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Los Angeles Clippers 2016-17 report cards: Raymond Felton

By Nicholas Agar-Johnson

April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Raymond Felton (2) moves the ball against Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
April 25, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Raymond Felton (2) moves the ball against Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Raymond Felton joined the Los Angeles Clippers on a minimum contract for the 2016-17 season. While his effort buoyed an otherwise poor defensive bench, that effort was belied by his lack of offensive value.

Doc Rivers targeted Raymond Felton in free agency and was desperate to bring him to the Los Angeles Clippers. He reportedly begged Felton to join the team on a veteran minimum contract, and his pleas were successful.

While Felton struggled on the offensive end, his defensive effort was noteworthy on a bench that was not exactly flush with lockdown defenders. Despite his difficulties on the offensive end, Felton contributed far more than anyone could have expected from a minimum contract player.

The Clippers have an offseason full of questions ahead of them. With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin both set to hit free agency, the Clippers could change overnight. Furthermore, most of the bench rotation just completed one-year contracts.

Ray Felton will probably not sign another one-year veteran minimum deal, no matter how much Doc begs. However, he can be a useful bench piece at the right price. He is worth retaining if the Clippers can afford his new price tag.

Offense: Nothing To See Here

It would be an understatement to say that Ray Felton is not the same offensive player that he was during his first stint with the New York Knicks, when he averaged 17.1 points per game.

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Luckily for the Los Angeles Clippers, Felton is fully aware that his scoring days are behind him. His 16.5 Usage Rate ranked last among the team’s guards.

Felton is still effective near the basket when he manages to get to the rim. He converted on 59.7 percent of his attempts from less than five feet from the rim, per NBA.com. Felton also attempted nearly twice as many shots from that range as he did from anywhere else on the floor. He was clearly aware of his one offensive strong point.

Unfortunately, Felton was an offensive detriment whenever he was not driving to the rim and shooting. Although he did manage to only turn the ball over once per game, his 2.4 assists per contest were pitifully low for a point guard.

Felton’s jump shot did not help matters; he shot 31.9 percent from deep and finished the year with a miserable 49.6 percent True Shooting mark. While Felton did not hurt the offense by trying to do too much, his lack of shooting often crowded the spacing on bench units.

Grade: D+

Defense: Good Effort, Fewer Results

The defensive advanced numbers do not paint a pretty picture of Raymond Felton’s defense. Only Alan Anderson and Brandon Bass had worse Defensive Ratings among players on the Los Angeles Clippers who played more than 10 minutes per game. His Defensive Real Plus-Minus of -0.89 was slightly above league average for point guards, but is not exactly stellar.

However, Felton’s effort often made up for his relative lack of foot speed on defense. His bulk also helped him to some extent to cover bigger players on switches. His 6’1″ frame is not ideal for a point guard, but Felton made up for it by always trying his hardest on defense.

The one area where that effort truly shone through was in his ability to generate turnovers. Felton’s Steal Percentage of 2.0 was in the top third of the league’s point guards, per Basketball-Reference. Felton has a knack for sussing out when to stick to his man, and when to jump out to the ball-handler to create an opportunity for his team:

Felton does not have the speed to be an elite defender as a point guard, nor the size to be elite as an off-guard defender. Nevertheless, his consistent effort on that end makes him tough to score on. That effort makes him more valuable than most advanced metrics would indicate.

Grade: B-

Overall: A Bargain at a Minimum Price

Raymond Felton is far past the prime of his career. The pick-and-roll scoring wizard of his younger days is gone. Felton will be 33 before the start of free agency. He will be lucky to be an eighth man in a rotation next year like he was this past season.

That being said, Felton was an absolute bargain for a minimum contract. His defensive contributions were more than likely enough to attract some one or two-year deals for $4 million or above.

Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers will probably not want to pay Raymond Felton at his market value this offseason. Given that Felton’s offensive game has all but disappeared, he will struggle to meet the value of his contract barring an unexpectedly slow decline. Given how little it took to sign him, however, Doc should be happy with what he got for his begging.

Next: 5 potential landing spots for Blake Griffin in free agency

Overall: C+

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