Courtesy of NetsDaily: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>There have been a few dunks and a couple of long bombs, but what has distinguished Vince Carter’s play in recent weeks has been his efficiency at putting the ball in the basket and in the hands of his younger teammates. Take the last two games. He has scored 59 points on 36 shots, shot 55.6% and made big shots from the floor and the foul line.</div> Crucial Vin Streak - Fred Kerber - New York Post Carter's improved play sparks Nets' run - Al Iannazzone - The Record Well, can we now officially say Carter's back?
This isn't new. How many Player of the Month awards has he won since joining the Nets? I bet it's at least four. He gets hot and everybody is energized and the Nets go on a crazy winning streak. It happens twice a year without fail. However, unless there is a significant change in the structure of the team, the result will be the same - a second round playoff exit. At least they drafted better with their mid-first-rounder last year. That's encouraging.
VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year. Big whoop, shooting 55% for two games... Jason Collins has probably done that this year.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year. Big whoop, shooting 55% for two games... Jason Collins has probably done that this year.</div> Huh? Triple doubles is not his game (it's also T-Mac's 1st triple double w/ the Rockets, btw). From the last couple games Carter has been making his shots, and finding his teammates. It's a team game, and he is doing more than his part, or what is expected of him now. Kudos to Carter! -Petey
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year.</div> Triple-doubles are a terrible measure of a player's quality.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Petey @ Jan 7 2008, 02:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year. Big whoop, shooting 55% for two games... Jason Collins has probably done that this year.</div> Huh? Triple doubles is not his game (it's also T-Mac's 1st triple double w/ the Rockets, btw). From the last couple games Carter has been making his shots, and finding his teammates. It's a team game, and he is doing more than his part, or what is expected of him now. Kudos to Carter! -Petey </div> Oh, Btw Jason Collins did shoot over 55% for two games. Dec 15 and 20th he shot 100% for the 2 game stretch. VC needs to take a page out of Wilt, Magic, Oscar Robertson, or JKidd's book to have those meaningful games.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Petey @ Jan 7 2008, 02:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year. Big whoop, shooting 55% for two games... Jason Collins has probably done that this year.</div> Huh? Triple doubles is not his game (it's also T-Mac's 1st triple double w/ the Rockets, btw). From the last couple games Carter has been making his shots, and finding his teammates. It's a team game, and he is doing more than his part, or what is expected of him now. Kudos to Carter! -Petey </div> Oh, Btw Jason Collins did shoot over 55% for two games. Dec 15 and 20th he shot 100% for the 2 game stretch. VC needs to take a page out of Wilt, Magic, Oscar Robertson, or JKidd's book to have those meaningful games. </div> Explain how these aren't "meaningful games". Did Jason Collins average 30 freaking points in those high-percentage games? The Nets won on the road on the tail end of a back-to-back against a good team and Carter played 81 minutes. That's good stuff. You are complaining because he's not Wilt or the Big O? Why?
What does Carter's rebounding have to do with anything? No meaningful performances? How many game winning or tying shots has he hit all year? I'd say a lot.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Jan 7 2008, 02:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Explain how these aren't "meaningful games". Did Jason Collins average 30 freaking points in those high-percentage games? The Nets won on the road on the tail end of a back-to-back against a good team and Carter played 81 minutes. That's good stuff. You are complaining because he's not Wilt or the Big O? Why?</div> Never seen you get a triple double! You sir are useless ghoti! -Petey
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Petey @ Jan 7 2008, 03:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Jan 7 2008, 02:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Explain how these aren't "meaningful games". Did Jason Collins average 30 freaking points in those high-percentage games? The Nets won on the road on the tail end of a back-to-back against a good team and Carter played 81 minutes. That's good stuff. You are complaining because he's not Wilt or the Big O? Why?</div> Never seen you get a triple double! You sir are useless ghoti! -Petey </div> Hey! I'm tied with the current MVP.
His mobility (on both ends) has certainly improved of late, indicating the ankle is not as much of a bother as it had been earlier. But some nights he still doesn't look like he has much physical "pop". The great thing is that his shot selection, passing, and judgment have never been better, and his midrange J has been excellent this season after the thumb healed. If he can avoid futher significant injury, I still think he's on track to have maybe his best all-round season. I'm actually very glad that he might not make the all star team, as that will give him both more rest heading into the second half of the season and maybe a little bit of a chip on the shoulder, since it will be the first all star game in his career that he's missed for reasons other than injury or lockout. Of course if he has another 3 weeks as good as his last two, the coaches may put him on anyway, but I hope not.
As long as we have bigs that can finish, we will look good as a group. Inserting Swat and Boone has been the difference in this stretch of games, for the team overall, not just VC. If SWat and Boone continue to attack the hoop and convert, we will be a dangerous team, VC, Kidd, RJ will get their stats.......but SWAT and Boone's minutes will determine W's at the end of the day.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year. Big whoop, shooting 55% for two games... Jason Collins has probably done that this year.</div> This has to be one of the worst replies I think I've ever read. And I've seen my share of questionable posts.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JCB @ Jan 7 2008, 06:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 02:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>VC needs to put up some meaningful performances, before we can say he is back. He has 0 triple doubles this year, he has 0 meaningful performances. Even his cousin has had 1 triple double. His teammate Kidd should teach him a thing or two, having 9 TDs this year. LBJ even has 4 this year. Big whoop, shooting 55% for two games... Jason Collins has probably done that this year.</div> This has to be one of the worst replies I think I've ever read. And I've seen my share of questionable posts. </div> So according to Lavalamp, MJ's performances others then the ones with triple doubles were meaningless? And the only way to have a meaningfull performance is to get a triple double? Also, 55%...making more then half your shots...bad thing too eh?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (MyNetsForLife @ Jan 7 2008, 06:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yup. And LBJ's game 5 performance against the Pistons was also meaningless.</div> What did he shoot in the series? Like 57% or something? Means nothing to me. No triple double means that player has meaningless game.
You can praise a player for getting triple doubles, but you can't really knock him if he doesn't. Plenty of players have great games without going 10+ in 3 categories.
Well I agree MJ had some good performances while not achieving triple double status, however comparing VC to MJ is like Yinka Dare to Shaq.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ Jan 7 2008, 08:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well I agree MJ had some good performances while not achieving triple double status, however comparing VC to MJ is like Yinka Dare to Shaq.</div> No one is comparing VC to MJ; we're simply countering the statement you made about Carter and triple doubles.