Because we all know what this dude did to Toronto and New Jersey after he wore out his welcome to both towns right?

Despite the disappointing history Vince Carter has with the last two teams that he played for, everybody from Florida is just going ga-ga with the fact that the Orlando Magic just signed this guy to play for them for the coming 2009 NBA basketball season.

And Orlando Magic fans do have the right to be optimistic. Sure, Carter’s been associated with terms like cancer and headcase before, but he’s never been in this good of a situation. He’s on a young, talented team that just went to the NBA Finals and plays 30 minutes from his childhood home.

Sure, Vince Carter is not shy about shooting. He’s a guy who will fire away if he has any room, even when he’s missing a lot of his shots. In the past, his tendency to attack the basket has gotten him in hot water with his coaches, teammates and fans alike. But Stan Van Gundy’s system is renowned for not penalizing players for shooting. It’s a big reason Hedo Turkoglu transformed into a playmaker when Van Gundy came aboard, he was no longer looking over his shoulder when his shots weren’t falling.

Most of the trade’s naysayers point to Carter’s supposed lack of defensive competence. But look at Orlando’s roster last season; Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson were considered humongous defensive liabilities early in their career but alongside Dwight Howard and Van Gundy, they’ve become part of the best defensive unit in the NBA.

A lot of that success can be attributed to Van Gundy’s constant barking, sweating and moaning. Some of it can be attributed to team chemistry. But whatever the reason is, Orlando’s players are clearly squeezing every drop of defensive juice out of themselves because of Van Gundy’s system.

Vince Carter is probably in the best position he could ever be at this point of his career.

Which team will win the 2010 NBA Finals? SPORTSBETTING.COM has the early odds.

Los Angeles Lakers 5-2

Orlando Magic 7-1

Boston Celtics 5-1

Denver Nuggets 12-1

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Orlando Magic Vince Carter