Vince Carter had all the skills/tools/talent to be one of the greatest ever. Too bad he's soft and complacent.
I didn't actually watch it (because I was what..6 when it went down?) but if a guy can single handedly keep his team competitive against the 80s Celtics, he is a far better player than Vince can/will ever be.
He's soft because he doesn't push himself to the max. If he wasn't soft he wouldn't just disappear into obscurity. This is a guy that plays in the East and he's as equally talented if not more so than Lebron James yet he has no desire to be the best and lead his team. This is a guy that took the Raptors and put them on his shoulders with far less talent than his current Net squad and led them to the Eastern Conference Finals! This is a guy that once was very fierce and wanted to be the best. I still remember a game where he drove right by Mobley and 3 other Rockets in traffic and had a game winning dunk. He's soft because he doesn't utilize his skills to the fullest extent and lacks the competitive fire. For a regular player in the league that's fine. For Vince Carter who once was arguably the best player in the league? That is NOT okay. Therefore I think he is soft.
The miracle in 88 had just as much to do with the play of Rivers, Webb, Willis, and Wittman. The most apt comparison for that Hawks team was the Warriors last year. They upped the pace and outran the Celtics. While most may remember the shootout in the 4th quarter of game 7 between Bird and Wilkins, no one seems to remember Wilkins going ice cold (and still jacking shots) in the last 5 minutes of game 6 (including the game winner); this inevitably cost Atlanta the series. There was no chance they'd beat Bird in a game 7 at home. On the other side of the coin with Carter, people seem to only remember him missing the final shot against the Sixers. The fact that he was trading 50 point games with Iverson (against one of the greatest defensive squads of this generation) never gets mentioned.
Ugh, why can't we edit our own posts, I hate double/triple posting. Missing the game *tying* shot to take it to OT.
The problem with Nique was he played too long, his love for the game was strong. Nobody EVER questioned that guy's heart and love for the game.
Interesting question, but I have no idea. To pretend to say I watched 'nique or even think I can call him 'nique is to say I did not literally crap my pants in the 80's. INC.
Oh, yes. I remember I couldnt believe Larry tried to block that...the one time I thought Larry really made a dumb basketball move.
Yes it was the one of the most beautiful dunks I've ever seen in my life. People don't seen to know how great Nigue was if he had a better team he would have atlease two rings.
I voted Nique. On many nights he was equal to some of the greatest of all time. His overall game was not there but his offensive game was unreal. It wasn't that he had a varied and spectacular repertoire it was that the moves he did have were unstoppable. Like many players of that era, he didn't try to do everything he just did a few things better than maybe 10 guys to ever play the game. Vince just seems to be in no man's land. He isn't an all time great scorer, he isn't an all time "do it all" guy and he isn't an all time winner. No man's land it is for half man half a season.
I support what I say with hard facts. The vast majority (I think all at this point) of the people who said 'Nique can provide NO reason as to why he's the better player. One person pointed out playoff success (debunked) and the other pointed out all around game (still shocked anyone would say this - debunked).
Personally, my decision comes from watching Dominique go at guys like Jordan and Bird and give them everything they could handle and more. He had a gear that I don't think any player in today's game has other than Kobe. I've never seen Vince go at Kobe like he knew he was as good or better like 'Nique did against MJ, Bird, Clyde or anyone else you put in front of him.
