Let's chop it up then. I'm sure the idea of having a cheap contract for three years was very attractive to Dan Gilbert. I might have misread a website with salary info, I thought I read team option in the fourth year... and from the sound of things the owner is going to need a lot of persuading Felder isn't worth that option. I'm sure giving an underdog from a blighted area of Detroit Michigan a chance is a nice ice breaker for his other business contacts as well. So, Dan Gilbert gets to spend his money the way he wants... but this is a league with only 15 salary slots and a faulted roster. I'd rather Gilbert buy another yacht or a start-up tech company when he wants to feel like a powerful eccentric billionaire and leave the roster to basketball people. Maybe that's just me.
I've already mentioned elsewhere why I feel Felder has to be an absolute dynamo on offense, and that is his defensive shortcomings that cannot be fixed. Call me unrealistic about a 54th pick, but that is the reality for NBA players under six foot with average wingspans in today's NBA. Teams are going to isolate him on a tall shooter eventually. Again, it's not like the Cavaliers HAD to draft at 54, they bought the pick for over two million. They technically could have sat back, saved the cash for that new yacht and signed Ron Baker if not for the owner's personal interests. More importantly, why is the roster set up to play the 54th pick rotation minutes in such a crucial season? It may cost the team home court in the Finals, and I'm not exaggerating.
It's absolutely unrealistic to expect him to play like a veteran point guard right away. That's why LeBron and Ty Lue are beating the drum for a veteran PG. I still see a situation right now where there is a numbers crunch for bench depth, and here's Dan Gilbert's pet project taking up a spot while unable to help much right now. I'm a pretty optimistic person, I'd like to believe... But doesn't that seem like an avoidable problem?
I am also happy to see his three point percentage that high because this summer I didn't think he was going to crack 30% on the season. I am sure hoping that he becomes an offensive force and I'm totally wrong, because it looks like we are stuck with Felder. He's got friends in high places. I'm also not about to drink the Kool Aid when I'm seeing him on the floor instead of a more prepared player and he doesn't help the team.