| Athleticism | No Ratings |
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Vince Carter
#15 – Vince Carter – New Jersey Nets
Season: 21.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.7 apg, 44% fg percentage, 81% ft percentage, 40% 3pt percentage
Career: 23.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.2 apg, 44% fg percentage, 79% ft percentage, 37% 3pt percentage
Vince Carter is an athletic wonder. At one time – he was larger than life and, even still, can light you up when you least expect it. He’s a tough match up for anyone in the league even at 32 years of age. Carter, a former slam dunk champion, has since fallen from grace after his departure from Toronto. Although he’s putting up respectable numbers in New Jersey; he’s putting up numbers for New Jersey.
Carter has always had talent – there’s no doubt about it. There were always questions, however, about his health and his mind. Was he ever really focused? Could he ever stay healthy through an entire season?
The Good
Carter is playing some of his best ball right now. Sure he’s not averaging career highs anywhere but he’s still a force to account for on the floor. He’s got a great outside shot and can step back a few feet from the three-point line and still knock them down. When Carter attacks the basket he’s one of the best in the game. He can still fly above the rim and can hit his free throws with ease. Carter is also a very underrated passer. Although he often takes a lot of heat for passing too often, he isn’t a liability with the ball.
The Bad
When he attacks the basket, though, is up for debate. Carter usually settles – and usually is a conservative estimate. He can shoot himself – and the Nets – right out of a game with his jump shot. Carter has also had severe knee problems in the past. To his credit, however, he’s played three solid seasons for the Nets, playing in at least 76 games each year.
The Recap
- Good passer.
- Streaky shooter.
- High free throw percentage.
- Often settles for jumpers.
Tips and Tricks
The only way to contain Vince is to keep him on the perimeter. If you let him have his way outside – he won’t challenge you inside or get to the line. You also want to keep Carter from switching onto a smaller defender. At 6-6 and 220lbs, Carter is bigger than most two-guards and will back down until he’s comfortable. If he’s down low on the block, force him baseline and close out on the shooters.
Final Thoughts
Vince still has all the talent in the world. He’s not as athletic as he once was – but he can still hit the clutch shot – he can still knock down the very long three. He’s not the franchise player in New Jersey anymore, but he would be a very dominant player on a team with an elite forward. Kind of ironic isn’t it? Now that Bosh has turned out to be a pretty good player – imagine what Vince and the Raptors could have had. Just my two cents.
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