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Well the big trade is done. Vince Carter, Wince Carter, Vinsanity, Air Canada, Half Man Half Amazing, or Half Man Half a Season has left the building. Whatever your opinion on VC himself is, he is now a NJ Net. The New Jersey papers are seemingly happy with the trade. What did they give up? Three old guys and two draft picks.
For the Raptors, the key is two-fold. One, they get some help on defensive rebounding. Two, they get some draft picks which are likely to be in the top 20 of picks. They can be used as fodder for future deals or, if later in the year their value has increased, keep them.
What do I think? I think Vince had pretty much stayed his welcome. I still believe he will be one of the brightest stars in the league AS LONG AS THE INJURY BUG stays away. If not, then he will be one of the biggest flops the league has ever seen. In watching many of the reports over the last few days on TV, there is one painfully obvious trait in VC. He is not in shape. Looking at highlights from early in his career, it is very obvious he has "pudged out". You can see it in his face. A little extra roundness at the jaw line. Further evidence is his moves lack the speed and explosiveness they once had. There are flashes of it, but at no consistency.
The Raptors probably could have waited and got more for Vince, in the form of players, but the two draft picks may not have been there.
What did Vince have to say? Not too much. It was a little disappointing that no press conference, which seems to becoming more the norm, was held for him to say goodbye. He did say he bore no ill-will to Toronto and thanked them for the opportunity to play and become the star he has. Sometimes it is just time to move on. Carter said, "It's a new start for me, a new dedication". That in itself reveals much of his attitude this season. He's also excited to be going to play with players such as Kidd and Jefferson. Can't blame him there. He's never had that in Toronto. I think he's going to be very good with New Jersey. Will he win more? Maybe not. Unless New Jersey addresses their size problem, they are going to be badly out-manned on the boards each night. But, the highlights will be there.
To sum up what VC was to basketball in Canada, I turn to Chris Bosh:
"He's the face of Canada pretty much, Canadian basketball. He's been the first icon of the Raptors."
Now, onto the next trade.
From CBS Sportsline Rumor Mill
Toronto Raptors Updated:12/19/2004
There are reports that Alonzo Mourning may not report to the Raptors. He's in Miami, where medical tests are being conducted. Mourning has said all along that he wanted to be traded to a contender. He'll hope to buyout his deal so that he can become a free agent and pursue other opportunities. The trade, however, remains unaffected. ... The latest rumors suggest that Mourning, Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall may head to Miami for Udonis Haslem, Eddie Jones and prospect Dorell Wright, a 19-year old who Shaquille O'Neal has predicted will one day be a star.
Could be a real nice trade, for both teams. As much as I think holding onto Marshall until the deadline would bear more, I can see it happening. Time will tell.
Well, a few weeks have gone by since my last entry. I'm not going to apologise, because that would presume that I've upset someone...Hardly, a possibility with respect to missing a few entries on this blog. Anyway, the last few weeks have been very busy at work. It seems to have slowed down for the Christmas break. Time to catch up on a few things.
I have purchased a new computer...at least most of the parts for one. I'm performing an upgrade on two computers. Of course, I ran into some roadblocks getting the stuff I needed. First, the case came busted. I'll be out about $30 dollars unless I chase the sending company for the difference Purolator won't cover. They're giving me $100 and I get to keep the broken case. If I had gone through the reseller, I would have had to return the case. So for $30 I will get a 480W power supply. I may be able to fix the case with a couple of screws. Then I order another case and get to work once it arrives. The whole weekend was spent trying to put the thing together. Once the moment of truth came (turning it on), nothing worked. Big disappointment. So I took the two computers in today to my area expert. Hopefully, she can tell me what is wrong. I may have done something wrong, but it could be something wrong with the PSU or motherboard. I'll have to wait a few days to get back at my gaming.
I made an audio CD of about 20 Christmas songs. I'm listening to it now. Can't help but be happy listening to some of these songs. The kids love them too. Sing along time!
Anyway, I've done some Christmas shopping and the tree is up but not decorated. We had a bit of snow and I actually had to shovel off our porch. The sidewalks were clear already. Christmas is near. I'm excited in some ways, but in another I dread the bills.
Until next time. Season's greetings!
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