Fact of Fiction: Vince Carter is the biggest underachiever of all-time

Tim Thomas

There are actually plenty of choices because there are plenty of players that have the talent, but not the drive.

 

Well in the Yao case, I mentioned him because, like Tracy McGrady, he hasn't gone very far in the playoffs. I know it's a team game, but going far in the playoffs is an achievement players strive for.

Greg Oden was the undisputed number 1 draft choice by many. So far, it's safe to say that he has not played as well as Durant. This automatically would make him a disapointment, in my eyes. Both cases are debatable.

 

In that case, Dominique Wilkins, Pete Maravich, Bernard King, and few more greats out there. Simply, aren't great players or gross underachievers, because their teams never went deep into the playoffs. I disagree with that, royally. These guys just never had the benefit to play on a great squad. I could say it is fair to put a wing player who has similar or slightly better stats with rings ahead of them. But those it mean those guys are totally failures, because they either made the playoffs infrequently or never went beyond the 2nd round of the playoffs. Of course, not. In fact, I can say that most HOFs (excluding maybe the centers) lost often on mediocre squads and found advancing the playoffs very difficult. Also to this day, the only wings to really carry their teams to an NBA Championship without an all-star big man or a great center/pf is Rick Barry and Michael Jordan


On another token, I could throw in Steve Nash as more underachieving than T-Mac and Yao. He has 2 MVPs and has never been to the NBA Finals. Every other player that has two or more MVPs has won the title once and made multiple appearances in the Finals. I could say that he is the most underachieving MVP ever, since both Malone and Nowitzki have appeared in the Finals at least once (Malone has appeared 3x).

Nor Yao or T-Mac have been elected to MVP status, while Yao has never been on 1st Team All-NBA and very early in his career (he) was expected to be bust (by a general consensus) or a Rik Smits player at best. In T-Mac's case, he wasn't as nearly heralded as Kobe, KG, or LeBron. Even later in his career, it was kind of unexpected to see him lead the league scoring. Tell me how is that underachieving from the beginning of their careers.

 

kemp was the biggest underachiever...

 

There is no such thing as a "highly contested" jumpshot with Mac. He was 6-9 going to 7 feet, and yet he was being guarded by SGs for the most part in his Orlando days. Once he started rising up with his jumper, there was no one who could impede his vision or interfere with his shot. He just didn't work on his shooting mechanics as much that's why his FG% remained at the low 40's.

 

Larry Brown wouldn't agree.

 

I would say Iverson is more of an underachiever than VC. AI can do it all. pass, dribble, shoot, play D. He can even make his teammates better. however, he never chose to. He didnt have the willingness to do the extra things it takes to win in the NBA. He played his a$$ off in games but never changed his game. maybe one of the greatest talents we have ever seen.
imagine if he worked as hard kobe.

VC maybe couldve had a couple of rings if Tmac became his pippen in toronto. but i have faith that they wouldve choked.

 

QFT.

 

What are you talking about? Kemp is right there on the list of players who would have won a ring if Michael Jordan never made his comeback.

 

I'd have to disagree with you on that. Iverson actually took the Sixers to the Finals in 01 and surprised all by winning one game against the, then, mighty Lakers. See below:

AI overachieved with that team. VC has not made a finals in his career.