A quick look at recent comments from various players in the Big3 about Vince Carter re-signing with the Atlanta Hawks.
When Vince Carter opted to re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks for the 2019-20 season, there was much rejoicing – at least on our end at SDS. However, according to some of the former NBA players in the Big3, Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 league, Carter’s presence on the Atlanta Hawks will take away from a younger player’s attempts to join the elite company of the NBA.
The most notable detractor of Carter’s presence in the NBA at age 42 and 43 next season is former All-Star Gilbert Arenas. Arenas wrote a critical Instagram post about Carter when the news broke, and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic followed up with Arenas earlier this week:
“Let’s be honest here,” Arenas said in Kirschner’s story, “You have Vince, or you have this young guy. You’re going to choose Vince. He’s put 20 years in. His 5 percent is better than your 100 percent because his 5 percent is going to be smart basketball, so the coach is going to overlook young talent until they get that experience. When you’re the last guy on the bench or the guy who got cut, you look at someone like Vince and say, ‘Come on, dude.’ There’s no upside for Vince. Let somebody else get in there and be the next Vince Carter.”
Of course, this is an oversimplification due to the fact that Carter serves more as a mentor and on-court guide for a team that is loaded with young players at various stages of their careers.
Beyond Carter being an important part of the frontcourt rotation, where he is sure to get minutes in 2019-20, Vinsanity will help to mentor this year’s crop of rookies such as De’Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish and Bruno Fernando.
Last year, Carter’s locker was next to Trae Young’s and John Collins’s – and that turned out extremely well, as both players produced tremendous breakout seasons in 2018-19.
Though some might not believe that Vince Carter makes sense as a member of an up-and-coming team like the Atlanta Hawks, his presence lends legitimacy to a rebuilding team that was long stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity.
With that in mind, welcome back Vince!