Guard Raymond Felton believes that he has the ability to bounce back from a rough season last year with his new team, the Dallas Mavericks.
He was part of the deal with teammate Tyson Chandler, which sent them to from New York to Dallas for guards Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington, center Samuel Dalembert and two second-round picks, reports Tim Macmahon of ESPN.com.
Felton averaged a career-low 9.7 points and 5.6 assists while connecting on 39.5 percent of his shots from the floor in 2014. It was the only year in his five-year career that he did not average double digits in points.
"When you come off a season like I had last year, there's always a point where you've got to prove yourself coming back the next season,” Felton said on a conference call with Dallas reporters. “And trust me, I look forward to it."
Last season he also battled off-the-court issues. He faced felony gun charges after his then-wife accused him of threatening her with his semi-automatic handgun. He avoided jail by reaching a plea deal last month. Also his divorce has been finalized.
"I was just fighting with a lot of injuries and I was fighting with a lot of mental stuff off the court, but like I said earlier, I don't make any excuses," Felton said. "Last season was all my fault. It was nobody else's but mine. I take the blame for it totally.”
For his career, he has posted 13.1 points, 6.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He amassed career-bests in 2011 with 15.5 points and 8.3 assists, according to basketball-reference.com .