Vince Carters Explosion

With Vince Carter’s 48 point explosion last night, I think it’s safe to say the Buy Low call is done for him. That makes four solid performances in a row for him, and more importantly you can tell he’s playing with more confidence these days. While watching my Celtics get ripped up in a game against Orlando on the 7^th, Carters newfound desire to drive to the hole stuck out to me. It was plain as day, “he’s back, and everyone that owns him knows it”. I understand that at times it seems scary to pull the trigger on a Buy Low candidate, but sometimes you just gotta close your eyes and do it. Way more often than not, the reward outlasts the risk. If you were lucky enough to buy Carter on the cheapy cheap when we issued the call last month, smart enough to stash him on your bench and wait for the sign, and reactive enough to plug him in after his two or even three game stretch of solid play, well then you’re a happy camper. If you didn’t pull the trigger on him, or if you dealt him away on the cheapy cheap, chances are you just punched the computer screen. Finally, if you’re like me and you just couldn’t convince his owner to let him go at a reasonable rate, well then you should do what I just did – congratulate that owner for having faith in his player and not succumbing to the emotions of it all.

Vince Carter was one of the last solid Buy Low players out there. We’ve run the gambit from guys like Amar’e, Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson (all had terrible starts to the season) to midseason grabs like David West, Lamarcus Aldridge and John Salmons to the last few glimmers of hope like Vince Carter. Remember, whenever you think of a Buy Low candidate and how he performed, it’s not about how good he is compared to everyone else in the league, it’s about how good he is compared to what you gave up to get him. I gave up Courtney Lee to get John Salmons way back when; yeah I think that worked out well.

Some players have been earmarked as a buy low and instead might have to be considered a flat out bust. And yet some others weren’t really a bust, but just in a bad situation. And finally, some we were smart enough to avoid and they still aren’t doing anything. Let’s highlight one player in each category to show you what I mean.

Bust – Devin Harris: sure sure, I rang the buy low bell louder than anyone. And truth be told, Harris has shown flashes of brilliance this season. He definitely has the tools to get the job done at a high level, so what gives? I’ll tell you what; he’s a big fat wimp (I really wanted to use stronger language here). The guy seems to take a week off after every little bump and bruise he takes. It’s not like I didn’t try to get him, but I’m glad his owner wouldn’t budge. I wouldn’t want this guy on my team if the trade was for Josh Boone. We’ll be smarter in the future.

Bad Situation – Caron Butler: Another guy who, while definitely improving from where he started the season, still hasn’t really exploded. It’s Washington that’s killing him. We knew it early on when Gilbert and he kept arguing, and we know it now with the Wizards so desperately shopping him. They’re so anxious to move Butler that I got a call from the Wizards GM; he must’ve mistaken me for an NBA owner. Still, there’s hope. One target right now is for Butler to land in Houston, where I believe he will shine. Alternatively, if he goes to Dallas, he’ll be right back where he started. Keep an eye on the trade wires, timing is everything.

Never Stood A Chance – Shawn Marion: Funny, no one ever asked me about Marion this entire season as a buy low candidate. We’re all apparently too smart for that. Alas, the days of Marion being the number one overall pick are gone, and we can safely say they’ll never be back.

The season isn’t over, but we’re going to have to dig a lot harder to find those gems to buy. What do you see out there? Anyone I missed that’s a bust, or still has potential?