[ESPN] Raymond Felton: "I'm Still Elite"

ShutURBiG! · Jul 8, 2014

http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story...lton-prove-elite-point-guard-dallas-mavericks

Lock if posted.

To still be elite, one must have already been elite at some point in time.

DALLAS -- Point guard Raymond Felton admits he played poorly for the New York Knicks last season and looks forward to proving he still can play "as an elite point guard" with the Dallas Mavericks.

"Just to show everybody that I've still got it, I still can play," Felton said on a conference call with Dallas reporters. "I still can play the game at this level. I still play as an elite point guard at this level. That's just all.

"When you come off a season like I had last year, there's always a point where you've got to prove yourself coming back the next season. And trust me, I look forward to it."

The Knicks insisted that the Mavs take Felton along with center Tyson Chandler in a late-June trade that sent point guard Jose Calderon, center Samuel Dalembert, 2013 first-round pick Shane Larkin, shooting guard Wayne Ellington and two second-round picks to New York.

Felton, a nine-year veteran with career averages of 13.1 points and 6.5 assists per game, is likely to start for the Mavs, who would prefer to keep soon-to-be-re-signed point guard Devin Harris as a spark plug off the bench.

Felton struggled last season while dealing with off-the-court distractions. He averaged a career-low 9.7 points and 5.6 assists, shooting only 39.5 percent from the floor. He faced felony gun charges stemming from a February arrest that occurred after the attorney of his then-estranged wife turned over his loaded, semi-automatic handgun to police, and she alleged that Felton threatened her with the firearm.

Felton, whose divorce was recently finalized, reached a plea deal in June to avoid jail time. He acknowledges that his personal situation affected his performance during the Knicks' disappointing 37-45 season.

"I was just fighting with a lot of injuries, and I was fighting with a lot of mental stuff off the court, but like I said earlier, I don't make any excuses," Felton said. "Last season was all my fault. It was nobody else's but mine. I take the blame for it totally.

"Like I said, I look forward to this year. I'm putting all that behind me last year. I'm looking forward to this year with the Mavs."

Felton, who made similar comments to the New York media in the summer of 2012 after an underwhelming one-season stint in Portland, denied that poor conditioning was a factor last season. However, Felton said he's "probably in the best shape I ever been in in the past four or five summers," in large part because he's determined to have a bounce-back season.

"I've got a lot of things that motivate me this summer," said Felton, who is due $3.79 million this season and has a player option for $3.95 million in 2015-16. "I'm just really getting after it, just working extra, extra hard. I'm not really doing anything different, just doing it more and working at it harder."
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treyk3 · Jul 8, 2014

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vstexas09 · Jul 8, 2014

So you have 'have it all' and 'elite' on the same team? Nice!

DreamShook · Jul 8, 2014

if you're going to believe in something, might as well believe in yourself.

pugsly8422 · Jul 8, 2014

If he opts out after this year, we'll know he feels that he lived up to his word. If he opts in, you know he feels he didn't.

ThatBoyNick · Jul 8, 2014

On call of duty.

Pete the Cheat · Jul 8, 2014

Maybe he just said "like to eat" real fast and the reporter misinterpreted?

juicystream · Jul 8, 2014

Jeremy Lin is trying to do the same.

hooodwink21 · Jul 8, 2014

I think Raymond felton is trolling himself.

OmenXYZ · Jul 8, 2014

Thanks for the laugh, Raymond.

J.R. · Jul 8, 2014

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>2011 Felton excited about PDX, wants to prove he can still play
2012 Ray admits he was out of shape, want to prove he can play
2014 Ray admi</p>— netw3rk (@netw3rk) <a href="https://twitter.com/netw3rk/statuses/486570388269572096">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Edward77547 · Jul 8, 2014

Lol I love that he's on the Mavs.

RedRedemption · Jul 8, 2014

Felton has never been an elite point guard in his life, why is he alleging he can return to a level he has never been at in the first place? :grin:

BinBinRingRing · Jul 8, 2014

Is he still fat?

KingStevo10 · Jul 8, 2014

Dear god I hope he does end up starting for the Mavs!!

Felixthecat · Jul 8, 2014

Gonna show the world he's on Jlin level.

tzou88 · Jul 8, 2014

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0wkbuylj5HA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Scolalist · Jul 8, 2014

...in competitive eating hotdog contests?

i3artow i3aller · Jul 8, 2014

Karolik · Jul 8, 2014

Lin or Felton? :grin:

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[ESPN] Raymond Felton: "I'm Still Elite"

ShutURBiG! Member

treyk3 Member

vstexas09 Member

DreamShook Member

pugsly8422 Member

ThatBoyNick Member

Pete the Cheat Member

juicystream Member

hooodwink21 Member

OmenXYZ Member

J.R. Member

Edward77547 Member

RedRedemption Member

BinBinRingRing Member

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