HoopsHype.com Rumors

If there were a leader, the players' discontent with coach Nate McMillan never would have spread to the point where the team flat out quit on him. The whining whispers of Raymond Felton, in particular to Gerald Wallace, would have been stopped. The sulking of Jamal Crawford would have been stifled. And the indifference of Marcus Camby would have been challenged. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Nate McMillan, Jamal Crawford, Marcus Camby 

Blazers G Raymond Felton on criticism that got to him: "I know what type of person I am in the locker room & outside the locker room. To see & hear stuff written otherwise, it kind of makes you mad... A lot of people laughed at it who heard about it. There's those who know me & know it's not even close... Questioning my character... I've never had anybody say... that I'm a 'cancer' in the locker room. You can talk to any of these guys individually & they will say that's not even close." Sulia

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

John Canzano: Raymond Felton said he came in out of shape. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Ben Golliver: Blazers G Raymond Felton on his season: "By far, definitely not one of my best." Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Would you want to come back to Portland next season? Raymond Felton: I have no bad taste here. There’s been a lot said in the media about me. But not everybody write bad about me. I just keep it like that. Q: Is the door open from the Blazers’ perspective? A: No question. I’ve had a lot great talks with Chad (Buchanan). Whoever the new GM is, when he comes in, there’s going to be some changes here. So you don’t know which way they may go. So that’s why it’s up in the air. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Expect them to offer you a contract? Raymond Felton: I don’t expect anything. Like I said, that’s my agent’s job. My job is to play ball. That’s his job, to go in and do all the negotiating. So I have no clue. Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Joe Freeman: Felton said if it were up to him, he'd play again this season. Said his right Achilles pain has been bugging him for about 20 games. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton, Injuries 

Chris Haynes: Raymond Felton and acting #Blazers acting GM Chad Buchanan had a long talk yesterday after practice about decreasing Felton's mins. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Amazingly, despite all the flak he has taken from fans and media this season, Felton is warm to the possibility of being back in a Blazer uniform in 2012-13. “I’d still love to play here, without a doubt,” the seven-year NBA veteran says. “This is one of the places I’d love to play. I let everybody know I would love to play in Portland again. I have a great relationship with my teammates. “I have loved every experience I’ve had through my time in the league. I have never (been a player in) one city I didn’t like, but I love it here in Portland. It rains a lot, I will say that. But other than that, I love it here. I loving playing in the Rose Garden. (Garden denizens) are some of the best fans in the NBA, if not the best. It’s been great.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Felton’s play has not been, of course. Surprised by the quick turnaround after a collective-bargaining agreement was signed in December, the 6-1, 210-pounder — acquired in the draft-day trade that sent Miller to Denver — arrived at training camp a candidate for a Jenny Craig commercial. “I wasn’t in the shape I wanted to be,” he confesses. “I wasn’t out of shape, but I wasn’t in the shape I needed to be in. The (CBA signing) threw me off. You get a phone call you have to report to your team in a week. Then you get two weeks and, boom, there’s your first preseason game. “It was tough, especially for me, a point guard trying to have a chemistry with all new guys while learning a new system in a new organization. Everything was different. But it happens — no excuses.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

At one point, Felton lashed out in the media at McMillan, saying it was hard to play for a coach who didn’t show confidence in him. After McMillan was shown the door, though, Felton made it clear he wasn’t blaming the coach for his inability to perform. “I’ve known Coach Nate for years,” Felton says. “It was nothing personal between me and him. I have a lot of love for Coach Nate. “I will say I was more uptight (under McMillan). You have a hard-nosed coach trying to get used to the point guard, and a point guard who is trying to get used to the coach. That’s all it was. Me and Coach Nate needed more time with each other. Everybody was rushing through the season trying to play games without much practice time.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Raymond Felton, Nate McMillan, Kaleb Canales 

Part of it has been that Felton has worked his way into better condition. Part of it is that he has played more freely and confidently under Canales. “Coach Kaleb tells me to go out and just play,” Felton says, “and he wants to play fast-paced all the time. He said, ‘This is your team; run it. You all call the plays.’ I don’t have to look to the bench to call plays. He wants to play up-tempo, and that’s the strength of my game.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Raymond Felton, Nate McMillan, Kaleb Canales 

Truth be told, Felton has been more sensitive than insensitive to the thumb’s-down reviews. “I want the fans and the media to know I am who I am,” he says. “I’m going to play hard every night. I’m going to give my all every night. That’s me. “I’m not perfect. I admit I wasn’t in the shape I wanted to be when I came in. ... but I wasn’t the only one. Everybody got thrown off with this tight schedule. “The fans get upset with me every now and then. But I also have a lot of fans come up to me and say, ‘We believe in you, we love you no matter what other people say.’ That’s enough for me. If one person says that to me out of 25,000, that’s enough to keep my spirits up and working hard every day.” Portland Tribune

Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Raymond Felton, Nate McMillan, Kaleb Canales 

Nicolas Batum: And a special s/o to Raymon Felton, we couldn't get this one without him. Huge game! Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton, Nicolas Batum 

Miller said the Blazers' top priority will be finding a point guard, but he stopped short of saying Felton will not be re-signed when he becomes a free agent. "I'm not going to sit here and say Ray Felton will or will not be back," Miller said. "What I will say, when we brought Ray in, we thought we were getting the Ray Felton we saw throughout his career. Unfortunately, and I don't fault Ray, it just hasn't worked out. But I will say he has had some good games, more good games recently than in the past. His play has gotten better. So we will wait and see at the end of the season. But we know point guard is a position we have to address." Oregonian

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Raymond Felton 

The comment came less than two minutes after he stated that fans and media members -- including a team broadcaster -- are wrong to assume that it's a foregone conclusion that he will leave Portland this summer. "They don't dictate that," he said. "That's all I'm going to say. They don't dictate that... If it happens, it happens. I'm not going to close no doors no way. I would love to play here. But we'll see what happens. The media, the fans they don't dictate that." Asked if he would like to return to the Blazers next season, given the months of criticism, Felton responded without hesitation: "Of couse, yes. Definitely. Definitely." Later, he added, "I would love to come back." Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Raymond Felton 

Felton said the team has contacted him since the trade deadline about the possibility of returning next season. "Yeah, they have definitely talked," he said. "That's something I don't get into. That's something I let my agent do. My job is to play basketball. That's his job to take care of all that." Blazers Edge

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Raymond Felton 

After the game, Blazers G Raymond Felton invited his critics to his home for a direct confrontation: "Regardless of what they say about me, I don't care. Words don't break me. I stay right off Pearl Direct, in the Indigo, if you want to come see me... I'm going to keep it 100 with them, you feel me?" Sulia

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton 

Mike Barrett: "@BroganEmz: Raymond has been playing pretty well since the deadline, are they still set on letting him go?" Safe to assume he'll be gone. Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Free Agency, Raymond Felton 

Jason Quick: Blazers fans irate at Felton leaving RG. Fan yells to radio crew: "He's the worst PG in the NBA. I won't renew unless they get rid of him.'' Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Raymond Felton