I completely agree re: defense, although prior to his injury last year he was already showing signs of dedication... But passing up last shots!?!? In his second year alone he won at least 4 games with last second shots, 3 of which were behind the stripe. Remember the dunk/not dunk over Dream? It's one of many...he has already won at least 10 games with last second shots/ft's in his short career. And that doesn't count those he's missed...including the famous rimmer against the Sixers. If you have watched VC play, you'd know he has no problem at all taking the last shot, and in fact tries very hard to do so...But like fellow UNC grad Jordan, he won't take an impossible shot if it means leaving a teammate standing open. Carter just doesn't have his Steve Kerr types yet.
If Carter doesnt lead his team to a title hell be remembered as dominique wilkens.Hmm hes 25 now been in the league for a while he still has time if he stays healthy. Right now carter is not even close to jordan anything.He does not step up like jordan,he doesnt show leadership like jordan,he doesnt have the wil to win like jordan,no defense etc. Dont get me wrong carter is an extremely good player.He is the best dunker in the leauge and top 10.He will have an amazing season no doubt and probably get mvp,and take the team far in the playoffs maybe to the finals.But he is no jordan.Ill compare him to jordan once he does the above. there is lots of pressure on vince to perform especially when he keeps talking.I know he will though because hes gonna play out of anger which is good motivation for him. On the other hand Im not being bias but right now the closest thing to jordan is kobe bryant.I know everyone hates the kid and noone will admit it cause the hate and the fact that he plays with shaq clouds your view of kobes skill.But its not just me.If coaches say it and even when jordans says it its gotta be true. kobe does have the will to win,steps up,great defense, etc.Not to mention the three rings. Also the fact when jordan was kobes age he didnt have the outside jump shot all he was doing was dunking and kobe had the jump shot,the fadeaway whatever it is he had it. I just really think one of the reasons why kobe learned everything so fast is because he studied basketball tapes every day since he was a kid.I would like to know if vince or tmac did that. Even before Shaq and kobe came together and the lakers started winning kobe still achieved much more accolades and accomplishments then any other young guard. Kobe is steps ahead of vince now and I think after watching him play he has the best chance to surpass the great one or equal to him or just be remembered as one of the top 5 greats. Sorry I cant say the same thing about vince right now. Ok let the bashing begin I compared kobe to jordan.
athelitcism? oh yah sure, there r some ppl in his level now days(his 43 vertcal is a mismatch to MJ's 48)....let me count...stevie(43)..that teenager from kings(the one took off from de ft line)..and that james white(50 vert?)
A) Vert. numbers are almost always ludicrous. People who have played against both Carter and Jordan, including but not limited to Reggie Miller, Shaq, Pippen, Hakeem, David Robinson, Karl Malone, etc. say not only does Carter out leap prime-time Jordan, it isn't close, or to quote Miller.." We're talking a whole different planet here." Additionally, commentators/former players like Isiah, Barkley, Ainge, Walton, et al have all said the same thing. And he IS bigger and stronger...look at the build/numbers. By the by, not that it really relates, except insofar as distinguishing between his game related possible metamorphisis into an attitude player and his non-basketball persona remaining the same 'nice guy', Carter just gave his former high school 2.5 million to rebuild their gym.
Thats good that he wants to be better than MJ, its a hell of alot better saying that he knows he'll never come close to MJ, IMO.
There is no way Vince will go near MJ. He does not have the desire or motivation to want to be the best player on the court. Vince has talent, no doubt, but he will never reach MJ's heights.
I think is totally possible for any of the jordan clones to be better, but it would take a lot. Plus Jordan's best fg% was like 53.8% and that is something no of the Jordan Clonettes have done. Kobe's = 46.9% TMAC = 45.7% Carter = 46.5% Until All of those hit players hit some memorable shots like against utah, they'll just be pretty good players, not legends
i dont think so, i know VC cant even take off from the ft line. ( well, he sure tried in 2000 slam dunk contest, a 2-hand jam about 3 steps over the line)
Since you guys are discussing dunking (although it shouldn't be a factor), I'll give a little input. Vince is more powerful with his dunks than Jordan ever was. Vince is probably a bit more explosive in the air than Jordan was as well. Jordan had a lot more finesse and grace in his dunks than Vince does. I'd also give the hangtime edge to Jordan by a good margin. They both are/were very creative with their dunking. Some of you guys haven't seen Jordan in the 80's when he was leaping out of the gym. You might want to check out the Ultimate Jordan DVD or something along that lines.
Are you on crack ? Vince did a free throw line dunk vs the Knicks in the playoffs!! In the competition, it was the final dunk and he played it safe
Better than 23? He's not even better than the current elite players. His main problem, other than defense and overall awareness, is his weak mentality. That isn't something you can develop like a hook shot or mid-range jumpshot. He's not even close to being a top 50 player and he thinks he can be better than the greatest? I'm all for goals, but let's be realistic.
"I have goals I want to accomplish for myself (this season). I'm not going to share them with you, because I know that's the next question coming. But it's something inside that's going to drive me night in and night out." - Vince Carter last night. "Something is going to have to happen to those two guys in their professional lives that is so painful, so impossible to live with and so embarrassing, that erasing that memory and winning at the NBA level becomes their only goal and focus." - Butch Carter while coaching Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Painful Experiences: TMac wasn't getting a lot of PT and it pissed him off, Vince's was literally a painfull experience. Can Vince be better than Jordan ? If he works hard enough and wants it bad enough, why not ? Same with TMac, Kobe, etc. Yes MJ had a lot of potential and capitalized on it all. Also, how about people actually read the full article before making comments about him settling for Jumpers, because you'll see Bucher say that Vince was hurt around the 15th game of the season, played through it and he averaged 25/5/5 before hurting it more and then eventually shutting it down and having surgery. Its unbelievable how swayed people are, 2 yrs ago, VC was the hottest player in the NBA, everyone loved him, he had that huge swager, blew people away, dunked on everyone... then he gets injured and can't do that stuff so everyone hated on him
That's the way the world works Looogie. If you're successful, people are going to praise you. If you show signs of failure, people are going to criticize you. That's just the way the world is. I for one have always been critical of the mental aspect of Vince's game.
I think you guys are forgetting how much an impact Jordan had on the league. Jordan popularity extended beyond the league. He was more than the BEST SCORER, DUNKER, or WINNER. He wasn't defined by his six championships, either (Remember, Bill Russell had more). He was popular in sports bars, libraries, and knitting circles. His name was known by your sister, best friend, and that lady down the street. His name known by legislators, presidents, and world leaders. His name was known by producers, directors, and actors. His name was known by sports-fans and NON-sports fans alike. So, when people say that Vince, Kobe, or Shaq will be "better than Jordan." Quite honestly, to say they have BIG SHOES to fill is the understatement of the century. If Shaq wins 10 championships, or Vince is able to average 35 points per game, it still wont equate to how great Jordan was. It's not what you accomplish. It's how you do it. That's why people say that Jordan was the best there ever was, even though Russell's Celtics won more titles than Mike. Ali, and The Babe were more than just stats. They were more than just winning. They had the persona. The total package! Is there anything that Vince, Kobe or Shaq have done that we haven't seen already? I mean, we've pretty much seen all that Shaq has to offer, right (power dunks)? Jordan ranked 3rd on the "Sports Century 100 Greatest Athletes". Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan...in that order. So, the next time you hear, "Vince/Kobe/TMac is the next Jordan." Ask yourself this: Does your mitten-knitting, rocking chair sitting, sports-hating, grandmother know his name?
I recall Jordan being #1, followed by Ruth, Ali, and Jim Brown. BTW, you're going more into Jordan's unparalleled impact on the game. I think these guys are using Michael Jordan, the player, as the comparison, not Michael Jordan, the icon. And I agree, how quickly some of these guys forget just how good this man was.
So, is behind the line (5 inches), the same as (5 inches) in front of the line? I really doubt that Vince dunked from the FT line no mater what you say.
