Orlando Magic Shooting Month: Top 20 shooters in Orlando Magic history
Top 20 Shooters in Orlando Magic History
T17. Vince Carter
By Philip Rossman-Reich
The Orlando Magic’s acquisition of Vince Carter in the summer of 2009 is still steeped in controversy. Fans will still argue whether it was the right move to break up the team’s 2009 Finals team. The 2010 Magic still reached the Eastern Conference Finals, but that was no longer enough.
And fair or not, that deal and Carter specifically seemed to shoulder the blame for coming up short. He was the new guy and the star that was supposed to help the team get over the hump. That just did not happen.
Carter did a lot of good in his short time in Orlando. But he was happy to fit in with Orlando rather than be the driving force the team needed.
The reality is that Carter’s time in Orlando was the end of his run as a starring player. He would spend the next few years trying to find his footing in the NBA again. It would end up being something he began to perfect and refine in Orlando as he moved to the next phase of his career.
As amazing as Carter’s dunking and finishing ability was, his shot-making remained a big part of his game. And he was such a smooth shooter. Carter found his 3-point shooting second life by playing a secondary role with the Magic.
In his season and a half in Orlando, he shot 36.3-percent from beyond the arc. He was a great 3-point shooting weapon as his shot was simply smooth. There was not a shot he could not take or make, often driving in and taking more difficult shots.
Carter would evolve his career to become a 3-point specialist. And his shooting talent was always evident throughout his time in Orlando. Even as he struggled to find his fit and his role with the Magic.
Unfortunately, his time in Orlando was always characterized by the shots he did not make. Whether that was the free throws he missed in Game 2 of the Magic’s Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics or his 23.5-percent 3-point shooting throughout the 2010 Playoffs.
Carter’s shooting talent was always evident. His performance in a Magic uniform was not.