Memphis Grizzlies: Vince Carter Still Struggling
When the Memphis Grizzlies signed Vince Carter, most saw it as the perfect fit. A team with very little outside shooting would add a veteran sharpshooter to the bench and Carter would be on a team good enough to at least have a chance of adding another championship to his resume.
Sometimes, the perfect fit is not so perfect when the actual games begin. On paper it looked ideal, but we don’t play basketball on paper. On the court the fit has been awkward and Carter has struggled all season.
Last week I harped on the bench underperforming, but recently we’ve seen players like Beno Udrih, Kosta Koufos, and even Quincy Pondexter start to play more consistently. Carter has yet to do the same.
Going into Wednesday night, Carter had played 10 games averaging 5.8 points on 35.5 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from 3-point range. All in only 15.2 minutes per game.
After a great effort in the comeback against the Kings, Carter fell back to earth with back to back poor games, including a 1-for-10 shooting night against Detroit.
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Wednesday night saw an emotional return to Toronto. Carter was a star there for seven seasons before an acrimonious exit where some fans felt like he quit on the team.
The Raptors honored Carter with a video tribute during a stoppage in the first quarter, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation. It was a nice moment and he appeared to be fighting off tears during the lengthy ovation.
On the court, it was not quite so warm of a welcome for number fifteen. Carter played 28 minutes thanks to the absence of Tony Allen and Courtney Lee, due to a stomach virus. He would shoot 3-of-11 from the field (1-of-5 from 3-point range) and finish with seven points and three assists.
It is not clear if he is fighting an injury or if he is just struggling to fit in with a new team. Either would be understandable. Some players adjust quickly to their new surroundings, like Trevor Ariza, while some take time to settle into a new situation, like Lance Stephenson.
After spending his prime years in Toronto and New Jersey as each team’s primary scorer, Carter reinvented himself with the Dallas Mavericks as a three point specialist off the bench. His final two years in Dallas he shot 40.6 and 39.4 percent from outside, which is the kind of production Memphis was likely expecting when they added him to the fold.
He does not quite have the athleticism or quickness he possessed during his prime, so if his jump shots are not falling it is tough for him to be productive.
The funny thing is, the poor play by Carter has not affected the Grizzlies for the most part. Even after the stomach virus tainted road loss to the Raptors, they still have one of the best records in the NBA at 10-2 and are playing their typical elite defense.
The emergence of Courtney Lee as a shooter and a do everything swingman in either the starting lineup or off the bench has helped make up for the disappointing play from Carter.
To his credit, it does not appear as if Carter is letting this affect his attitude. All indications are that this team has great chemistry, and whenever a camera lands on him during the game there is a smile on his face. Winning does cure all that ails you.
If he is not seriously injured, common sense suggests that at some point he will snap out of his funk and start making shots. If he doesn’t, the Grizzlies should still be fine but Carter getting his groove back would be a nice boost to the bench.