The selections for the Nets All-Time Top 25 Team were made by the author, with no input from the Brooklyn Nets organization. Selections were based on a combination of individual performance, team success and their contribution to it, and longevity with the franchise.
The stunning mid-season acquisition of Vince Carter in December 2004 brought one of the NBA’s elite scorers and most entertaining stars to the Nets right smack in his prime.
Vinsanity was live in New Jersey.
Energized by the trade, Carter took off on a tear, averaging 27.5 points for the Nets in 57 games through the end of the season. It turned out to be the highest single-season scoring average for a Net in the franchise’s NBA era – and Carter would go on the notch a few more spots on that list before his time was done. He’s got the top three marks with 25.2 points per game in 2006-07 and 24.2 points per game in 2005-06.
In that 2005-06 season, Carter teamed with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson to form a dynamic perimeter trio that led the Nets back to the Atlantic Division title with a 49-33 record, tied for the second-best mark in the team’s NBA history.
Carter never averaged fewer than 20 points per game in his four-plus seasons with the Nets before being traded to Orlando after the 2008-09 season. He represented the team in three NBA All-Star Games, and over 374 games averaged 23.6 points – the third highest mark in team history and No. 1 during the NBA era – along with 5.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.