Raymond Felton Looking For Bounce Back Season

Playing for the New York Knicks is something that only a select few individuals get an opportunity to do.  Rarely do players get a chance at multiple runs with the Knicks, but Raymond Felton is a player that has a second chance.

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When Raymond Felton signed with the team as a free agent before the 2010-2011 season he was living out a dream of being a Knick.  Felton went on to build a great relationship with newly acquired Amar’e Stoudemire, putting up career high numbers in nearly every statistic, averaging 19 points, nine assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 38.4 minutes per game.  He was becoming the leader of a young Knicks roster looking for leadership, proving to be more than capable of playing Mike D’Antoni’s up temp, fast paced type of basketball.

Felton only played 54 games with the Knicks in his first go-round as he got traded to Denver as part of the blockbuster trade that bought Carmelo Anthony to New York.  Felton was disappointed by the trade and his numbers reflected that as he became a backup to young gun Ty Lawson in Denver.

Following the 2011 playoffs, Felton was again on the move in another three-team trade, this time landing in Portland.  The trade happened before the lockout was put in place and Felton suffered.

Felton struggled mightily in his season in Portland, coming in overweight and out of shape.  His stats plummeted, as his work ethic and conditioning were questioned throughout the season and he was used as a scapegoat for the underachieving Trail Blazers. 

Felton did not seem to be engaged since leaving the Knicks, disappointed that he was traded after showing such willingness to play for the organization and with how well he performed.  New York is where he wanted to be and luckily for him, the Knicks wanted him back as well.

This off-season, Felton was reacquired by the Knicks in a sign-and-trade the Trail Blazers in which the Knicks also landed former Knick Kurt Thomas.  Thomas was quoted as saying, “He’s definitely motivated, he’s definitely excited, he definitely wants to come back to New York. He’s looking forward to this season.”

After hearing about the trade, Carmelo Anthony offered his opinion on Felton, who has been playing against for most of his basketball life.  “He wants to prove everybody wrong,” Anthony said.  “He loves to win.”  That competitiveness is something that Anthony loves about Felton, adding, “When (Felton) was here in New York, they were rolling.  He was having an All-Star year when he was here.  So, to bring him back (to New York is) an extra incentive for him.”

“I am hearing from everybody, ‘He wasn’t in shape last year,’” Felton said.  “I played in the league seven years, about to be eight, came in out of shape one year and that’s all everybody wants to talk about. … I look forward to this year and shutting up everybody’s mouth.”

Felton has a lot to prove this season in New York and is motivated to get it done.  He will be under the microscope and under immense pressure from the start.  The Mecca of basketball is not an easy place to play, but Felton already has experience playing here and knows what winning can do for the fan base

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The pressure does not stop there for Felton, as he is the person being asked to replace the sensation that was “Linsanity”.  If Felton struggles at all, the fans will be calling for his head and further question the front office’s decision to let Jeremy Lin walk in favor of Felton.  Replacing Lin is the easy part if you ask Felton himself, as he said that he is a competitor and better player than Lin is. 

Felton has a full plate this season with the Knicks, as the fan base and organization is expecting to take a step forward with him at the helm after what Lin did last season.  Felton will be given the responsibility of running the first team offense, as Felton is expected to be named the starting point guard in a lineup that will also include Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. 

I am a believer in Felton, as the intangibles he brings to table is a great fit for this team.  For one, he runs the pick-and-roll game very well.  The chemistry he developed with Stoudemire his first run with the team will hopefully carry over and turn Stoudemire back into the dominant force that he was and not the shell of himself he looked like at times last season.

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Felton also adds another tenacious defender in the backcourt, something the Knicks lacked from the point guard spot.  Felton will take pressure off the big men like Chandler and Marcus Camby because he is not the revolving door at the head of the defense that Lin was last season.  The competitiveness that Anthony was so excited about from Felton really comes out on the defensive end.

Head coach Mike Woodson will look for Felton to be a leader on the court as he has been thrown into one of the toughest situations in the NBA.  Felton has to figure out a way to get both Anthony and Stoudemire playing their best on the offensive end while both on the court, not taking turns with one or the other on the bench.  No other player has seemed to be able to do so yet, but Felton is more than ready for the challenge and he will take it head on to prove everyone wrong about him once again.

Linsanity Coming to an End? Knicks Sign and Trade for Raymond Felton

Linsanity Over in New York? Knicks Acquire Raymond Felton

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In what is being considered a very surprising move, the New York Knicks have acquired point guard Raymond Felton from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a sign and trade.

As part of the deal, Felton and the Knicks agreed to a three year contract worth $10 million. 

To finish the sign and trade, the Knicks also received big man Kurt Thomas.  In exchange, the Knicks will send Dan Gadzuric, Jared Jeffries and a 2016 second round pick. Rumors are swirling there may also be rights to a European player exchanged.

This is a big surprise to some because it was widely considered that the Knicks would be matching the offer that restricted free agent point guard Jeremy Lin received from the Houston Rockets.  Lin and the Rockets agreed to a three year $25.1 million contract that would have ballooned to almost $15 million in the third year.

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Even with such an increase, it was thought that the Knicks would match any deal for Lin, who had become an overnight sensation this past basketball season.  Lin played a big part in the Knicks making the post-season, so it was considered that nothing would keep him from coming back. But, with the acquisition of Felton, matching Lin’s offer sheet is no longer a guarantee.

Matching Lin’s agreement with the Rockets would have put the Knicks into a catastrophic hole of luxury tax in the coming seasons.  This has never been a problem for the Knicks, as owner James Dolan has been willing to pay any amount of money to put the players on the court that he wants.  But with this hesitation, it would seem that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement may actually be working.

The new CBA was put in place to make teams think twice about handing out big contracts by increasing the luxury tax penalties for teams that went over the salary cap.  For once, the Knicks and their management are being cap conscious, hence why the decision to add Felton instead of matching Lin.  Felton will not cost them as much in luxury taxes and will give the Knicks more cap flexibility in the coming years.  If they matched and retained Lin, they would be stuck with very little money and virtually the same team for the next three seasons.

It has not been said yet what the Knicks will do with Lin’s offer sheet, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that they will match.  If the Knicks do match for Lin, you can except to see basically the same Knicks squad for the next three seasons with very little changes in terms of the roster.  You can also expect to see a lot of two point guard sets if Lin is retained, as the Knicks will have to find playing time for Jason Kidd, Felton, Lin and newly acquired Pablo Prigioni. 

Knicks Land Marcus Camby from Rockets

Knicks Land Marcus Camby in Sign and Trade with Rockets

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The Knicks were able to land another important piece today in center Marcus Camby.  He will backup both Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire and can start at either power forward or center if injuries do occur.

The Knicks signed Camby to a three year $13.2 million deal, with the third year being only partially guaranteed.  It will turn into a 2 year $10 million if the third year isn’t picked up. 

Most people are under the impression that the Knicks have no cap space, so the first thought that comes to mind is how do the Knicks keep adding players? In this scenario, it was by a sign and trade.

The Knicks agreed to send Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan, Josh Harrellson and second-round picks in 2014 and 2015 for Camby. The deal cannot be finalized until July 11^th, once all deals can be finalized for NBA players. 

The 38 year old and 16 year veteran had narrowed his choices down to the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat ultimately choosing the Knicks because of money.  The Heat and Nets could only offer the veteran’s minimum, with no assets to trade.  The Knicks had assets to trade, in turn being able to give Camby more money.

Camby has still been productive even this late into his career.  He averaged 7.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in 59 games between the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.  The addition of Camby gives the Knicks one of the best one-two punches at the center position in the NBA. 

This will be Camby’s second go-around with the Knicks, as he played with them from 1998-2002.  Hopefully his tenure this time can be as successful as his first time, as he started for the Knicks in the NBA Finals in the 1999 series against the San Antonio Spurs.