Everybody Loves Raymond … Felton?
I admit it, I wrote off the guard who came over in 2014’s Tyson Chandler trade. For years In New York he was a ball-hogger who had peaked, had off-court problems and was merely an expendable throw-in.
And for one season, I was right. Last year Felton hurt his ankle in preseason and never made it into Rick Carlisle’s rotation, playing in only 29 games. But suddenly, out of the moth balls, he’s an impact player on a surprising team that’s won three in a row and is off to a 6-4 start heading into tonight’s game in Philadelphia.
I got a text from my brother Saturday that I thought surely was a prank: Mavs up 26 on Rockets. They can’t stop Felton!
Riiiight?
But it was indeed true.
Felton, with a more prominent role as Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams recover from injuries, had his best game as a Maverick as Dallas rested starters Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Matthews on its fourth game in five nights. He scored 23 points including seven consecutive as the Rockets attempted a meek rally down the stretch. He not only had 15 points in the fourth, he also helped limit Rockets’ star James Harden to 5-of-21 shooting.
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“Those who forgot about me or those who forgot about the nine years of work I put in this league before last year, just letting them know that I’m still here,” Felton told reporters after the win over the Rockets. “I still got it.”
With his health improved and the felony gun charges behind him, Felton just might be what the Mavs desperately need in a struggling season. A positive surprise that, admittedly, some of us had long ago written off.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
