Raymond Felton should keep mouth shut as playoffs near
By Matt Shetler
Here’s something I wanted to get to yesterday, but I still wanted to touch on it a bit after the New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat Tuesday night.
What I’m talking about is Knicks point guard Raymond Felton shooting his mouth off with some comments pointed at Heat point guard Mario Chalmers.
Mar 25, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (15) celebrates after hitting a three point jump shot during the fourth quarter at Amway Center. Miami defeated Orlando 108-94. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports
If you missed it, Felton said the following to ESPN New York last Thursday when describing Chalmers as a weakness on the Heat roster:
"“I’m not saying that’s a weak point [for the Heat] because [Mario] Chalmers has been great for Miami. He’s won a championship there and he’s a solid point guard,” Felton said. “But I think that’s one of the weaknesses of their team. Not saying that Chalmers is a bad player, because he’s not. He’s great. He’s won a championship. A lot of point guards in this league can’t say that. He has that. But if you look at LeBron, Bosh and D-Wade and then you look at Chalmers, you’re like, ‘OK, this is maybe where their weakness is at.”"
Now the comments aren’t so bad and maybe have a little bit of truth to them, but you have to consider the source.
Before Felton criticizes any other guard in the NBA, or gives any team that the Knicks could face in the playoffs some bulletin board material, he should first look in the mirror.
Felton played a major role in the Knicks struggles for close to three months.
He has shot the ball poorly, taken poor care of the basketball and has failed miserably to get the Knicks smoothly into their offensive sets. That’s not to mention the fact that he has been torched by every point guard in the NBA defensively.
Only when Felton was moved off the ball and replaced at the lead guard spot by Pablo Prigioni did the Knicks start to take off again.
Felton has a decent stat line, averaging 14.4 points and 5.5 assists per game, but that rates him as a below average point guard in this league. Chalmers on the other hand is a much more efficient point guard who shoots a better percentage from the floor and takes much better care of the basketball. He’s also hit more big shots and won more big games in his career then Felton could even dream of making.
To date, Felton has accomplished nothing in his basketball career compared to Chalmers.
Is Felton a better player than Chalmers?
Yes, but he has to show it consistently, which to this point in his career he has been unable to do.
What Felton needs to do is spend more time figuring out how to help this team win in the playoffs and worry a little less about other teams guard play.
With the way he has defended opposing point guards this season, it’s almost shocking that he would say anything at all, much less say that the Knicks have an advantage over any guard tandem in the league. This is the same Knicks team led by Felton that has allowed an NBA worst 21.2 points and a 45.3 shooting percentage to opposing point guards.
“I know him pretty well,” Chalmers told the Palm Beach Post. “I’m a little shocked about that comment.”
So when Felton starts to perform at a higher level, his opinion may matter more. But with the up-and-down season that he has had, he should learn to keep his mouth shut and not provide potential playoff teams with ammunition.
If he would look in the mirror before talking, he would realize that he has been as big of a weakness to the Knicks as he perceives Chalmers is to the Heat.
Follow Matt Shetler on Twitter for news, reaction and analysis from around the NBA.
Follow Buckets Over Broadway on Twitter and on Facebook