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Synergy-fueled player evaluations, with the help of other metrics, are always fun.
Today, the shooting guards.
| 2009-2010 regular season | Vince Carter |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 75 |
| Minutes Played | 30.8 |
| adj. +/- | +1.95 |
| net +/- | +7.5 |
| statistical +/- | +2.62 |
| PER | 17.1 |
| WARP | 4.3 |
| Win Shares/48 | .154 |
We know the story by now.
Vince Carter was traded to the Orlando Magic in the off-season to be the team’s primary playmaker on the perimeter and fill a void left by Hedo Turkoglu after he signed with the Toronto Raptors as a free agent. And it’s also known that the merits of the trade wouldn’t be judged, ultimately, until the Magic went to the playoffs and began their trek in hopes of returning to the NBA Finals and avenging their series loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009.
After relatively strong performances in the first two rounds of the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Carter was unable to produce for Orlando when push came to shove. In his first Conference Finals appearance, the stage was set for Carter to silence the critics and naysayers that said he can’t step up in crunch-time when the lights are at their brightest, but he couldn’t do it. The hope, for the Magic, was for Carter to be the dominant wing player they have needed in recent years against the likes of the Lakers and Boston Celtics. Why? Because these are teams that, although they single-cover Dwight Howard in the post, can be exploited if there is a player that can score at will and command double-teams to open up Orlando’s offense.
Unfortunately for the Magic, Carter isn’t the unstoppable playmaking extraordinaire that he once was. As such, Orlando is back to the drawing board in hopes of finding a second dominant scorer to pair with Howard.
Via Synergy Sports Technology:
| 2009-2010 regular season | Time | Poss. | PPP* | Rank | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERALL OFFENSE | 100% | 1237 | 1.01 | 80% | Very Good | |
| P&R Ball Handler | 39.4% | 487 | 0.96 | 85% | Excellent | |
| Spot-Up | 19% | 235 | 1.09 | 81% | Very Good | |
| Isolation | 12.3% | 152 | 1.02 | 93% | Excellent | |
| Transition | 7.1% | 88 | 0.97 | 19% | Below Average |
| TS% | eFG% | TRB% | AST% | TOV% | USG% | ORtg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .541 | .486 | 7.3 | 17.8 | 8.4 | 25.2 | 112 |
Offense
One of the main reasons why Carter was a great fit for the Magic on offense, strictly from a personnel perspective, when they acquired him was because of his ability to execute the pick and roll efficiently while rarely turning the basketball over. The numbers bear that out, as Carter was efficient in the 2/5 pick and roll with Howard. Carter even did damage, on occasion, in the 1/2 pick and roll with Jameer Nelson. The latter was the case because head coach Stan Van Gundy wanted to utilize Carter’s ability to score on the low block and make use of his frame to overpower smaller guards whenever possible.
It took a few months for Carter to assimilate into Orlando’s system and it was a topsy-turvy period, given that his struggles offensively in January were well-documented. Plus, it didn’t help that the Magic were losing sight of executing inside-out on offense and not working the ball enough through Howard in the post. But once those issues were slowly ironed out and Carter got more comfortable playing with his teammates, he performed up to the expectations that were set for him prior to the start of the season. As such, in the second half of the year, Orlando performed like a juggernaut as Carter emerged from his slump.
There’s no question, though, that Carter wished the year ended differently for him.
Via Synergy Sports Technology:
| 2009-2010 regular season | Time | Poss. | PPP* | Rank | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVERALL DEFENSE | 100% | 603 | 0.85 | 71% | Very Good | |
| Spot-Up | 43% | 259 | 1.04 | 33% | Average | |
| P&R Ball Handler | 16.1% | 97 | 0.76 | 71% | Very Good | |
| Isolation | 14.1% | 85 | 0.73 | 82% | Very Good | |
| Off Screen | 9.6% | 58 | 0.74 | 79% | Very Good |
| net def. +/- | dMULT | opp. PER | TRB% | STL% | BLK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -6.12 | 0.982 | 14.4 (vs. SG’s) | 7.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 |
Defense
Carter greatly improved on defense with the Magic compared to his final season with the Nets and it’s easy to see why … need a hint? Part of it was Carter reaping the many benefits of playing with a defensive presence like Howard. Part of it was Carter putting forth the requisite energy and effort to be a net positive defensively.
It’s also interesting to note that Carter struggled in the “Spot-Up” category, because Ray Allen and Paul Pierce thrived in the same statistic this year. It’s no secret, then, that when Allen and Pierce were defended by Carter in the playoffs, both of them played well on offense against Orlando.
Closing thoughts
Carter and the Magic didn’t accomplish their goal of winning a championship and as such, the speculation has begun as to whether or not Smith will find a replacement in the off-season if he has the chance to acquire someone.
There’s no doubt that the season ended in disappointment for Carter but, despite his struggles against the Celtics, he had a good year and his complete body of work should be properly recognized rather than being entirely ignored.
*points per possession
Grade: B-
