Raymond Felton - Game winning shots

[BRNC]

100% agree...

[110oldeast]

I hear ya Slam. My only point is that spacing occurs b/c of players being able to stretch the defense at their position. That's why I mentioned the examples from other teams to show that it is an NBA concept, not a Bobcats one. If a player is not concerned about the man he is guarding off the ball being able to shoot, then he can help freely off on the ball without penalty and clog the lane from the penetrator. The key to setting someone up for a shot is them being in a position they can make it from and their defender coming to help to create an alley to pass it to them.

With the old illegal defense rules, guys could not sag off and help as easily as they can now without penalty. The entire reason the rule changed was to make isolation play more difficult and to re-incorporate perimeter shooting into the game.

Look around the league. Most of the teams who are successful offensively integrate lineups with shooters around the offense initiator to make help defense harder.

That was all I was saying in regards to spacing, lineup selection, and player placement on the floor. You and I agree on the type of play given the type of situation timewise.

Ultimately, I think that everyone on here is making good points. I just think that as time grows and chemistry goes that Larry will be able to orchestrate proper SETS, with proper PERSONNEL, with multiple OPTIONS for the final play. If that occurs and Felton says "eff this I'm doing my own thang" (which I don't think he has done over and over and over again w/o repurcussion), I gurandamntee LB will intervene.

As it stands, I have to believe he is carrying out the coach's plan of getting the last shot without allowing the defense to get a chance at their own.

spectre,

Agreed on there being a difference b/w 24 seconds and 6 seconds coming up the floor w/o a TO. Great point.

BTW, Another example of him giving up a late shot that I don't know if folks mentioned was the late game kick out to Shannon for 3, where Shannon froze under the pressure, dribbled around and then drove in for 2 w/ the clock running down (we were down 3). In fairness in Shannon, that was a tough position to be in. On the flipside, it reiterates the point about not being afraid to fail in those situations. I only mention this example to say if a guy like Shannon Brown who is fearless and unconscious 99.9% of the time freezing up and not pulling the trigger doesn't reiterate this point to folks, I don't know what will.

We are a smarter team now with more trust in each other - which is a huge help.

[BRNC]

Valid point on the "brain freeze"...I think it is why we see guys pass the ball at times (end of game situations) when (to us) they appear to be open..brain freeze, fear of failure, or just pressure...some players have veins of ice in those situations and some don't...but it is totally unfair to constantly rip a guy that is put into the position of having to shoot...it will not always be made period...

I'd rather see us making our free throws earlier in games and doing a better job of rebounding (as a team) so we are in the "game w/l shot" less often...

[CTownSC]

I'm sure LB remembers Felton's clutch 3 point shot in the waining minutes of the NCAA Championship game in 2005 that proved to be the dagger for Illinois as well. That was the biggest shot of his career so far and he canned it with 2 guys in his grill. Doubt anyone else on the team has made a shot that BIG.

[Jeff41]

Anytime we need a shot at the buzzer to win or tie a game, I want Raymond to take it. He's just clutch like that. I commented on this after J-Rich was traded and some on here were asking "OMG who's our go-to-guy now" LOL at J-Rich being "go-to"

[Ghost Kat]

Come on now Felton is fair from clucth when it comes to shooting. I'm in agreement with most that have posted. I think that if Felton is the "only" one on the court that can get that shoot off then ok. But ya'll still arent paying attention to the main question...What type of shot will Felton take?

IMO it's usually a horrible shot that he didn't have to make that hard..hence the Hero nickname. I have been watching Felton toss these shots ups for yrs now. If LB thinks he's the best thats probably because he's a PG guy and he thinks the PG can't get the ball to the open man or he's the best to get himself open and take the shot. I personally still think Felton is one of the worse people to have taking that shot. I saw the % around the league, But i just can't stand Feltons shot selection.

[110oldeast]

I disagree that he takes "horrible" shots. That said, I think that with the proper set and play run, he/the team could get a higher percentage shot. I agree that I would like something other than a 1 4 set iso for an 18 footer. I will say that I have not seen other guys necessarily put up "higher percentage" shots (if a shot gets up at all) as it stands. I also have watched Felton since he became a Bobcat and he has hit plenty of clutch shots (easily the most in the franchise's short history), even if they weren't buzzer beaters. This has probably followed him.

That said, I think the last shots are more a matter of coaching approach, not individual player character which the "hero" nickname implies.

Finally, Kobe Bryant's percentage on those shots down there is .250. This is the guy looked at as THE clutch guy of the league, the stone cold killer. His percentage is .250. I don't hear Phil or the Lakers fans referring to him as "hero" or anything of the sort. It is a position of failure, much like a DB where a guy has to have a short memory and be willing to take the shit (comes more often/MJ himself knows this) as much as the glory. It's much like some of the shots he gets with the shot clock on his back. He knows they are fg% killers, but he doesn't care. He's not going to pitch it to someone else with 4 seconds or less if they aren't in a position to finish and hang them out to dry (as he is at times) and you won't see him take a shot clock violation with the ball in his hands.

Again, I am not calling Felton Kobe, MJ, or any of these guys, but I am not buying that he just does his own thing and that the coaches have zero say in it. There is a reason they keep putting it in his hands. The key, IMHO is to do so in a set with OPTIONS when time permits.

I was thinking of this thread last night watching the Pistons game where AI was keeping the Pistons in the game scoring and dishing, hitting several shots to take the lead back from the Spurs down the stretch. Down 3, he shot the 3 with 5 seconds to go and missed and he had a sheepish grin afterwards. It's like he knew despite doing all he did to keep them there, the final moment was that missed shot that folks remembered. Using the logic of many that I have seen on here, folks would be saying AI lost the game trying to be the hero, when in reality, he was trying to help the team win as he had been all night and was the best option that they had had all night. This one shot happened not to fall. They wanted him to take the shot. He did. He missed. Such is basketball. It's a position he had been in before and a position he would likely be in again.

[playoffs...PLAYOFFS?]

1) That said, I think the last shots are more a matter of coaching approach, not individual player character which the "hero" nickname implies.

2) It is a position of failure, much like a DB where a guy has to have a short memory and be willing to take the shit (comes more often/MJ himself knows this) as much as the glory.

3) There is a reason they keep putting it in his hands.

4) I was thinking of this thread last night watching the Pistons game where AI was keeping the Pistons in the game scoring and dishing, hitting several shots to take the lead back from the Spurs down the stretch. Down 3, he shot the 3 with 5 seconds to go and missed and he had a sheepish grin afterwards.

These are all great points

1) Agreed, the "hero" nickname is plenty stupid and incorrectly used for Felton. If anything, Felton exemplifies what a true team player should be. I don't believe he does anything seeking a "hero" status or glory.

2) People keep forgetting it's a position of failure..the odds are greatly against you. It's shown by a league average of 30% FG in this situation.

3) LB must want Felton to be his go to man if any play breaks down and wants him to take those shots..not sure why people fail to see this point

4) Funny, I watched the Pistons game last night as well...watching Iverson take over the game towards the end and missed those shots...I just wondered what people would think if Felton was doing it for us.

Iverson would be an example of wanting to be a "hero", if there is such thing (i hate the word). Even when the announcers were saying that Iverson's 3pt % was not great and down this season, Iverson had no problem taking those shots. I would have preferred taking them...but I think this contrasts greatly what Felton is trying to do .

This whole "hero" nickname should be vanished from the boards...it implies someone seeking personal glory , despite what might be better for the team. And reason have been stated over and over why Felton is taking the shots, why he is the better choice for these shots, and why the term does not apply to him

[Slam]

Anyone else hear during the Orlando blow out what Steve Martin said LB had mentioned about Felts and his 4th qtr play?

[davcbow]

Anyone else hear during the Orlando blow out what Steve Martin said LB had mentioned about Felts and his 4th qtr play?

No what he say