Denton: Carter Ready For New Accomplishment
By John Denton
March 21, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Vince Carter has scored 19,316 points in his career, played in seven all-star games, won one slam dunk contest and has been a part of 42 playoff games.
But there’s one number in Carter’s career – 50 – that has eluded him throughout his 12 years in the NBA.
Carter has never been on a team that has won 50 games, a statistical oddity that very well come to an end Monday night when his Orlando Magic (49-21) travel north to take on the Philadelphia 76ers (24-46).
Carter spent the first 6 ½ years of his NBA career in Toronto, where the Raptors never won more than 47 games and never won a division title. Following a trade in 2004, Carter played in New Jersey the next 4 ½ seasons. In his first full season in New Jersey (2005-06), the Nets won 49 games and the Atlantic Division, but as it turns out that would be the high-water mark for the star guard before a steady slide into the irrelevant began.
Carter knew when he joined the Magic, NBA Finalists last spring, that he would have a chance to play in meaningful, big games again for the first time in years. And he hoped that if all things went well, he’d finally be a part of a 50-win team and a division champion squad in Orlando.
``Nope, never have won 50 games. Crazy, huh?’’ Carter said, somewhat shocked himself. ``Sometimes not even going deep in the playoffs have we won 50 games.’’
Carter, 33, seems energized late in the season by finally being part of a team that has a chance to win big in the regular season and win it all in the playoffs. Carter had one of the worst months of his career in January, but he bounced back like a player who is intent on making this a special season.
He averaged 18.6 points a game in February, while shooting 51.5 percent overall and 51.1 percent from 3-point range. He offered up some vintage Vince on Feb. 8 when he torched the New Orleans Hornets for 48 points and six 3-pointers.
In March, his numbers have been even better as he’s played his best basketball of the season. In 10 games so far in March, Carter has averaged 20 points while again approaching 52 percent shooting from the floor. Included in that stretch was a 25-point gem against the Los Angeles Lakers and Thursday night’s 27-point, six-assist effort in Miami.
``He’s enjoying playing in big games again,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``It certainly seems like he’s enjoying this now because he’s putting in big minutes and getting the job done for us.’’
Out of the playoff race and mostly out of sight much of the past three seasons, Carter is a part of something that matters again. He knows that this chance he has been given – one made possible by last June’s NBA Draft-day trade – is a chance to reshape his legacy into that of a winner. He’s scored plenty of points and endorsements, played in all-star games and far out of the race, but this is his chance to be a part of a championship contender for the first time since he left the University of North Carolina.
He’s even had to do somewhat of an acting job along the way – maybe to hide his joy over being a part of an elite team.
``It’s exciting to me to be on a great team like this, but I’m trying to approach it like I’ve been there before,’’ Carter said. ``This team has a winning mentality and they expect to win games. It’s a great feeling being on a team like this, playing in games like this and knowing we have so many weapons every night.’’
Unlike his days in Toronto and New Jersey, Carter doesn’t have to carry the load offensively for the Magic to win a game. With fellow all-stars Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson surrounding him and plenty of other offensive weapons in J.J. Redick, Jason Williams and Brandon Bass, Carter has grown to like the fact that he doesn’t have to be a 25-point scorer every night for his team to have a chance to win. But even that took some fine-tuning, Lewis said.
``There was a little adjustment for him early in the year, playing on a good team like this with a lot of other guys who can score the ball,’’ Lewis noted. ``But you can tell now that he’s adjusted and he’s starting to find his rhythm.’’
And Carter has found that being a part of a winner has ignited his inner fire once again. Brought to Orlando to be a closer for the Magic at the end of games, he’s relishes the role of having the ball in his hands at the end of games. He’s made two go-ahead jumpers late in games this season and recently he’s drawn the defense and kicked the ball to Lewis for game-clinching 3-pointers.
``They’re putting me in situations where they trust me with the ball at the end of the games to make plays,’’ Carter said. ``I take great pride in putting the ball in the basket or making plays for others. That why I always look at my turnovers first and hate when I even have one. I’m enjoying being in these kinds of games again.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. E-mail John at jd41898@aol.com.
By John DentonMarch 21, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Vince Carter has scored 19,316 points in his career, played in seven all-star games, won one slam dunk contest and has been a part of 42 playoff games.
But there’s one number in Carter’s career – 50 – that has eluded him throughout his 12 years in the NBA.
Carter has never been on a team that has won 50 games, a statistical oddity that very well come to an end Monday night when his Orlando Magic (49-21) travel north to take on the Philadelphia 76ers (24-46).
Carter spent the first 6 ½ years of his NBA career in Toronto, where the Raptors never won more than 47 games and never won a division title. Following a trade in 2004, Carter played in New Jersey the next 4 ½ seasons. In his first full season in New Jersey (2005-06), the Nets won 49 games and the Atlantic Division, but as it turns out that would be the high-water mark for the star guard before a steady slide into the irrelevant began.
Carter knew when he joined the Magic, NBA Finalists last spring, that he would have a chance to play in meaningful, big games again for the first time in years. And he hoped that if all things went well, he’d finally be a part of a 50-win team and a division champion squad in Orlando.
``Nope, never have won 50 games. Crazy, huh?’’ Carter said, somewhat shocked himself. ``Sometimes not even going deep in the playoffs have we won 50 games.’’
Carter, 33, seems energized late in the season by finally being part of a team that has a chance to win big in the regular season and win it all in the playoffs. Carter had one of the worst months of his career in January, but he bounced back like a player who is intent on making this a special season.
He averaged 18.6 points a game in February, while shooting 51.5 percent overall and 51.1 percent from 3-point range. He offered up some vintage Vince on Feb. 8 when he torched the New Orleans Hornets for 48 points and six 3-pointers.
In March, his numbers have been even better as he’s played his best basketball of the season. In 10 games so far in March, Carter has averaged 20 points while again approaching 52 percent shooting from the floor. Included in that stretch was a 25-point gem against the Los Angeles Lakers and Thursday night’s 27-point, six-assist effort in Miami.
``He’s enjoying playing in big games again,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``It certainly seems like he’s enjoying this now because he’s putting in big minutes and getting the job done for us.’’
Out of the playoff race and mostly out of sight much of the past three seasons, Carter is a part of something that matters again. He knows that this chance he has been given – one made possible by last June’s NBA Draft-day trade – is a chance to reshape his legacy into that of a winner. He’s scored plenty of points and endorsements, played in all-star games and far out of the race, but this is his chance to be a part of a championship contender for the first time since he left the University of North Carolina.
He’s even had to do somewhat of an acting job along the way – maybe to hide his joy over being a part of an elite team.
``It’s exciting to me to be on a great team like this, but I’m trying to approach it like I’ve been there before,’’ Carter said. ``This team has a winning mentality and they expect to win games. It’s a great feeling being on a team like this, playing in games like this and knowing we have so many weapons every night.’’
Unlike his days in Toronto and New Jersey, Carter doesn’t have to carry the load offensively for the Magic to win a game. With fellow all-stars Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson surrounding him and plenty of other offensive weapons in J.J. Redick, Jason Williams and Brandon Bass, Carter has grown to like the fact that he doesn’t have to be a 25-point scorer every night for his team to have a chance to win. But even that took some fine-tuning, Lewis said.
``There was a little adjustment for him early in the year, playing on a good team like this with a lot of other guys who can score the ball,’’ Lewis noted. ``But you can tell now that he’s adjusted and he’s starting to find his rhythm.’’
And Carter has found that being a part of a winner has ignited his inner fire once again. Brought to Orlando to be a closer for the Magic at the end of games, he’s relishes the role of having the ball in his hands at the end of games. He’s made two go-ahead jumpers late in games this season and recently he’s drawn the defense and kicked the ball to Lewis for game-clinching 3-pointers.
``They’re putting me in situations where they trust me with the ball at the end of the games to make plays,’’ Carter said. ``I take great pride in putting the ball in the basket or making plays for others. That why I always look at my turnovers first and hate when I even have one. I’m enjoying being in these kinds of games again.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM. E-mail John at jd41898@aol.com.
