| Another Chance In Charlotte For Felton? Authored by Nick Creech - January 19, 2009 - 1:08 pm
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While many rumors involving players on a Larry Brown coached team should be taken with a grain of salt—given Brown’s penchant to fall in and out of love with almost all of his players— this particular agreement seemed all but finalized before it was called off at the eleventh hour.
The supposed deal, which had Felton, little-used Sean May and veteran Nazr Mohammed headed to Dallas in exchange for Earl Watson and DeSagana Diop (with Jerry Stackhouse and future 2nd round pick to the Thunder) was nixed after rookie D.J. Augustin sustained a strained abdominal, thus leaving Charlotte in desperate need of a capable floor general.
When the Bobcats drafted Felton with the fifth overall selection in 2005, Charlotte thought it was acquiring the talented floor general who led a North Carolina squad to a collegiate national championship; however, Felton has failed to live up to the hype of being the player drafted directly behind Chris Paul and Deron Williams. While Williams and Paul have reached superstar status leading Utah and New Orleans deep into the playoffs, Felton’s career has been plagued by various setbacks as the Bobcats have struggled mightily despite the weakness of the Eastern Conference in the past. Despite showing occasional flashes of the becoming player the Bobcats’ front office first envisioned, the franchise seemed all but ready to give up on Felton and hand the offense over to Augustin.
Although the ‘Cats unquestionably miss his offensive firepower, Augustin’s injury might not have come at a better time for the franchise. The Bobcats are on a recent surge spanning the past two weeks, going 5-2 with wins against Boston, Detroit, and capped off by an overtime victory against the Trail Blazers. As it sits today, the Cats are 2.5 games out of the East’s final playoff spot, and—if their recent play is any indication—could possibly secure the franchise’s first play-off appearance. While the additions of Boris Diaw and Raja Bell have certainly helped to instill a winning attitude in a franchise devoid of success since its inception in 2004, the improved play of Felton has undoubtedly been a key reason for the team’s recent fortunes.
Although his stats on the season mirror those over his career, Felton has elevated his play during the Cats’ streak, as he seems to have found a happy medium between looking for his own offense and deferring to his teammates. Over the past seven games Felton has raised his numbers almost across the board, putting up impressive averages of 16 ppg 47.1% shooting, to go with 7.1 apg and 4 rpg (compared to his season stats of 13.5 ppg, 40% fg, 6.2 apg, 3.7 rpg) while registering 1.5 steals per contest—good enough for 18th in the league.
While Augustin has exhibited promise as the 9th selection of the 2008 draft, it is mainly a score-first guard and not as a distributor. Felton, on the other hand, possesses all the attributes of a prototypical point guard: blinding speed, good handles, and uncanny court awareness. Additionally, he has the rare ability of knowing how to get his teammates involved in the offense while simultaneously picking his own spots when the opportunity presents itself. Felton’s biggest knock has always been his inconsistent play, not only from game to game, but from possession to possession. One minute Felton will resemble the aggressive, fast-breaking guard that made him an icon at Chapel Hill, and then immediately come down on the ensuing possession and turn the ball over while barreling down the lane. Although the Bobcats are still going through the growing pains customary of an expansion team, one thing has become increasingly evident this season: the outcome of the games largely depends on the play of Felton. When the UNC-alum has scored twenty or more points this season the ‘Cats are 8-0. Likewise, Charlotte is 3-0 during games in which Felton has at least ten assists and 8-5 in contests where he dishes out ten or more dimes.
Despite his improved play, reports still indicate the Bobcats are ready to part with Felton if the correct offer presents itself. If the last seven games are any indication, the Charlotte front office might want to consider taking Felton off the trading block and placing new confidence in the 6’1” native of Latta, South Carolina. But then again, this is the franchise run by Larry Brown and Michael Jordan so only time will tell... |
