OKC Thunder Season Review: Ready and steady back-up point guard Raymond Felton
By Alex Mcewen
Respect Uncle Ray
Although there were some turbulent times throughout the 2018-19 campaign for Uncle Ray, including multiple occasions where it appeared rookie Deonte Burton should have absorbed Felton’s minutes. When the spotlight was at its brightest, it was Uncle Ray, who the Thunder trusted in the five most pivotal games of the season.
As the post-season transpires, sometimes a savvy vet is exactly what a team needs. Unfortunately for the Thunder Felton either was not enough or did not receive sufficient playing time in Oklahoma City’s second season.
Regular Season Stats
| Season | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 33 | 11.5 | 4.1 | .407 | 1.8 | .328 | .473 | .481 | 0.4 | .923 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 4.3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/2/2019.
Advanced Stats
| Season | MP | PER | TS% | 3PAr | FTr | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% | WS | BPM | VORP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 379 | 11.2 | .505 | .452 | .096 | 1.1 | 8.4 | 4.6 | 18.7 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 9.0 | 16.6 | 0.7 | -4.2 | -0.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/2/2019.
Playoff Stats
| Season | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 5 | 11.4 | 2.6 | .308 | .250 | .400 | .385 | .500 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 2.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/2/2019.
Best Moments of the Year
Two memorable moments stood out from Felton this past campaign. The first was when the Thunder were shorthanded versus the Portland Trail Blazers, on January 11. Jerami Grant missed the contest due to an ankle injury, whereas Schroder was unavailable due to the birth of he and his fiancee Ellen’s first child.
When the Thunder desperately needed a spark, Uncle Ray came off the bench, registering his season-high 15-points on 6-10 60.0 percent shooting from the floor, including 3-5 60.0 percent accuracy from the perimeter. In his extended 21 minutes on the floor, that late January evening. Felton earned a plus +13. Felton’s impactful production led Paul George to visit Instagram, to praise his secondary point guard for a job well done.
The second most notable moment for the Little General took place less than one week later on All-Star Saturday Night. When he was on hand to watch his rookie Hamidou Diallo win the AT&T Slam Dunk.
What made the event more special, is the fact All-Star weekend was held in North Carolina. Felton was born and raised in South Carolina, whereas he attended college at the University of North Carolina, and spent the majority of his first five seasons in the NBA with the then Charlotte Bobcats; hence Uncle Ray’s connection to the area is vast.