Vince Carter, Welcome to Struggles-Ville

by Marcel Mutoni

Vince Carter, in more ways than one, is all alone these days. Jason Kidd bolted for Dallas last season, and Richard Jefferson is now in Milwaukee.

He’s the only star left on the team, the Eastern Conference has only gotten tougher, and with seven new players (and a host of youngins) on the New Jersey Nets squad, the artist formerly known as Half-Man Half-Amazing has his work cut out for him.

Deep down inside, he probably knows that this will not end well, but publicly, Carter is putting on a brave face. From the Star-Ledger:

“The big old kid,” he called himself. “It’s one of those things, and I accept it with open arms.”

[…]

“I never questioned what they’re doing, and I definitely wanted to be here,” VC said. “It’s the way it goes. It’s the business of basketball. Sometimes guys get moved who didn’t want to, and sometimes guys are thrown into a deal. All those different types of things happen. You have to accept it and I’m going to make the best of it. This is my opportunity to step up and be a leader on and off the court.”

At nearly 32 years old (I can’t believe he’s that old either), he’s going to step up become a leader. Riiight. Where do I sign up for Nets season tickets again?