Tuesday
Apr032012
Pick & Scroll: Tuesday, April 3, 2012. It's all your fault, Raymond Felton.
Erik Anderson | Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 12:59PM Your daily (Mon-Fri) roundup of links from around the blogosphere, typically Trail Blazers related.
One palm, waist-level, thrusts a basketball downward to the court.
This marriage between ball and ball-handler seperates only briefly while the basketball succumbs to gravity and ricochets off the hardwood back to its master.
It is such a simple concept in the vast artform that is basketball, yet it is a skill professionals still have not aced.
One of those professionals is Raymond Felton.
If you haven’t read the damning Felton articles yet, rest assured, his scrutiny is consummated.
Felton, within a span of two possessions, cost the Portland Trail Blazers (25-29) a victory. He only finished with four turnovers officially — allegedly one of his turnovers was given to Nicolas Batum — but he was the maestro of ineptitude.
The point guard turned the ball over after mis-dribbling a ball off his leg and out of bounds. He topped himself a minute later with his inability to corral an out of bounds pass from Nicolas Batum. Both plays helped the Utah Jazz(28-26) seal a tightly contested divisional battle.
Perhaps more frustrating is the fact Felton’s 34-year-old counterpart Jamaal Tinsley outplayed him. Tinsley box score might not promote this fact (three points, six assists, two steals), but his game-sealing pilfer plants him firmly as the protagonist for the Jazz.
Sigh.
At least the lottery is looming.
Links:
This marriage between ball and ball-handler seperates only briefly while the basketball succumbs to gravity and ricochets off the hardwood back to its master.
It is such a simple concept in the vast artform that is basketball, yet it is a skill professionals still have not aced.
One of those professionals is Raymond Felton.
If you haven’t read the damning Felton articles yet, rest assured, his scrutiny is consummated.
Felton, within a span of two possessions, cost the Portland Trail Blazers (25-29) a victory. He only finished with four turnovers officially — allegedly one of his turnovers was given to Nicolas Batum — but he was the maestro of ineptitude.
The point guard turned the ball over after mis-dribbling a ball off his leg and out of bounds. He topped himself a minute later with his inability to corral an out of bounds pass from Nicolas Batum. Both plays helped the Utah Jazz(28-26) seal a tightly contested divisional battle.
Perhaps more frustrating is the fact Felton’s 34-year-old counterpart Jamaal Tinsley outplayed him. Tinsley box score might not promote this fact (three points, six assists, two steals), but his game-sealing pilfer plants him firmly as the protagonist for the Jazz.
Sigh.
At least the lottery is looming.
Links:
- Check out our own Rob Simonsen’s crucifixion of Raymond Felton after last night’s Utah Jazz 102-97 victory.
- The Oregonian’s Mike Tokito piles on the Felton disapproval:
If you’re the type of fan collecting grievances against Trail Blazers point guard Raymond Felton, Tuesday’s final 1 minute, 27 seconds of Portland’s game against the Utah Jazz gave you two plum pieces for your collection.
- Kerry Eggers echoes the same notion; Felton, you messed up:
On the night when the Trail Blazers are finally eliminated from playoff contention — it’s going to happen now, folks — they’ll look back at Monday night’s 102-97 loss at Utah with considerable grief.
- csnnw.com’s Chris Haynes’ take on Felton’s late-game inadequacies.
- Finally from last night’s game, Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune doesn’t hate on Felton entirely and rather investigates Paul Millsap’s quality game.
- The Salt Lake Tribune also reports that All-American point guard out of Weber State in Ogden, Utah, Damian Lillard will enter the NBA draft. NBA draft expert has Damian Lillard ranked at No. 13 for all prospects. From my own experience seeing Lillard play I’ve seen an incredibly explosive scoring point guard, or better known as exactly the type of player the Blazers need. Check this hooper out.
- Also from Chris Haynes at csnnw.com, Shawne Williams is the only Blazer that likes what he sees within the Blazers organization. He won’t accept a buyout from Portland.
Thoughts, ideas and challenges to 1-on-1 games, are happily accepted in the comments section.
Reader Comments (3)
Felton definitely sealed the loss, but the 14-0 run is why the Blazers lost the game. When Utah put Millsap in at SF they had a huge advantage. Especially when Wes ended up on him. Blazers did not take advantage of Millsap guarding Batum at the other end of the court. Not defending Felton at all (I know he is playing for his next contract but I still think he has given up) but the game should never have came down to the last two minutes.
felton diddnt cost them this game thats asburb! you writers make me sick stop looking for a escape goat! you let a 14 point lead slip away you deserve to loose! lets go back to the games before this one and look at raymonds play a double double in just about every game! stop posting postive game play instead of one bad game! i mean really!
Worst. "Article." Ever. It was a 9-0 run, pull your head out of your @ss. Not to mention the 9 assists and 8 boards had plenty to do with the lead we had in the first place...