From the Charlotte Observer:
It’s easy for an NBA player to become selfish and self-absorbed. This is a league where statistics matter, particularly when your contract expires at the end of the season.
And that’s what makes me admire Raymond Felton so much these days.
Everyone says they’ll do what it takes to win, but Felton lives it. When Larry Brown moved rookie point guard D.J. Augustin into the starting lineup, Felton could have treated this like a threat. Had Felton frozen out Augustin, leaving him to figure out the NBA by himself, Felton would have been no more selfish than half this league.
Instead, Felton took charge of the transition. He mentors Augustin so much, he should draw a coaching salary atop his player salary. With Augustin scoring and passing, Felton has channeled his energy toward defense and rebounding.
The two of them carried the Bobcats past the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday in an almost organic process. Felton and Augustin simply shot so well (16-of-22 from the field, 4-of-5 from 3-point range) that it didn’t matter much what any of the other Bobcats did.
That won’t happen every night, and I’m not sure Felton will be here next season, once restricted free agency takes hold over the summer. He might well be more valuable to some other team than he is to the Bobcats.
But the Bobcats are better for Felton’s presence: he’s smart, he’s tough, he’s accountable. He sets the right example.
