NBA Primetime: The NBA's Biggest Misunderstanding of the Offseason

Brandon Ribak by Senior Writer Written on October 03, 2009
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - MARCH 27:  Vince Carter #15 of the New Jersey Nets drives against the Los Angeles Lakers during the game on March 27, 2009 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.  (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

From Shaq departing with the heat in Phoenix to join the cold weather in Cleveland, to Rasheed Wallace accepting a mid-level exception with the Boston oldies; the major transactions made during this offseason have without a doubt been no short of spectacular.

The rich got richer and the poor got poorer.

But of all acquisitions made throughout this offseason, one stands out as the biggest (fan based) misunderstanding of the entire offseason.

For some reason the majority of NBA fans believe that Hedo Turkoglu is a better overall player than Vince Carter.

I have read comments across the net regarding to why Turkoglu could bring the Magic back to the Finals, but a healthy VC could not.

Why Vince Carter is better than Hedo Turkoglu

Standing 6'6" and weighing 220 lbs., the freakishly athletic Vince Carter is arguably the most underrated superstar in the league today.

At the age of 32 there is no doubt that Carter is not the player he once was, but being compared to a player of Turkoglu's caliber is just plain insulting.

Entering the league 11 years ago, VC instantly became a human highlight reel, taking unknown leaps to mankind and covering every NBA fan's walls with emphatic posters.

Carter's career averages are 23.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, shooting 44.7% from the field, and 79.6% from the charity stripe, compared to Turkoglu's 12.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.7 APG.

How could two potential hall of fame coaches in Rick Adelman and Gregg Popovich both pass up on Turkoglu during his first four years in the league if he is now being correlated with a superstar like Vince Carter?

The answer to that question is simple. They didn't.

Adelman and Popovich did not pass up on a potential superstar, they passed up on nothing more than a semi above average athlete.

Turkoglu became who he is today entirely because of the system that he played in with Orlando and head coach Stan Van Gundy should rightfully obtain all the credit for Turkoglu's success.

If Turk never went to Orlando, he would be nothing more than a mediocre player in the NBA today.

Carter brings more to the table in every aspect than Turkoglu ever did for Orlando.

VC is a better overall shooter, athlete, rebounder, distributor, defender, finisher, attacker, and best of all, Carter is a true "last second shot" kind of guy.

Yes, I will admit that Turkoglu has been one of the most clutch guys in the league throughout the past few seasons for Orlando, but Carter is now the player in blue and white, and it is his time to show the world what he is really made of.

Magic fans get ready because this is going to be one heckavu season!

Tune into my sports radio show streaming live every Friday from 3-5 p.m. at www.knightcast.org or check out my website at www.mvn.com/nbaprimetime to hear the podcast of the episodes!

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written on October 03, 2009 Opinion

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