By signing Vince Carter, the Hawks have acquired a steady veteran that can serve as a steadying presence in the locker room.
On July 25, the Atlanta Hawks used the veteran’s minimum to bring in future Hall of Fame guard Vince Carter. At age 41, the Hawks aren’t getting “Half Man/Half Amazing.” They aren’t getting the man who wowed audiences with his breathtaking performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest or did this in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Everyone knows that Carter isn’t the star he once was, including the Hawks front office. However, Atlanta is getting a reliable veteran that can shepherd the inexperienced Hawks.
As his recent numbers indicate, Carter won’t turn Atlanta into a playoff team. He averaged a career-low 5.4 points per game with a .403/.345/.757 shooting line with the Sacramento Kings last season. Although he wasn’t a complete detriment to the team — on the contrary, the Kings’ net rating improved from -8.8 to -4.3 when Carter was on the floor — it was clear that Carter provided little more than veteran support for the young Kings.
Fortunately, veteran support is exactly what this Hawks team needs. Atlanta was the seventh-youngest team in the NBA last year and will only get younger with first round picks Trae Young and Kevin Huerter now on the roster.
As of right now, they have one other player on the roster older than 30 and he will likely be bought out soon. With so much youth on the team, the Hawks could use a guy who can help the youngsters improve and Carter — the oldest player in the association — is more than up to the task.
Unlike some former star players *cough* Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson *cough*, Carter has accepted his current role player status. He can still shoot 3s (career 37.3 percent shooter), so he’ll open up the floor for Young and Jeremy Lin. He also isn’t a black hole on defense, as Sacramento actually allowed 3.3 fewer points per 100 possessions with Carter on the floor — although I wouldn’t expect him to provide lockdown D on a nightly basis.
Furthermore, Carter can impart his 20 years of wisdom to the young Hawks. Players like Young and Huerter can learn plenty from a man who reached the heights of NBA superstardom and has settled into a grizzled vet role in the twilight of his career. He will help them develop good winning habits that will prove beneficial down the line.
Without question, Carter is closer to the end of his career than he is the beginning. Even he has said that he probably has only a couple of years left in him before he transitions to the next phase of his life (likely in broadcasting, as he has expressed an interest in the field and has contributed to shows like ESPN’s The Jump during the postseason). However, he still has a passion for the game and if that passion disperses through the Hawks’ locker room, then the signing will be more than worth it.
Carter can’t leap the way he used to, but his veteran leadership will help the Hawks make the jump from lottery team to an eventual playoff team, even if that transition takes a few seasons.