So, the new starting point guard for the New York Knicks -- Raymond Felton -- has come out and said he thinks he is better than the old starting point guard -- Jeremy Lin.
“I am a competitor,” Felton said. “I am a point guard just like he is, so do I think I am better? Of course, I am going to say that. I think I am better than any point guard. That’s the way I am supposed to think.”
Give Felton credit for chutzpah, if also pointing out that he was really foolish to wade into this with the feelings among Knicks fans still being so raw after James Dolan and the gang royally screwed up in dealing with the most popular player the franchise has had since Patrick Ewing.
You can bet that Knicks' fans will hold Felton to his insistence that he is better than Lin. While Lin was at the center of Linsanity last season, coming out of obscurity to rescue the Knicks' season and create an international phenomenon, Felton spent the 2011-12 season getting fat and playing badly for an awful Portland team, averaging 11.4 points, 6.54 assists and shooting an awful 40.7 percent from the field.
You can bet that Felton will have a bulls-eye on his back and if he does not perform the way he did during his initial tour with New York (17.1 points, 9.0 assists) in 54 games the Madison Square Garden crowd won't be very forgiving.
“I am hearing from everybody, ‘He wasn’t in shape last year,’” Felton said. “I played in the league seven years, about to be eight, came in out of shape one year and that’s all everybody wants to talk about. … I look forward to this year and shutting up everybody’s mouth.
…”I wasn’t at the weight I normally (am). I am the first one to say, ‘I wasn’t in shape.’ I don’t make no excuses, I don’t blame anyone else.”