Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Raymond Felton Season Review: Filling a longstanding void

By Austin Sternlicht

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 18: Raymond Felton #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder tries to keep the ball away from Dante Exum #11 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 18, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Raymond Felton; Dante Exum
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 18: Raymond Felton #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder tries to keep the ball away from Dante Exum #11 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on April 18, 2018 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Raymond Felton; Dante Exum /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Veteran point guard Raymond Felton provided a second-unit stability the team lacked since trading Reggie Jackson in 2015.

Let’s flashback to the first round of the 2017 playoffs when James Harden completely outplayed Russell Westbrook en route to a five game series victory for the Houston Rockets.

Oh wait…that’s not what happened. At least… not all of it.

Yes the Thunder lost in five games to Houston, but the main reason wasn’t because Westbrook was terrible. In fact, Westbrook was an overall +15 for the series. The main reason the Thunder lost was because the team cratered when he left the court.

The team’s backup point guards, Norris Cole and Semaj Christon were both terrible. The Rockets outscored OKC by 54 points when either was on the court. The bench, but more specifically the backup point guard position was a glaring need the Thunder had to address.

Enter Raymond Felton, who came in and completely revamped the second unit. Yes, the overall roster improved from last season, but Felton specifically fortified an area of need that had been lacking for years.

The Stats

  • 16.6 minutes per game
  • 6.9 points per game
  • 2.5 assits per game
  • 35% three-point field goal percentage

These numbers may not seem like much, but Felton’s ability to keep the offense afloat when Westbrook was off the court was vital. Had the Thunder employed Felton during last year’s playoff series against Houston, it would have been a much closer series that could have gone seven games, or even ended in a Thunder upset.

Home/Thunder News