<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"><div align="center"> </div> There is nothing not to like about Jameer Nelson. Listed (generously) at 6 feet, the undersized Orlando Magic point guard was the consensus player of the year as a senior at St. Joe's but still wasn't taken until the 20th pick of the 2004 draft. And even the team that got him, the Denver Nuggets, traded him to Orlando for another first-round pick. But the Magic knew what they were getting: a tough-minded, hard-nosed competitor who's been hearing his entire life that he's too small to play and simply dismisses it. He's not a classic distributor in the Steve Nash sense -- he averages only 4.1 assists per game -- but in the Orlando offense he often defers to Dwight Howard and Grant Hill. He'll get his own points (13.3 a game) when he has to, can play up-tempo or in the half-court and defends his position with quickness and toughness. Charlotte's Raymond Felton was never the player of the year at North Carolina -- he wasn't even the best point guard in his conference, with that honor going to Wake Forest's Chris Paul -- but his potential to be a great player was recognized when the Bobcats made him the fifth pick of the '05 draft. He is strong and quick and plays bigger than his 6-1 frame, and, not incidentally, he led the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship in his third and final year at Chapel Hill. Despite his gifts, Felton is a classic point guard, looking to penetrate and deliver. But, like Nelson, he can score in traffic, though Nelson is a little better shooter at this point. Here's what one NBA coach said about the two of them: "I think Raymond has the edge. He can defend two positions and he's a little more versatile as a player. But both of them are great young men and a team would be lucky to have either." I agree with all of that. I love Nelson but I see FELTON as having the potential to be even better than Paul, which is saying a lot.</div> Source
