Nolan Smith and Ray Felton: promising pieces of Blazers present and future
The future is bright for Nolan Smith, who will be under Raymond Felton's wing in Portland. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer via Daylife)
In the 2006 NBA Draft, when the Portland Trail Blazers genius General Manager Kevin Pritchard traded draft picks Tyrus Thomas and Randy Foye for LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, it signified a new era for a team that had been used to troublemakers.
These moves immediately changed the culture, and with both playing on an All-Star level through the years the team has made a few playoff appearances and has been recognized as one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
Acquisition Raymond Felton and draftee Nolan Smith may not have the same effect, but they certainly should help Portland take the next step. Perhaps more than one.
Smith is a rookie and Felton is apparently addicted to cupcakes. So putting them on that high a pedestal may not be wise at this stage. But, based on their past success and talent level, it is conceivable that they could turn out to be just what the Blazers have been looking for.
Smith, who was introduced today along with Felton, was believed to be a reach at the 21st pick. It was shocking when his name was called. Why not Kenneth Faried? After all, Portland has coveted the power forward for years, and he would have filled a definite need.
As I tried to comprehend a sure blunder by the Blazers, my friend Erik said he actually liked the pick. And, being a Lakers fan, he wasn’t saying this sarcastically. I soon came to agree with him. I pictured Smith reigning threes on South Medford as a member of Oak Hill Academy and then starring for one of the more pressure-packed, prestigious colleges in Duke. His selection wasn’t expected, but it was certainly becoming more and more intriguing.
Now, I am as excited as anyone to see what he can do. Through the years I have been anxious to see players play for my favorite teams; Roy and Aldridge for Portland and Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez for the Boston Red Sox, among others. Smith has fueled a similar fire within me. Something tells me he is going to be spectacular.
“I have more work to do to become a point guard,” Smith said Monday, as documented by The Oregonian. “Being a two guard, it’s basically scoring the ball. Being a point guard is running a team, being a leader, talking. All those things. For me, I’ve only really been a point guard for one year now. I think I did a good job last year and I just have to continue to grow from there.”
He ran the show for the Blue Devils with Kyrie Irving, the number one overall pick, nursing a foot injury, and, averaged 20 points and five assists per game as the ACC Player of the Year. His fine-tuned shot, court vision, explosiveness, and poise had Duke once more among the elite in college basketball. This production also won him that illustrious award and the attention of the Blazers front office. Since the draft, Portland has said they were looking to trade up to get a big man, but Smith, coming to the surprise of many, was their primary target.
Raymond Felton, given the reigns in Portland, has reason to be happy. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer via Daylife)
Despite the current logjam his selection creates, he has the talent to play right away. The Blazers know this. And so does Felton, who is bound to teach him all he can.
“I’ve known Nolan a little bit,” the former North Carolina Tarheel said. “I’ve watched him play, and he’s a kid that’s gotten better every year, and he’s a kid who can really score the ball. My job is to really help him be a point guard, instead of at Duke [where] he had to do a lot of scoring, didn’t have to distribute the ball as much. Being at this level you got to keep everybody happy, especially as a point guard. There may be some nights you may not score more than two or four points, but if you’ve got 12, 10 assists and about one turnover you’ve done your job. That’s what he’s going to have to learn, and I think he’s going to be okay.”
It is a forgone conclusion that Felton will. There will be an adjustment period for Smith, transitioning to the NBA, and also for Felton, adjusting to new teammates, a new coach, and a new system. Some say the moves Portland made on draft day were lateral, neither helping nor hurting the team. This opinion is far from the truth.
The Blazers added two high-character guys who will make the team so much better by giving them mental toughness, intense defense, versatility, an aggressive mindset, and even more firepower. Just two more players who will prove their worth to such a passionate fan-base as promising pieces of the near and distant future.
