He was sick of turnover talk. Sick of hearing about the lows and sick of losing. Raymond Felton was thrown into the Portland Trail Blazers’ lineup as the offense’s tone setter but has struggled to stay consistent.
Understatement. He’s struggled to remain stable, teetering on the edge of the cliff that lands him near the end of the bench. Felton understood. He knew full well that all eyes were on him and that nowadays people expected turnovers and missed shots.
Then, Felton flipped the script. Though it didn’t seem that way after the opening tip.
It seemed he was treading familiar ground when his pass to Nicolas Batum was ripped away by a defender. On paper, the turnover didn’t go to Felton. It went to Batum. It marked the temporary end to Felton the Flawed and the start of a new day.
In leading the Trail Blazers to a 97-77 rout of the Atlanta Hawks, which snapped Portland’s four-game losing streak at the Rose Garden, Felton racked up 14 points to go along with eight assists and just two turnovers. The guy who was shooting a mere 36 percent from the field and less than 21 percent from three-point range went 6-for-11 and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.
What triggered this rejuvenation? What transformed the turnover-prone point guard into the ideal front man for Portland’s offense?
“Raymond time,” Felton called it.
He said he just needed some time to himself, some time to recoup and and rebuild a mental toughness. And now?
“Hopefully I’ve got it together,” Felton told Ben Golliver of BlazersEdge.com. “Well, I’ve got it together mentally.”
Maybe “Raymond time” was the simple answer. Or perhaps it was extended work with his shooting coach, Ivorie Manning.
Manning arrived in Portland more than two weeks ago. Usually, these personal coaches stay for one or two days, but apparently Felton was a Roman project – one that isn’t built in a day.
He’s has been in Felton’s pocket for two weeks. On speed dial if not within earshot. Whatever Manning has done, it obviously needs to continue. It needs to continue more often. Felton should clear some room, make Manning a roommate.
Maybe Manning was the solution. Maybe he renewed Felton’s confidence, helped Felton realize his abilities and to stay within those parameters. Or maybe it was knowing Nolan Smith was on the edge of his seat, eager to replace him as the starting point guard.
He’s seen limited action and stumbled out of the gate, but Smith has come together as of late. On Saturday, the rookie logged a career-high 15 minutes, tallied five points as well as two assists and three rebounds. Among bench players, Smith was one of the most used and had the best plus-minus rating of them all (plus-9).
He continues to work, learn and execute, prompting Felton to reevaluate his place.
Whatever happened during “Raymond time” led him to come out against the Hawks with purpose, drive and determination. He made pin-point passes and knocked down shots. After witnessing a Felton three, Jamal Crawford acknowledged the revived guard with a fist pump toward Manning.
In the end, Coach Nate McMillan holds the cards. If this is the Felton he wants in his hand, either use Smith as a kicker or bunk Felton up with his shooting coach. Otherwise, the No. 5 card remains wild.
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