Vince Carter sat out against the Spurs with rib injury

Vince Carter sat out of the Dec. 23 game against the Spurs with rib pain.  Continue reading for more information about the injury and his return.

Just before tipoff of Saturday’s Sacramento Kings game against the San Antonio Spurs the following Tweet about Vince Carter came out from Sean Cunningham.

What the news means

Rib pain is an odd reason to miss a basketball game.  Unless your ribs are bruised or broken, they should not be painful, but the injury designation gives us little information to go on.  Vince Carter is 40 years old, and the Kings have little reason to give him any extended run.  They are not in contention.  Carter most value to the organization is as a coach and mentor.  He is still productive, but the Kings need to develop young talent.  Carter is a future Hall of Famer, though.  I do not doubt his ribs were bothering him and consider him questionable for the Dec. 26 game against the Clippers.  Stay tuned for updates.

Who steps up?

Carter is only playing about 15 minutes a night, and Coach Joerger should give his minutes to Malachi Richardson.  I wrote a holiday wish article about Richardson and the fact that he should receive more minutes here.  Check it out for more information.

Final thoughts

Vince Carter’s ribs are painful, and it caused him to miss at least one game.  That was the second straight game Carter did not see the court.  We have little information to go by at this point.  Hopefully, we get a medical diagnosis and some clarity before Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles.  Stay tuned for more information about Vinsanity.

Next: Why Michael Porter Jr. could be a steal for the Kings

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