Last season, Vince Carter received a lot of criticism.
He played on a bum ankle, regressed defensively, and just looked like he didn't care about the struggles of the Nets.
Jason Kidd was frustrated, demanded a trade, got his divorce from Carter, and moved on to Dallas on his quest to win a championship ring.
Another one of the Carter's critics was the great Magic Johnson. During a TNT halftime show, Magic said that Vince Carter had gone from a superstar to a regular player.
Carter was not selected to the All-Star game for the first time in seven seasons. During the All-Star weekend, he got his mind together and finally got some much needed rest on his ankle.
After the break was over, the young Nets team struggled without Jason Kidd. Vince stepped up and took over the Nets, and became the leader of the team. He showed tons of energy and passion, and looked like the younger Vince. He was the vocal leader and showed effort for the game. He played every game of the second half of the season, and even looked angry during the team's losses.
Vince was one of three players in the league to average 20 points, grab five boards, and dish out five dimes. The other two? LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Despite his great play, the rest of the team did not step up, and the Nets fell short of the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
This year, the Nets will be without the other leading scorer of the team, Richard Jefferson. Carter will have to increasee his scoring load, and look to set an example for all of his younger teammates.
Carter underwent a successful arthroscopic surgery during the offseason to fix up his ankle, and will come into training camp healthier than before.
You may not see Vince Carter jumping over seven-footers this upcoming season, but you will see a veteran leader, who makes his teammates better while managing to score over 20 points a game.
I'm expecting 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists from Carter this season, and think that it is possible with the new faces on this Nets team.
The Nets may not look like a playoffs team, but if Vince Carter plays like he did at the second half of last season, you never know what is possible.
He led a Toronto Raptors team to the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, and if he plays like he did then, the Nets will contend for a playoff spot—led by half-man, half-amazing.
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2 months ago
i agree with this article...i really like the way vince cater stepped up during the 2nd half of the season...he also shot better last season in fg and ft and had a lower to per game than his career stats...
2 months ago
His defense did not regress. It got better. Another failed article.
2 months ago
It did regress. In the first half of the season, he didn't give any effort and was lazy on defense. It got better in the second half though.
2 months ago
Great article!
2 months ago
Carter will no doubt put up the numbers, but he needs to dominate the ball for that to happen, and he's simply not a good enough player for a team to revolve around him. The writing is on the wall for him because the Nets will likely need to shed his contract by 2010. I do agree with you that Carter could still potentially help lead the Nets to the playoffs if he plays like a star, but even then, he might not have enough NBA-ready talent.
2 months ago
I'm not sure where you're getting your information from. Vince Carter never led the Toronto Raptors to the Eastern conference finals. The best he has done with them was the second round (Eastern Conference Semi finals) where his series winning shot rimmed out and loss.
2 months ago
Comparing Vince to the likes of KOBE and the KING?!?!? Wake up!!! He'll need one more surgery to be even close to those guys... That's HEART SURGERY!!! Vince has no heart... He lost it way back in Toronto. Even Jason Kidd saw it and RJ didn't want any part of it.
Vinsanity is dead! He won the Rookie of the Year, the slam dunk championship and a shoe deal. Now he's got nothing! and will get nothing!
2 months ago
I'm guessing you didn't watch the second half of his season last year.
about 1 month ago
Yea and thats why in separate interviews Kidd and RJ both said Vince was one of the most amazing players they have ever played with. I'll admit his killer instinct isn't as consistent as Lebrons or Kobes but cmon Why bring up his Toronto yeas when the team around him sucked whereas Kobe had Shaq and a host of other good players. Lebron at least has some help but he is a player that is dominant all by himself. So VC isnt dead he has plenty of Basketball to play
about 1 month ago
Good read Yama. O and Mrm Vince won a gold medal which Kobe himself classified as being more important than an NBA championship
about 1 month ago
Vince Carter has been a buster and always will be a buster. He only plays hard when he wants to. He only give a supreme effort when he feels like it. He never has nor ever will deserve to be listed on the same page with other gifted players such as MJ, LeBron, or Magic. These players were all blessed with the same great physical as Carter but also were blessed with one thing he has never had, HEART.
about 1 month ago
Vince Carter has been and will always be a buster. He has all of the God givin gift of MJ, Magic, Kobe and LeBron, but they all posess one thing that Carter will never have, Heart.
about 1 month ago
More like Half-man, half-a-season.
Despite being a Raptors fan (and of course a true hater of this spoiled brat), I hope to see everything you predicted come true. Mainly because it's sad to see so much talent wasted by a player who doesn't put in the same work and effort of lesser players who have greater success than him.
But again, I'm a Raptors fan, so I will always think he is a bum.
about 1 month ago
i think this season is the most crucial part of vince's career, there is a lot of buzzz about how nets will be a lottery team, if he consitently gives a 100% and plays with heart, liek he did the second half of the regular season last year, nets can make the playoffs.. he has the talent of kobe, or a lebron.. he is the real deal in NJ.. there is just not enough talent around him, hes one of those players that dont really have to try as hard to score 20 points per game, thats effortlesss for him, now can he lead his teamm? thats a big question mark.. he has to have that killer instinct. Kidd is an idiot, who got mashed up by paul.. but vandeghwe is a bigger idiot for trading Rj.. Vince has to be the man, he can definietly do it. i still believe hes still one of the most talented players in the NBA.. hes capable of bein a lebron or a kobe.
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