Appreciating Vince Carter

I've never been a huge Vince Carter fan. I tried three different drafts of a sentence to follow that, only to realize that I don't really know why I don't like him. Unlike most Kentucky fans, it isn't because of his time as a Tar Heel. I'm the rare Kentuckian who also pulls for Carolina, as I've got family in Chapel Hill, where my grandfather has taught for, well, ever.

Now I'm confronted with TrueHoop exposing my anti-Carter bias with some pretty good evidence that, far from being over-rated, Vince Carter is actually considerably under-rated. Not only is he an elite-level offensive talent, but advanced statistics demonstrate what scouts have known for years: despite his reputation for indifference on the defensive end of the court, he's one of the better perimeter defenders in the NBA.

Add that to his otherworldly dunking ability and his reputation for - despite bailing on Toronto - being a really nice and relatively selfless guy, and perhaps I ought to pull for Carter.