Vince Carter: To Stay Or To Go
By Jake Finnen
Vince Carter may be the oldest player in the league, but do you really think we are going to advise sending him away? Well, read to find out.
At first, I didn’t give it much thought. Write a ‘To Stay or To Go’ piece on Vince Carter. Sounds easy enough. Then I had to think of reasons why to get rid of Vince Carter. But age is just a number, right?
Doing what he does at 40, longer than any other NBA player before him, he can do what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants to do it. This man is a legend, and there’s absolutely NO reason to get rid of him. You won’t find a more experienced veteran, a more blue-collar player than Vince Carter. He embodies the Memphis culture – that hard work and dedication will get you somewhere. Well, his dedication landed him in Memphis, and Vince Carter still has another year under his belt.
Keep Him
I should only have a section of why to keep him and then the final verdict, but being the objective writer that I am, I’ll be fair.
Vince Carter has lost a step, shocker. While his shot has become increasingly inconsistent in recent years, he still manages to space the floor like the New Jersey Nets Vince Carter.
That’s important.
If the oldest player in the league still manages to be an impact player in an NBA game, you keep him until he disintegrates into dust on the court.
If there’s anyone that would be ok literally dying on the court, it would be Vince Carter.
He comes out of halftime early to get shots up, still perfecting his game. His love for the game has done nothing but grow. With the minimal experience among the Grizzlies’ bench, Carter will compliment them nicely by adding his own, “elderly flair.” Allowing Vince Carter to stay in Memphis and help guide the youth towards the right path is a blessing in
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disguise.
I don’t want to be dramatic, but one of the few things saving the Grizzlies from a full-on detonation is Vince Carter staying with this team. He may not bring them to greatness, but he will shape and mold the younger players so that THEY may achieve greatness themselves.
I beg of you. Please. Keep Vince Carter.
Get Rid Of Him
He’s 40.
Final Verdict
You already know what’s going to be said here. Keep him. If the Grizzlies’ front office is willing to waste a roster spot on Jarrell Martin, Wade Baldwin and Deyonta Davis, players who spent most of the season in the D-League, then Carter should have no problem staying.
At this point, it’s beyond money. Carter clearly likes being here. It might be because it’s one of the few teams he will get serious minutes on, but that’s speculation.
Regardless, Vince Carter has adapted to the Grizzlies’ culture of hard-nosed, defensive-minded players. The Grizzlies may not have been as successful as they have hoped in recent years, but it’s hard to say Vince Carter has hindered any of that process.
Next: Memphis Grizzlies: Offseason Priorities
Truthfully, the scale has almost shifted to the point that Vince Carter is being overworked. Don’t get me wrong; I bet he loves every minute. At the same time though, he’s a veteran whose body doesn’t appreciate the extended runs this late in his career.
Like I said before, he could feel better than ever, but he’s starting to reach that retirement period. We all know it’s coming. We may not want it to, but it is. Vince Carter needs to retire a Grizzly, forcing as much influence as he can onto the rookies and second-year players.
As long as Vince Carter stays in a Grizzly uniform, the sanctity of the team will continue to go unharmed.