Vince Carter Is, Finally, on a True Contender

Finally, Vince Carter is playing on a true contender.

After an incredibly busy day/week, one team gaining a particular player stands out in my mind.

Is it Richard Jefferson to the Spurs? Its a scary one, but no.

Was it the Timberwolves drafting two point guards? I'm convinced there is more to happen yet, but no.

Surely, it's Shaq to the Cavs? It's the headliner, but for me, still a no.

The most interesting new player, in my view, is Vincent Lamar Carter going home to join the Orlando Magic.

He, along with upcoming sophomore Ryan Anderson, will leave the swamps of New Jersey to head to Disney World, and on their way down, they'll see Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee going in the other direction.

Let's quickly cover what Orlando is giving up first.

I feel bad for Alston. He was criticized in Houston, came to Orlando, and in many ways, saved the Magic's season after Jameer Nelson went down with injury. He helped them reach the NBA Finals and then got his minutes screwed over by Stan Van Gundy.

I understand the Magic choosing Nelson. I would have chosen Nelson as well, but it must still leave a bitter taste in Alston's mouth. Still, he should be proud of a job well-done.

Battie was a veteran who provided a lot of leadership in the locker room and was able to play important minutes. He'll bring the same to the Nets, though Orlando may want to bring in another veteran to replace him.

It's a shame that Lee was included in this deal. He was the steal of last year's draft, a real bright spot for the Magic.  He has a great future ahead of him. I would have liked him to stay in Orlando, even if it he had to come off the bench. Still, he does have the chance to become a star alongside Devin Harris in New Jersey.

Still, it was worth it.

The Magic just gained another All-Star (or he should have been at least.) This makes them very frightening.

If the Magic can somehow figure out how to re-sign Hedo Turkoglu, and if we consider that Turk should also have been an All-Star, that gives them a potential starting lineup of Nelson, Carter, Turkoglu, Lewis and Howard or, in other words, five potential All-Stars.

And yet, the implications for how this improves the Magic is not the main reason why I love this trade.

The main reason is that, after 11 years, Vince Carter is finally on a true contender.

His Toronto Raptors were never considered contenders, and the New Jersey Nets barely made the playoffs during his tenure or missed them altogether.

Now he has been put on a team that has just come back from a trip to the NBA Finals.

Furthermore, he is plenty capable of helping them return. He finally has a chance to chase that elusive ring.

As one of the top personalities of this decade, love him or hate him, it will be big news if he gets that championship.

Allen Iverson, his rival from the 2001 playoffs, doesn't have a ring.

Steve Nash, the two-time MVP, doesn't have one.

His own cousin, Tracy McGrady, still hasn't played in a game beyond the first round.

They are All-Stars of his generation, and Carter has the chance to separate himself from them once and for all.

At the very worst, he will at least become relevant again. He will have the chance to make the big plays, the momentum-changing layup, and the timeout-inducing dunk in the games that matter—playoff games.

It will be a much better experience for him than these past playoffs, where Carter had to simply sit and watch other teams battle it out, his underrated season all going to waste.

Not only this, but Carter returns to his home state, and the city where he already lives in the offseason.

Can success here finally silence the critics that constantly talk about his surliness and lack of effort on the hopeless Raptor teams?

Can he finally make those Toronto fans shut up? (Even if he has already accomplished this feat by hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win the game on the Raptors' home floor this year).

Howard will command the paint. He will dunk on everyone, grab more rebounds than anyone else, and continue to improve his low-post game. He will also have a great shot at defending his Defensive Player Of The Year award.

Lewis will continue to knock down open threes when Howard is double-teamed and perform well in the clutch.

Nelson will hopefully return to the form he showed this year, running the show, nailing the outside a shot, and proving himself as one of the best at his position in the league.

Turkoglu (should he return) will continue to be a leader, will have another target for his underrated passing skills, and will show everyone how he should have been an All-Star these past two years.

And what about Carter? Carter will bring his all-around game—20.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG and 4.7 APG this past season—the experience,  and his ability to make the big shot as well as his skills at creating his own shot and his athleticism. There are plenty of highlights to be seen from Half-Man/Half-Amazing yet.

Carter is one of my favorite players in the league, and I'm glad he finally has the chance to be part of something special.

The Magic have plenty of reasons to smile; this definitely takes a little of the hurt off an NBA Finals loss.