Vince Carter News

"After their trade of Richard Jefferson on Thursday, and with eight players on the roster team with two years of experience or less, it's obvious that the Nets are in a rebuilding mode. And while it may look as if the Nets are ready to sacrifice the next two seasons so that they can make a major run at potential free agent LeBron James in 2010 - just in time for their scheduled move to Brooklyn - there may be some reason for whatever fans remain in New Jersey to be hopeful. The fact that the team still has Vince Carter is one of them."

"As they were putting some of the finishing touches on the Richard Jefferson-Yi Jianlian deal, the Nets received a call from the Cleveland Cavaliers, who offered them Wally Szczerbiak and his expiring, $13.2 million salary for Vince Carter."

"Vince Carter's right ankle hampered him all season, and it was one of the biggest factors in the Nets' failure to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years. That's why Carter wasted little time and had the ankle surgically repaired Wednesday, one week after the Nets' final game. Carter underwent an arthroscopic procedure at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, having "multiple loose bodies" and a bone spur removed, according to a statement released by the team."

"Addressing a variety of topics in a season-ending meeting with reporters at the team's practice facility, Thorn did not reveal exact details of his plan to get the Nets back on track after they missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. But he did suggest that Carter will be back despite calls from some to trade the star guard, who signed a four-year, $62 million contract last summer. He also said he would not be surprised if Richard Jefferson, Devin Harris and Nenad Krstic are back again, too."

"The honest-to-gosh last game of the 2007-08 season of agony came and went for the Nets in a 105-94 defeat against the Celtics here last night, and both Vince Carter and Bostjan Nachbar were involved. Even if their last games of the season should have been about a month ago. Both are headed for MRIs on their respective ailments, Carter on his right ankle and Nachbar on his lower back. Carter then likely will head for arthroscopic surgery to clean out loose bodies in the ankle, but he maintained last night no decision has been made."

"They came out of North Carolina in 1998, top-10 picks and draft-day trade counterparts. Antawn Jamison, a power forward and national player of the year, had led his Tar Heels to the NCAA semifinals. Shooting guard Vince Carter was his sidekick."

"For one more night at least, the Nets are still playing for now. And part of the reason Vince Carter is still playing this season is so that he can have a positive influence on the team's future."

"Elimination is inevitable. Sort of like death and taxes. It will come, maybe Wednesday, likely by the end of the week. But like with death and taxes, the Nets are trying to fight the expected. And Vince Carter insists on being in the forefront."

"Playing with a sore right ankle that may need surgery after the season, Carter scored 32 points to lead the Nets to a 99-90 victory over the Raptors. Despite the win, the Nets still ended up closer to being eliminated from the playoffs, as the eighth-place Hawks beat the 76ers in Philadelphia to slice the Nets' tragic number to two."

"The theory is that Carter wanted to rub it in to his former team, but will likely sit out next Friday's return game at the Air Canada Centre, where fans have been quite vocal in expressing their disgust for Carter."

"The Nets haven't missed the playoff since 2000-01, the season before Jason Kidd arrived in New Jersey. With Kidd now in Dallas, the Nets will need Carter to be at his best if they are to rebound next season."

"If you're still wondering about fulfilling his obligation to lead by example, consider this: Vince Carter lost a shooting game to Marcus Williams after practice yesterday, and immediately dropped down and gave 20 pushups, while ignoring cheeky taunts from Darrell Armstrong."

"It hasn't been a good season for right ankles for the Nets. Devin Harris sprained his right ankle Tuesday night. Bostjan Nachbar sprained his earlier this season and Vince Carter his in November."

"Tonight, too, could be especially exhausting. Then, Carter will be chased, for the second consecutive game, by Bruce Bowen. Does Bowen ever get tired?"

"If the Nets are going to make the playoffs for the seventh straight season, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson will have to carry them there."

"It has been three years since New Jersey general manager Rod Thorn stuck it to then-Raptors GM Rob Babcock and stole Vince Carter for a has-been schmuck, two stiffs and two draft picks. But guess what? The Nets no longer are feeling particularly smug about the Carter trade."

"There have been rumors that the Nets have been trying to talk the Pacers into taking Carter in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal, but Indiana hasn't budged. A report on ESPN.com last night also said that the Nets, Knicks and Heat have had discussions about a three-way deal that would send Carter to the Knicks, Eddy Curry to Miami and the expiring contracts of Jason Williams and Ricky Davis to New Jersey."

"The Nets are no longer Jason Kidd's team, so the biggest question facing them as they resume play without him Wednesday is: Who will take his place?"

"Vince Carter doesn't have the weight of an entire country on his shoulders like when he was in Toronto, but now faces more pressure than ever as a Net. With Jason Kidd now a Maverick, the Nets are Carter's team. Richard Jefferson has moved up to No. 2 in "the Man" chain. But Carter is a perennial All-Star and the player who signed the $66 million contract over the summer that in essence ended Kidd's career here."

"Big news in the NBA's Irrelevant Conference last night: Vince Carter, otherwise dogging it through another blasé season of a squandered career for the New Jersey Nets, actually showed a spurt of defensive intensity at the Air Canada Centre. Carter back-pedaled quickly and nearly intercepted a Toronto pass on the second-quarter play in question. Alas, he was whistled for a foul moments later and, lesson learned, quickly reverted to slack-bottomed form. You know the old saying about sustained effort: It only gets you tired."

"The on-and-off talks with Indiana involving Jermaine O'Neal -- recently rumored to be on again -- appear to be dying a quick and quiet death. According to those familiar with the particulars, the Nets aren't entirely against swapping Vince Carter and spare parts for O'Neal, even if the Pacers big man has $44.3 million coming to him in the next two seasons."

"And if the Nets plan to hold onto Kidd past the Feb. 21 trade deadline and make a serious playoff run, the suddenly-vintage Carter is the version they're going to need to see the rest of the season."

"On some level, Vince Carter knows that people -- fans, teammates, coaches -- expect this from him all the time, not once every five or six games, which is the rate he's producing now."

"Carter left Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks for three minutes, and the Nets, not surprisingly, began unraveling without him. But Carter returned, found his touch and powered the Nets to a 101-82 victory."

"Carter flashed back to his old, "half man, half amazing" self, shredding the Mavericks after returning from a blow to the face. He led the Nets to a 101-82 pounding of the Mavericks, and the game swung when New Jersey went on a 30-4 charge that started after Carter had returned from a visit to the locker room."

"Phil Jackson already been through what the Nets are going through with Jason Kidd, and the legendary Lakers coach thinks the situation in New Jersey may be fixable. However, he feels that is true only if Vince Carter raises his intensity level."

"'Carter seems to be just playing right now,' Jackson said before his team defeated the Nets, 105-90, last night at Izod Center. 'Not playing with that fire that Jason seems to imbue in his game.'"

"For much of the season, Vince Carter has played more like Nell Carter. There have been assorted flashes, though. Like last night."

"Why not Vince Carter? Sure he is not what he used to be, but neither is Hinrich. Carter has been great before and he could have quite a bit left in him. What are we gonna lose?"

"How's this for a remarkable development: Vince Carter turns 31 today, and he's already over the hill. That was the assessment of Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley Thursday night during the TNT telecast, anyway."

"Nets president Rod Thorn and coach Lawrence Frank defended Vince Carter after Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley took turns saying before and during Thursday's TNT telecast of Nets-Warriors that the shooting guard's knees are shot and his career is on the decline."

"All shooters go through slumps, but Carter's is perplexing. He hit only 38.7 percent of his shots in the last seven, and he is lapsing into some bad habits -- rushing shots from the perimeter, showing reluctance to drive the ball, anticipating contact and getting frustrated when he doesn't get a whistle."

"Acquiring All-Star power forward Jermaine O'Neal remains a possibility for the Nets, but could cost them their own All-Star, Vince Carter."

"Quite Frankly, Lawrence, after last week's surrender to the Knicks New York Knicks , I've seen more than enough; you gotta go and that also goes for Jason Kidd Jason Kidd and Vince Carter Vince Carter and maybe Richard Jefferson, too."

"Heading into Charlotte tonight to face the struggling Bobcats (11-21), Carter and the Nets finally seem to be having a blast. Carter has stepped up his game, coming through down the stretch like the clutch player the Nets (17-16) expect him to be."

"During the 7-1 run, that the Nets hope to continue tomorrow in Charlotte, Carter has continually made big play after big play. He's had great numbers in the stretch: 24.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, .461 shooting. But there have been special moments."

"Vince Carter's left eye was blood red last week and still has some traces in it from a shot he took from Washington forward Caron Butler. But it hasn't affected Carter's vision, shot or play-making ability."

"So Carter banged in a right corner 3-pointer with :24.6 left to put the Nets on top for good and the defense did the rest as New Jersey (12-15) won back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 23-25 with a 100-95 victory over the high-powered Warriors in the Meadowlands."

"The best thing that can happen to Vince Carter right now is a week-long vacation, preferably spent on the warm patio with a comfortable chair and something upon which to rest his right leg. Which you can't do in Jersey in December, so that option is out."

"Carter got the pass from Jefferson, a kick-out with the 24-second clock down to just two when he caught it and just 24.6 seconds left when he drained a three-pointer. That gave the Nets the lead and salvaged the night for him and the team as they escaped with a 100-95 win over the Golden State Warriors."

"With Carter matching his season-high of 32 points and coach Lawrence Frank turning to youth and athleticism at the power positions after another slow start, the Nets enjoyed a 105-97 victory Friday night over the reigning Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers at Izod Center."

"Vince Carter rarely sits at his locker before or after a game at the Meadowlands. Tuesday night, after the Nets had lost to the L.A. Clippers in a game in which he had hit just one of his six shots in the fourth quarter and five of 17 overall, was different. Carter sat there, staring ahead, moving only to shift a large ice pack that wrapped his right ankle."

"Vince Carter heard the fans Tuesday night and didn't blame them for booing."

"The Nets were trying out a different look last night. They used Vince Carter off the bench, hoping to avoid sputtering out of the gate again. But the Nets found themselves in a familiar bad situation last night, and needed Carter to bail them out late en route to a 94-92 overtime win over the struggling Sixers at the Meadowlands."

"With Lawrence Frank mulling the idea of bringing Vince Carter off the bench for tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, one has to wonder what Carter would make of such a concept."

"There was the rant by Jason Kidd. Then another defeat, perhaps the worst of the season. Next came an understanding, after an undeniably firm chat, between team president Rod Thorn and Kidd. Then Vince Carter returned from a sprained ankle injury."

"Jason Kidd kept a straight face. For a while, anyway. He was talking about Vince Carter coming off the bench."

"Instead of intrigue and covert operations, you have a simple fact of life for the Nets. See Vince Carter play. See Vince Carter draw attention. See everybody else get good opportunities and flourish."

"The game in Portland was a tonic for what had been ailing them, and as it turned out, Vince Carter was the first one who saw it coming. He didn't want to sound immodest, he was simply trying to find an objective way of stating a fact: When he plays, everyone benefits."

"Vince Carter practiced Tuesday for the first time since spraining his right ankle on Nov.10, and there's a good chance he will be on the court when the Nets play the Trail Blazers in Portland on Wednesday."