Orlando Magic Top 30: The Most Under-Appreciated Player in Orlando Magic History

14. Vince Carter (2010-11)

Before Vince Carter was a beloved veteran full of nostalgia — mostly for his time with the Toronto Raptors — he was a player without a resume. He had the highlights and his part in the culture, but he did not have a championship to go with it. In fact, he had never really come close.

The closest was with the Orlando Magic in 2010. And he had his opportunity to rewrite his legacy at the free-throw line in Game 2 against the Boston Celtics. This was the closest he had been to a title and the exact reason why the Magic broke up their 2009 Finals team to acquire him. They needed the perimeter scoring for moments like these.

Carter got to the foul line with the Magic down two. He carried the team through Game 1 in a loss. He had the chance to be the hero in Game 2.

As often happens in Magic history, he missed both free throws. Jameer Nelson swooped in for the rebound but could not get the putback. Boston pulled ahead and the series was all but over with Orlando down 2-0 heading to Boston.

Carter was never the same after that game. It marked the end of his stardom. He seemed content to blend into the background and would eventually accept a role as a reserve and veteran for the rest of his career.

And that moment probably colors how many fans view Carter and his brief time with the Magic. He was the big piece the Magic brought in after breaking up the beloved 2009 Finals team. In the biggest moment, he failed to deliver and then shriveled after.

Carter was not the superstar the Magic hoped for when they acquired him. But to characterize him as bad is incorrect too. And that seemed to become the narrative, especially since the Magic fell short of a return to the Finals with perhaps their best team in franchise history.

Carter averaged 16.6 points per game in that 2010 season. He had his big moments too, scoring 48 points in a nationally televised game against the New Orleans Hornets. That was the most any Magic player has scored since Tracy McGrady.

Carter had his moments in a Magic uniform even if he could not ultimately deliver.