Jeremy Lin's long-term productivity is questionable, but we've already seen Raymond Felton's future. It isn't bright, and that won't change with the New York Knicks.
Felton's been in the NBA for seven years. He did very well in his one season as a Knick player, but he's never come close to his career-high numbers in 2010 when he played 54 games in New York. He averaged 17.1 points and nine assists per game as a successful facilitator in Mike D'Antoni's offense.
He wasn't the same player in 2011. In 60 games (56 as a starter) with Portland, Felton averaged just over 11 points per game, 6.5 assists and 2.8 turnovers. The turnovers were down from 2010, but his assist numbers fell more drastically.
Felton won't be able to fill Lin's shoes for two reasons. Let's take a look at each of those more closely.
No More D'Antoni
Felton thrived in D'Antoni's frenetic offense. He plays better at a faster pace, and he's barely a threat on the defensive end. D'Antoni's system was a match made in heaven.
Mike Woodson doesn't play that same style. No one in the NBA does. Felton hasn't found a better fit anywhere else, ...
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Article written by Ian Hanford
NY Knicks: Why Raymond Felton Will Never Fill Jeremy Lin’s Shoes
July 24th, 2012 by Ian Hanford Leave a reply »
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