Evaluating Vince Carter’s 2017-2018 Season
By Rafe Wong
This article will analyze how Vince Carter performed in his 2017-2018 campaign and what grade he deserves for his efforts.
This article is part of an A Royal Pain series where we review and grade how each player on the Sacramento Kings performed during the 2017-2018 NBA season. This piece will feature Vince Carter who just finished his first year with the purple and white.
Offense
For the season, Carter averaged 5.4 points and 1.2 assists per contest while making 40.3% of his shots from the floor, 34.5% of his shots from the perimeter, and 75.7% of his shots from the free-throw line.
Overall, it was hard for Carter to make a positive impact on the Kings’ offense due to him being past his prime and getting little playing time (averaged 17.7 minutes a game) throughout the season. But with that being said, however, Carter did have a few standout performances this year which were vital to the Kings being competitive in those games.
Listed down below are some of Vince’s offensive outings this season that stood out the most, in my mind.
- December 27th against the Cavaliers: 24 points on 83.3% shooting from the floor and 80% from the perimeter
- January 6th against the Nuggets: 12 points on 41.7% shooting from the court
- January 28th against the Spurs: 21 points on 58.3% shooting from the floor and 71.4% from the three-point line
- March 9th against the Magic: 15 points on 45.5% shooting from the floor
Defensive
Although Carter did not get much playing time this season, he still had a good year defensively. For the season he recorded a defensive rating of 108.9 which was ranked third amongst his teammates who played more than ten games.
The eye test also showed that Carter was one of the better defenders on the Kings this season. When he was able to get on the court, he was a smart and physical defender which would cause havoc towards his opponents.
Final Thoughts
With now 20 years of NBA basketball under his belt, Vince Carter is not the same dynamic star that he used to be. But with that being said, he was still an effective player for the Kings when he did get on the court.
Offensively, he was able to give the Kings a few sparks this season which led to the team winning some big-time games. And as a defender, he was able to use his intellect and aggressive mindset to stir up opponents.
Although Carter was a solid asset on the court, his leadership towards the young Kings was the most valuable contribution he brought to the team. For the young guys to have a teammate, who has had wild success in the NBA, teach them how to be successful is priceless and the lessons he taught them this season should not be forgotten.
Congrats on completing another season, Vince! Hope next year becomes even better for you!