EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Brooklyn Nets All-Star Deron Williams said Saturday that Raymond Felton is a better playmaker than the point guard he replaced in New York, Jeremy Lin.

Lin outplayed Williams last Feb. 4 in a stunning performance off the bench, starting a phenomenon that became known as Linsanity. But the Knicks opted not to match the $25.1 million deal Lin signed with Houston, having already completed a sign-and-trade deal with Portland to reacquire Felton.

Felton played well in a previous stint with the Knicks.

"I would say Raymond Felton is a better point guard than Jeremy Lin, in my opinion," Williams said at the Nets' practice facility.

The Nets host the Knicks on Thursday in their first game at the new Barclays Center.

It would've been hard to imagine Lin not being there after the 10 games that started when he scored 25 points in a 99-92 victory over the Nets at Madison Square Garden. Williams scored 21 points and shot just 7 of 19 that night, though he made amends later in the month when he scored 38 points as the Nets won in their return to New York.

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