is not the case with Felton, obviously Felton’s just been horrible on his own, but I do believe it’s a problem in general with Nate. I forgot who said it, but it was some hall of famer, “Show me a guy who never turns it over and i’ll show you a guy who never does much of anything at all.”
Dre ain't got no love for these pros
I think it was Clyde. He must say it a lot because I heard it last year.
Dre ain't got no love for these pros
Among this years top 20 in TO%:
Ryan Anderson (#1 at 4.4%, by the way)
Thad Young
Lou Williams
Al Jefferson
Brandon Bass
Dorell Wright
Tayshaun Prince
JJ Redick
Wes Matthews
Dirk Nowitzki
Elton Brand
LaMarcus Aldridge
Joe Johnson
Kevin Martin
I have to disagree with Clyde on that one.
Phase 1: Collect underpants
Phase 2: ???
Phase 3: Profit!
I don't know if I'd disagree with him.
Top 20 highest in turnovers per game this year:
Russell Westbrook , OKC
Deron Williams , NJN
John Wall , WAS
LeBron James , MIA
Kobe Bryant , LAL
Kevin Durant , OKC
Rajon Rondo , BOS
Steve Nash , PHX
Monta Ellis , GSW
Ricky Rubio , MIN
Kyle Lowry , HOU
Dwight Howard , ORL
Kyrie Irving , CLE
Carmelo Anthony , NYK
Tyreke Evans , SAC
Hedo Turkoglu , ORL
Raymond Felton , POR
Stephen Curry , GSW
Derrick Rose , CHI
Ben Gordon , DET
Outside of a few exceptions, that might as well be a list of the best and most valuable players in the NBA. It’s pretty sad that Felton’s in this list when you have players like Lebron, Kobe, Durant, and basically 18 of the top 20 who actually give you more than enough production to make up for the turnovers.
Dre ain't got no love for these pros
Haha
This list is like one of those Kindergarten games “which one doesn’t belong.”
Ben Gordon?
Felton has been in the top10 in the NBA with assists 4 out of the past 5 years. So I know you aren’t talking about him.
Hmmm..
He’s definitely one of those people that can’t accept responsibility for their own actions. They spin it in which way they can to avoid taking the blame.
you talking about Nate or Felton?
Seems to me it could be either one.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
by pdxborn on Feb 17, 2012 8:16 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
exactly...rec. I have never heard Nate take the blame for anything...
And I have heard him throw the team and certain players (who are French) under the bus more than once.. Nate has used the pronoun: they..in post game interviews this year..when talking about the team’s play.
He’s corrected this in his MOST recent interviews..I was listening for the “they” pronoun…he’s said “we”…wonder if anyone told him about this…..
Regardless of Felton's play
Nate hasn’t been the best coach for this team for at least 3 years. The ONLY thing that kept Nate afloat was BROY. No BROY, no bueno. A monkey can see that.
Yes, Felton’s play is garbage. Yes, it’s Felton taking the shots and running the plays. Yes Felton leaves a LOT to be desired.
Does this mean that Coach is a good coach? Not in the slightest. A good coach wouldn’t let it get to this point. Nate’s never been good at making adjustments and this is just more of the same. He’s the coach, he could do something about it. He can’t make players he doesn’t have, but he shouldn’t allow his players to end up in this situation.
Does this mean I think that Felton had any right to throw Nate under the bus? NO. Does this mean I love Felton? NO. Does Felton’s bad play make Nate a good coach? NO. Would I rather have Dre back? YES. But, there again Coach Nate couldn’t deal with Dre and acted very immature when Dre was here in how he handled the situation with him.
Felton can suck at the same time Nate is a bad coach for this group. Nate has had adjustment issues for years now, it’s got nothing to do with Felton, but Nate’s issues do effect Felton. Felton’s issues are bad play and lack of confidence, which can ALL stem from lack of confidence. It’s Nate’s job to instill that sense of confidence and for that Nate is getting a bad grade here.
What about Crash’s on again off again performances? What about We$ley’s terrible slump? What about Crawford’s chucking? What about the lack of development of our bench? What about the inability of this team to win on the road? What about the meltdown in the last 3 weeks? Why did it take so long to get Nico in the starting lineup? He shined on the French National Team as a 2. Why does it seem like year after year, it’s Nate and this stubborn ways. Why is Nate so slow to react?
Not all the issues with this team are Felton’s issues. Keep a proper perspective on why the Blazer’s are playing this poorly. It’s not all Felton. Our guard play is some of the worst in the league. While Felton might be a huge part of the issue, so are the other guards as well. I sure don’t see them getting lumped in with Felton. Let’s be honest, Crawford and Matthews are not shining examples of what we need. Our bench is weak and it won’t get better if they never see floor time.
Why start Matthews instead of the Rhino or Thomas? Again, Nate is terrible at making adjustments. When Lee was eating up Crash in the low post, did Nate adjust? NO, good lord, he did not. Perhaps we can find a way to pin this on Felton and a cupcake from 4 months ago?
Yeah, I know you’re either in the Love Nate or Hate Nate camp around here lately, but I think Nate is a good coach who has serious flaws in his coaching style that are exacerbating this issue with the players.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
by pdxborn on Feb 17, 2012 8:15 PM PST reply actions 3 recs
Thank god I'm an APE then.
Cuz I don’t see it.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 8:21 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs
you can't see the iso slow down, oops
we’re missing BROY at the end of games? Really? We only had 11 points last night. That’s missing BROY if I ever saw it. What’s our record in games within 4 points? 2-8 IIRC. How is that not missing BROY?
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
I wasn't saying I don't miss Roy
It’s pretty obvious that we all miss him. I’m disagreeing with your take on Nate, which was 90% of your response.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 17, 2012 10:37 PM PST up reply actions
Well,
100% of your post is that you are an APE. Not sure how to take that. I’m all for constructive conversation, but “I’m an APE” isn’t constructive at all, it’s a rude rebuttal that has nothing constructive at all and doesn’t address the issue.
Nate is a round peg in a square hole. I’ve got nothing against round pegs, but the best fit for a square hole is square peg.
That doesn’t take anything from the fact that Felton sucks either, btw. I never argued he was good to begin with.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
It's not a rude rebuttal. It's a statement of fact.
Fact 1) I, and no other human on earth is a monkey, we are all apes (sorry… “APES”)
Fact 2) If I were to be rude, you would know it. I would have about fifteen more comments and at least one Mod warning. If I were being rude I’d do something like making fun of your genetic heritage, or that your hair products involve genetic material.
Fact 3) You are being waaaaaaayy oversensitive. I disagree with you, the person above me disagrees with you. Get over it. Part of the fun of life is hearing other perspectives. Even ones you disagree with. Some of those involve point by point rebuttals, some are just statements of “no”. Saying that I think you’re wrong is just a shade different from saying you’re a moron. Don’t you agree?
Fact 4) To re-iterate I am an ape, not a monkey. So, no, I don’t see what you see. I see blue, you see fire Nate.
Fact 5) The sun is rather warm.
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 18, 2012 3:09 PM PST up reply actions
Did he seriously flag me for this?
Really?
I know less than half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
by haildablazer on Feb 18, 2012 3:35 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I don't see any flags
just conversation going farther and farther away from point. Things will go smoother if you guys talk more about basketball and less about each other. That way everybody can join in.
—Dave
Nate is an average coach..not the worst and not the best.
He seems to be good at motivating young players who have NEVER been coached by anyone else in the NBA..under adverse conditions.
Period. That to me is all that Nate does REALLY WELL.
Otherwise Nate is mediocre at best.
Is it ok if I call out nate for Nic geting 1 shot in the 4th quarter last night when he was the only one making shots
by southern oregon on Feb 17, 2012 8:24 PM PST reply actions
fine by me
but, watch out or soon you’ll be labelled as a Felton Lover for questioning Nate’s rotation. LOL.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
Yea, it's not just you, haha.
I have also been called a Felton Lover for being aboard the Nate hate train. I don’t even like Felton.
LOL.
Neither do I. I’d much rather have Dre back. But, it’s the price we pay for speaking our minds I guess. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I just don’t like getting attacked over it. I don’t agree with many opinions on here, but I certainly see where they come from as well as appreciating the fact that we’re all here because we love watching the Blazers and want to be involved in discussing the team.
I just wish that it could be more productive sometimes and not be labelled because someone doesn’t agree with me.
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
I agree that nate has some weakness in reacting quickly
I agree that Dre (with Roy gone) was likely a better pg particularly with a shortened seasoned where a RUNNING team will run itself to death.
But Felton is responsible for his own poor performance.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
is that a Felton Jersey you're wearing?
jk ; ) people are pretty emotional which is understandable with the slide of the team and need some scapegoat to blame it on and Felton happens to be the one. I for one appreciate those of you who are trying to look at the situation from more angles and post well thought out points.
Ha, the only jersey I own is a Roy jersey...
:) Thanks. I don’t think that there is one thing that will fix the issues with this team. I figure that all things considered the Blazers are doing pretty well considering that they lost Oden and Roy at the same time and only had a week to shore up the team. Not bad at all.
This team is capable of more than they are currently acheiving. I don’t expect that to stay the same as I don’t expect this team to stay the same. I highly doubt that we will have anything close to this roster come next year. Still I’m one to live in the moment and the moment is always now, not tomorrow.
I hope some of the animosity on this subject wil taper down a few notches. We are all Blazer fans after all!
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. -the shawshank redemption.
I think Dave mentioned this in his recap
No one one the team including batum was doing anything to get open
The tensions are so high because the stakes are so low!
I figured it was mostly because Nate hates Nic
but yeah…that makes sense too.
Yeah while I was writing the recap, I noticed Nic had nearly no points in the second half
After a while, it was clear that there was some combination of exhaustion (on Nic and the other players), some 1-on-1 play from the guards, and plenty of hard Clipper D to stop Batum.
You think Nate was sitting on the side line
saying DO NOT what ever you do DO NOT pass Nic the ball? Jamal was dominating the ball, everyone was tired and not running anything.
Though I agree Felton is the most under performing player on this team (he SUCKS right now)
There are many under performing players on the squad right now. If Felton was at the top of his game and all the other players were where they are currently (production wise), how many more games does this team have marked as wins? The organization from top to bottom has holes in it. If a trade presents itself to move Felton, I would second the move but I don’t think the team is suddenly going to improve by a substantial amount should that happen.
It's all been a horrible misunderstanding
When Felton said “I know I’m struggling, but it’s hard to perform the way you know how when you know they don’t have confidence in you. Never in my days playing basketball, have I felt like a coach wasn’t confident in my abilities. It’s hard to play knowing that.”.
What he actually meant was " I’m out of Chocolate Milk".
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Feb 17, 2012 10:57 PM PST reply actions 2 recs
mmmm.
chocolate milk.
"The only 'Advanced Metric' that matters is what you see with your eyes." -Timbo, Nov., 2009.
by Blazin' on Feb 17, 2012 11:09 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
After reading the thoughts and the crazy
I think this is the comment I’ll rec because chocolate milk is awesome.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
This seems to have turned into hate nate debate night
This isn’t about Nate. It’s about Felton and his throwing stones externally instead of dealing with his internal issues.
"The game was delayed for over 15 minutes with 5:07 left in the second quarter after France's Nicolas Batum, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, dunked and twisted the rim. Volunteers and officials scrambled to put a new rim on the basket and reattach a net."
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=5509394
Nahhh there are some very mixed views in this post. I don't think it's just "Nate hate".
The thing is that one or two vehement commenters can cause a thread to derail.
Reading comprehension FTW!
I find it very revealing and amusing that an article about misconstruing and/or misunderstanding a person’s comments should feature so many posts that completely twist or outright ignore the actual comments to which they are supposedly responding.
Who's that tromping across my bedge?
by Troll Blazer on Feb 18, 2012 9:04 AM PST reply actions 2 recs
Patty Mills
Speaking of backup point guards, wouldn’t it be nice if we had Patty Mills right now? I know a lot of folks around here didn’t see him as legit, but he was a true point guard, he always had confidence no matter what the situation, and he would have been a better fit with this year’s offense. When is he done in China?
Not really
To be honest, this team is still a losing team with Patty Mills.
He's done with China
due to injury. He’s still injured hanging out with his old College:
From a couple of days ago Spokesman Review:
Caught a double-feature this morning. I watched the second half of the GU-Saint Mary’s game (I took in the first half at 1:30 a.m. before the eyes gave out) and then caught the last 7 minutes of GU-SMC from 2009 on ESPNU (Zags 72-70 in Moraga — pretty good five on the floor with Pargo, Bouldin, Downs, Daye and Heytvelt; an injured Patty Mills on SMC’s bench).
Thanks for the update!
I’d still like to have him as a back-up option. It’s amazing to me how thin we are at the point guard position.































