Nate McMillan has been a difficult coach for point guards to play for during his tenure with the Blazers, but the early going with Raymond Felton has been excellent.

McMillan has changed Portland's style of offense to fit with Felton's skills running an uptemo game.

McMillan is giving Felton more freedom, but also making him accountable.

“Did it in front of everybody,” Felton said. “But I can take that. I don’t care if he singles me out in front of everybody. I can take that type of criticism because it’s true. But at the same time, with him being a former point guard, he understands that I’m not out there kicking the ball. I’m trying to make plays. He understands the effort is there.”

Said McMillan: “I’ve learned you don’t have to beat them down. They know what they are doing out there, and that they are better than that.”

McMillan is exchanging his halfcourt, isolation sets he would call for Brandon Roy for the transition game with Felton.

"We are working at it,” McMillan said of his relationship with Felton. “I have to learn him and he is going to have to learn me. And he has to learn a team, because we are creating a style that I think this team can play, and it’s mainly because of Raymond.”