At the beginning of the summer, Toney Douglas appeared to be the starting point guard by default. The Raymond Felton signing put that assumption to rest. Felton has several years of starting experience under his belt, and it sounds as if there won't be much of a training camp battle for the first-string one-spot. Toney, via Alan Hahn, tells us that's fine by him:
And when he heard about Felton, Douglas wasn't disappointed.
"Actually, I have no problem with that," he said. "It's a good thing. I feel we complement each other because he plays defense just like I play defense."
Douglas also noted that, while in Charlotte, Felton often played with DJ Augustin in the same backcourt, "so I can see me and him playing together, too."
That's the message that Mike D'Antoni gave to Douglas when they talked about Felton joining the team. "He told me we would be playing a lot together because I'm versatile and he's versatile, too."
That versatility is the key here. Douglas will certainly spell Felton as the primary ballhandler, but Toney's ability to operate off the ball and shoot from range means the two guards can and should spin as a tandem. The two would be a trifle undersized against some lineups, but could be positively electric (boogie woogie woogie) in the open court and wreak havoc on defense.
Not to be lost in all of this is how well Douglas has handled the uncertainty and change. It's exactly what we've come to expect from Toney, but don't take for granted what a class act our second-year guard is. Do what Toney Douglas do, friends.