Half-Man Half-Disappointing: How Will Phoenix Suns Vince Carter Be Remembered?

Vince Carter will without a doubt go down as one of the greatest athletes ever to put on an NBA jersey when his career is over.

Carter surpassed the 20,000-point plateau before turning 34, and owns one of the most entertaining highlight reels ever assembled.

The only thing missing from Carter's career is likely the most important factor in judging a player: team success.

Carter has seen very little playoff success over his 13 years in the league.

Carter has been to the postseason in six out of 12 tries, and has never been to the Finals, coming the closest last season with the Orlando Magic, losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.

Carter's playoff numbers aren't terrible, but they aren't eye-popping either (23.3 PPG, 4.5 APG, .312 3PT% in 56 games).

Vinsanity

The larger-than-life athlete who has been a fan favorite for over a decade, looks to have passed his prime without attaining the game's most coveted hardware, a Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Even Carter's teammate, Steve Nash, has heard his own name mentioned in regards to going down as a ring-less Hall of Famer.

Still, many forget about Carter's legacy and the what-could-have-been cloud that hangs over it.

What makes him so exciting is exactly what makes him so disappointing.

NBA super-fan, Bill Simmons, wrote about Vince Carter in The Book of Basketball, saying "I've never been a fan of gifted offensive stars who thrived in dunk contests vs. playoff games."

Perhaps that is the quote which most appropriately wraps up the image Carter has and will ultimately leave us with.

The superbly gifted athlete who didn't care as much as the rest of us, and who will be remembered best for individual plays instead of winning basketball games.

Current Struggles

Carter's Suns stand just 11th in the Western Conference at the halfway point, 3.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.

Phoenix, 20-24, is looking more and more like a lottery team, especially after losing three straight games to the likes of Detroit, Philadelphia and Charlotte.

The Suns are a pitiful 11-10 on their home floor and have watched the bench, which took them to the NBA's final four a season ago, struggle for most of the 2010-2011 season.

To make matters worse, since Carter and his Orlando teammates, Gortat and Pietrus, joined the Suns, Phoenix has gone 7-11.

Carter's production has diminished as well. He turned 34 on Jan. 26, and his athleticism isn't improving.

Carter is averaging 15.8 points per game with the Suns, nearly seven points under his career average (22.6 PPG).

He is shooting a lackluster 66.6% from the free throw line, compared to his almost 80% career averaged from the charity stripe (79.8%).

So what does another season of falling short do for Carter's legacy?

It certainly won't make or break it, but I bet Vince doesn't care. He will be in the Hall of Fame one day, and he will be seen by tons of new fans years from now on YouTube, dunking over Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics.

He just won't be remembered for being clutch, or wanting it bad enough. And that's OK, for Vince I guess.