Chapter 1217: Chapter 386: The Demolition Team of Human Souls
Vince Carter has never desired victory as much as he did in 2005.
It’s well-known that most NBA players are solely focused on basketball during high school, with some dabbling in football at most.
But Vince Carter did a lot more.
While playing basketball, he was the captain of the volleyball team, a saxophonist and baritone in the high school band, and a drummer in the marching band. He also loved writing poetry for the school paper.
American high schools require athletes to maintain an average grade of C, and many players struggle to meet this standard. Yet Carter, amid all his activities, easily achieved a B average.
You could say basketball was just one part of Vince Carter’s rich life.
During his Raptors time, Carter’s mindset of "not being limited to basketball" was vividly apparent.
The most famous incident is the "graduation ceremony affair". For Toronto fans, the Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers in ’01 is the most important match in team history.
From fans to players, everyone was preparing for Game 7 with this mindset.
Yet Carter decided to fly to North Carolina on the morning of the game at 9 AM to attend his graduation ceremony, then head back for the game the same day.
This didn’t just draw criticism from fans; even those in the locker room had many negative comments about Carter.
Imagine this: you and your brothers are in a trench, ready for a life-and-death battle, entrusting your lives to each other.
But your leader runs off elsewhere on the day of the battle, claiming he needs to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday before returning.
It’s utterly absurd.
Yet in Carter’s view, both the college graduation ceremony and the playoff Game 7 were equally important; his life couldn’t be consumed by a playoff Game 7.
That’s the impression Toronto’s "Air Canada" left on people—he wasn’t the type of guy who was obsessed with winning.
But this year, Vince Carter’s mindset changed.
He was completely angered by Toronto fans, the Raptors’ management, and Roger.
This anger made him desire a great career, yearn for victory, and covet the championship.
Moreover, an interview before the game doubled Carter’s fury.
Rink-side reporters asked Carter pre-game: "What kind of slam will you deliver today?"
The reporter probably intended to praise Carter’s dunking skills, but much like Shawn Marion saying, "My favorite Chinese player is Rui Hachimura" in 2024 to cozy up to Chinese fans—the intended compliment turned into a slap in the face.
Carter disliked being tagged solely as a dunker, so he harshly replied: "I might not dunk, but I will shred the Warriors’ shield!"
This must have been the most fierce Vince Carter had ever appeared in front of the media’s cameras.
Yet at the game’s start, Vince Carter dunked anyway.
Dirk Nowitzki performed mid-range back-to-the-basket coordination, and Carter made a cut, leapt directly upon receiving the ball.
Shaq blocked Marcus Camby, allowing Carter to easily score a two-handed slam.
After scoring, Carter put both hands by his head, frantically twisting the motorcycle’s throttle, without a smile.
But the Warriors didn’t let the Mavericks gain momentum, and a round later, Roger and Stoudemire initiated the classic pick and roll.
This is a tactic the Dallas Mavericks still can’t handle to this day.
Neither Terry nor Devin Harris has the capability to pressure Roger on the perimeter.
In fact, the Mavericks applied less pressure on Roger than before the trade.
Last season, the Mavericks had Raja Bell, an aggressive attacker, but he was traded last summer.
At the season’s start, Josh Howard’s defense provided Roger with some pressure, but he was sent away due to Carter’s trade.
From start to finish, Mark Cuban recruited players using his "basketball game team-building method".
Their defense is poor, and this flaw has never been improved.
Upon clearing the screen, Dirk Nowitzki found himself switched to guard Roger.
This was like delivering a Victoria’s Secret model to Roger’s room—the prey delivered to the predator.
The Germans have always been underestimated, but one thing the media aren’t wrong about is his extremely mediocre defense.
No, during this period, Dirk’s defensive impact was even worse than mediocre.
His physical conditions limit his defensive ceiling, and immature defensive instincts paired with an absent team spirit in defense brought many holes in his defense.
To a ten-time scoring champion like Roger, Dirk’s defense was almost nonexistent.
Upon clearing the screen, Roger merely needed to stop and glance at the basket to make Nowitzki shift his weight for a block.
Roger sharply detected the German’s weight shift, slipped past him, and calmly finished the layup despite Shaq’s slow coverage.
The ball went in, 2-2.
Facing the Dallas Mavericks, there’s always one strategy: fight offense with offense.
Their offensive talent is terrifying; if the Pistons have extreme half-court defense, then the Dallas Mavericks have extreme half-court offense, especially after Vince Carter joined.
Their attack covers from under the basket to beyond the three-point line, achieving 360° with no blind spots.
Even for the Warriors, completely containing this team through defense is almost impossible.
Thus, Erik Spoelstra wouldn’t let Roger match up against either Carter or Dirk.