Blazer's Edge - Former Blazers G Raymond Felton Returns to PortlandThe ultimate coverage and analysis of the Portland Trail Blazershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47543/blazersedge-fave.png2013-03-14T02:32:32-07:00http://www.blazersedge.com/rss/stream/38713052013-03-14T02:32:32-07:002013-03-14T02:32:32-07:00Felton: Lockout Made For "Unfair Situation" In PDX
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<p>New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton believes that his 2011-12 season with the Portland Trail Blazers was an "unfair situation" because of the lockout. </p> <p><b>Frank Isola</b> of the <b>New York Daily News</b> <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/felton-face-squad-knicks-play-trail-blazers-article-1.1288173" target="_blank">reports</a> that New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton believes that his 2011-12 season with the Portland Trail Blazers was an "unfair situation" because of the lockout.</p>
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<p>Felton, who has played well this season in his second stint with the Knicks, accepted responsibility for his performance and fitness not being up to standard with Portland. Felton wrongly believed that the NBA labor dispute would wipe out the season and wasn't in shape when the season began on Dec. 25.</p>
<p>"It was kinda being put into an unfair situation," he said. "You really didn't have a training camp to (develop) chemistry, and that's big for a point guard especially coming to a new team, new arena and new organization. And that didn't play into my favor.</p>
<p>"Then I was out of shape. I got kinda relaxed because I didn't think we were going to have a season. I did what I had to do. I felt like I was professional, didn't talk bad about anybody, didn't try to cause any drama even though that was said about me. The only drama that I own up to is that I was out of shape. That's it."</p>
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<p>Felton is making his first return trip to the Rose Garden on Thursday.</p>
<p>Earlier Wednesday, Felton <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4099910/former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-discusses-rose-garden-return">issued a warning</a> to "certain people" that should "better not come near me." <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4102038/haynes-former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-pops-more-shots-before-rose">Later Wednesday</a>, he repeated that warning and called out media "lies" about his relationship with former coach Nate McMillan. He also <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/14/4102808/berman-raymond-felton-points-out-that-blazers-are-a-lottery-team" target="_blank">pointed out</a> that the Blazers are still headed to the 2013 NBA Draft lottery.</p>
<p>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. <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2871390/felton-and-crawford-quietly-orchestrated-a-mutiny" target="_blank">In March 2012</a>, Felton was implicated in a "mutiny" against former coach Nate McMillan and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2872631/quick-raymond-felton-is-a-cancer-and-a-crappy-player">hit with the "cancer" tag</a>. In April 2012, Felton <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/5/2926726/media-row-report-blazers-101-nets-88" target="_blank">welcomed his critics</a> to confront him at his condo and said that criticism of his play and conditioning was a "<a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/23/2969408/calkins-raymond-felton-says-criticism-has-been-spit-in-my-face" target="_blank">spit in my face</a>."</p>
<p>The Blazers <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/7/14/3160103/isola-blazers-trade-raymond-felton-to-new-york-knicks" target="_blank">sign-and-traded him</a> to the Knicks in July 2012. In November 2012, he clarified that it <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/11/9/3624974/raymond-felton-i-didnt-purposefully-eat-my-way-out-of-portland" target="_blank">wasn't his intention to eat his way out of Portland</a>.</p>
<p>Last summer, Felton <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/6/19/3097821/mark-haggard-of-carolinalive-com-has-a-video-feature-on-portland">promised to "drop 50" points</a> in his return to Portland.</p>
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<p>"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."</p>
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<p>-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/blazersedge" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/14/4102818/isola-raymond-felton-says-2011-lockout-made-for-unfair-situationBen Golliver2013-03-14T02:22:34-07:002013-03-14T02:22:34-07:00Felton: I Wasn't Problem, Blazers Are Lottery Team
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<p>New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton assesses the 2012-13 Portland Trail Blazers.</p> <p><b>Marc Berman</b> of the <b>New York Post</b> <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/fat_chance_felton_feels_portland_moO1BUbwTubQpSbwWUMwIN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Knicks" target="_blank">reports</a> 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.</p>
<p>Earlier Wednesday, Felton <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4099910/former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-discusses-rose-garden-return" target="_blank">issued a warning</a> to "certain people" that should "better not come near me." <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4102038/haynes-former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-pops-more-shots-before-rose" target="_blank">Later Wednesday</a>, he repeated that warning and called out media "lies" about his relationship with former coach Nate McMillan.</p>
<p>Here, Felton just wants to remind everyone that the Blazers are currently tracking towards the 2013 NBA Draft lottery.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Raymond Felton is firing back at his Portland detractors who made him a scapegoat for the Blazers' rotten lockout season.</p>
<p>"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.''</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>"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.''</p>
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<p>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. <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2871390/felton-and-crawford-quietly-orchestrated-a-mutiny" target="_blank">In March 2012</a>, Felton was implicated in a "mutiny" against former coach Nate McMillan and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2872631/quick-raymond-felton-is-a-cancer-and-a-crappy-player">hit with the "cancer" tag</a>. In April 2012, Felton <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/5/2926726/media-row-report-blazers-101-nets-88" target="_blank">welcomed his critics</a> to confront him at his condo and said that criticism of his play and conditioning was a "<a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/23/2969408/calkins-raymond-felton-says-criticism-has-been-spit-in-my-face" target="_blank">spit in my face</a>."</p>
<p>The Blazers <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/7/14/3160103/isola-blazers-trade-raymond-felton-to-new-york-knicks" target="_blank">sign-and-traded him</a> to the Knicks in July 2012. In November 2012, he clarified that it <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/11/9/3624974/raymond-felton-i-didnt-purposefully-eat-my-way-out-of-portland" target="_blank">wasn't his intention to eat his way out of Portland</a>.</p>
<p>Last summer, Felton <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/6/19/3097821/mark-haggard-of-carolinalive-com-has-a-video-feature-on-portland" target="_blank">promised to "drop 50" points</a> in his return to Portland.</p>
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<p>"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."</p>
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<p><a href="http://twitter.com/SPORTSMEDIAWRLD/statuses/312104898521079809" target="_blank"><i>Hat tip: @SportsMediaWrld</i></a></p>
<p>-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/blazersedge" target="_blank">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/14/4102808/berman-raymond-felton-points-out-that-blazers-are-a-lottery-teamBen Golliver2013-03-13T20:08:35-07:002013-03-13T20:08:35-07:00Raymond Felton Vents About Media "Lies"
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<p>Former Portland Trail Blazers guard Raymond Felton lashes out at media critics in advance of his first return trip to the Rose Garden on Thursday.</p> <p>New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton is set to make his first return trip to the Rose Garden after an ugly 2011-12 season on Thursday, and he has followed up a warning he issued on Wednesday morning with further comments.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4099910/former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-discusses-rose-garden-return">On Wednesday morning</a>, Felton told reporters in Denver that there were "certain people there I don't want to see and better not come near me."</p>
<p><b>Chris Haynes</b> of <b>CSNNW.com</b> reports <a href="http://www.csnnw.com/blog/blazers-talk/felton-looking-forward-rose-garden-return" target="_blank">Felton's latest statements</a>, which include the assertion that he was not a locker room malcontent and that reports of that nature are inaccurate.</p>
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<p>"If they boo me because of those negative articles, they would just be reacting off of the lies," Felton said. "Everything written about me and coach [McMillan] was wrong. You can talk to any other teams I've been on and ask if I've ever been a problem in the locker room. I never have. I heard they booed Jamal [Crawford], so I know what to expect. But really, we just had a tough season last year."</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>When CSNNW.com asked him who he was referring to, he responded by saying, "They know who I was talking about. They better not come by me or ask me a question. I've already let people know. You can't put out lies like that and expect me to talk to you. Please."</p>
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<p>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. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2871390/felton-and-crawford-quietly-orchestrated-a-mutiny">In March 2012</a>, Felton was implicated in a "mutiny" against former coach Nate McMillan and <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2872631/quick-raymond-felton-is-a-cancer-and-a-crappy-player" target="_blank">hit with the "cancer" tag</a>. In April 2012, Felton <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/5/2926726/media-row-report-blazers-101-nets-88">welcomed his critics</a> to confront him at his condo and said that criticism of his play and conditioning was a "<a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/23/2969408/calkins-raymond-felton-says-criticism-has-been-spit-in-my-face">spit in my face</a>."</p>
<p>The Blazers <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/7/14/3160103/isola-blazers-trade-raymond-felton-to-new-york-knicks">sign-and-traded him</a> to the Knicks in July 2012. In November 2012, he clarified that it <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/11/9/3624974/raymond-felton-i-didnt-purposefully-eat-my-way-out-of-portland">wasn't his intention to eat his way out of Portland</a>.</p>
<p><b>Jason Quick</b> of <b>The Oregonian</b> also <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2013/03/blazers_insider_rose_garden_should_cheer_the_retur.html" target="_blank">laid into Felton</a> on Wednesday.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Then-coach Nate McMillan tried to be patient with Felton and his mistakes while privately bemoaning his conditioning. Eventually, the season started to slip away, and McMillan couldn't wait any longer. He briefly took away Felton's starting job after the Blazers scored seven points in the first quarter in a loss to the Lakers. And as the turnovers mounted -- eight in one game at New Orleans -- he reeled in the freedom for Felton to run the offense.</p>
<p>Felton grew to dislike McMillan, and made little effort to hide his disdain of the task master from his teammates. It was nothing new to McMillan, who over the years knew he had detractors. He often remarked that much of his job was "putting out fires" in the locker room. But with Felton fanning the flames, the anti-McMillan heat grew too hot. The team quit on the coach, and McMillan was fired on March 15.</p>
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<p>-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/blazersedge">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4102038/haynes-former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-pops-more-shots-before-roseBen Golliver2013-03-13T11:36:25-07:002013-03-13T11:36:25-07:00Felton Issues Warning Before Rose Garden Return
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<p>New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton is set to make his first return trip to the Rose Garden on Thursday.</p> <p>New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton is set to make his first return trip to the Rose Garden on Thursday after spending a disastrous 2011-12 season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He sounds pretty excited.</p>
<p><b>Al Iannazzone</b> of <b>Newsday</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/Al_Iannazzone/statuses/311885580504027137">reports on Twitter</a>...</p>
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<p>Raymond Felton said when returns to Portland tomorrow: "there are certain people there I don't want to see and better not come near me."</p>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Frank Isola</b> of the <b>New York Daily News</b> <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/FisolaNYDN/statuses/311886887512047617">reports on Twitter</a>...</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Raymond Felton on the eve of his return to Portland says his brief time with the Blazers was the "worst moment I had in basketball for sure"</p>
<p>Raymond Felton says he has no problem with Portland fans but "certain people there I don't want to see and better not come near me."</p>
<p>Just a guess but "certain people" that better not "come near" Felton in Portland are probably media folks & maybe someone in organization</p>
<p>On possibly facing a hostile crowd in Portland, Raymond Felton said: "I could care less what they do or what they say. That's behind me."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Last summer, Felton <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/6/19/3097821/mark-haggard-of-carolinalive-com-has-a-video-feature-on-portland" target="_blank">promised to "drop 50" points</a> in his return to Portland.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"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."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>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. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2871390/felton-and-crawford-quietly-orchestrated-a-mutiny">In March 2012</a>, Felton was implicated in a "mutiny" against former coach Nate McMillan and <a href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/3/14/2872631/quick-raymond-felton-is-a-cancer-and-a-crappy-player" target="_blank">hit with the "cancer" tag</a>. In April 2012, Felton <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/5/2926726/media-row-report-blazers-101-nets-88">welcomed his critics</a> to confront him at his condo and said that criticism of his play and conditioning was a "<a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/4/23/2969408/calkins-raymond-felton-says-criticism-has-been-spit-in-my-face">spit in my face</a>."</p>
<p>The Blazers <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/7/14/3160103/isola-blazers-trade-raymond-felton-to-new-york-knicks">sign-and-traded him</a> to the Knicks in July 2012. In November 2012, he clarified that it <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blazersedge.com/2012/11/9/3624974/raymond-felton-i-didnt-purposefully-eat-my-way-out-of-portland">wasn't his intention to eat his way out of Portland</a>.</p>
<p>-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/blazersedge">Twitter</a></p>
https://www.blazersedge.com/2013/3/13/4099910/former-blazers-g-raymond-felton-discusses-rose-garden-returnBen Golliver