Berman: Raymond Felton Points Out That Blazers Are A Lottery Team Without Him

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports a third round of comments from New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton, who is set to make his first return trip to the Rose Garden on Thursday night after spending a disastrous 2011-12 season with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Earlier Wednesday, Felton issued a warning to "certain people" that should "better not come near me." Later Wednesday, he repeated that warning and called out media "lies" about his relationship with former coach Nate McMillan.

Here, Felton just wants to remind everyone that the Blazers are currently tracking towards the 2013 NBA Draft lottery.

Raymond Felton is firing back at his Portland detractors who made him a scapegoat for the Blazers' rotten lockout season.

"They didn't make the playoffs last year when I was there,'' Felton said before the Knicks' ugly 117-94 loss to the Nuggets last night. "When I looked last, I don't think they're in the playoffs now.''

...

"I'm going to laugh the whole time, really,'' Felton said of his Portland return. "I'm happy now. I'm back where I want to be. I couldn't care less what they say. It's behind me. I never one time made one excuse. I came in, was out of shape, said that from the beginning, said it the whole time. Anything else they want to say, it's not true.''

Felton's 2011-12 season got off to a slow start when he returned from the lockout in poor condition and it went downhill from there, as he struggled with turnovers and poor outside shooting. In March 2012, Felton was implicated in a "mutiny" against former coach Nate McMillan and hit with the "cancer" tag. In April 2012, Felton welcomed his critics to confront him at his condo and said that criticism of his play and conditioning was a "spit in my face."

The Blazers sign-and-traded him to the Knicks in July 2012. In November 2012, he clarified that it wasn't his intention to eat his way out of Portland.

Last summer, Felton promised to "drop 50" points in his return to Portland.

"I'm a free agent so maybe those bloggers and those people who write won't have to see me again. Maybe they won't, until I'm coming in on the other end and droppin' 50 on 'em. We'll see what happens. Who knows. Still no bad taste in my mouth with Portland. I still got a lot of great relationships there with the owner, management and as well some of the players. Who knows what might happen. I still might go back there. We'll see what happens."

Hat tip: @SportsMediaWrld

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter