Vince Carter can either be a catlyst for the Orlando Magic to succeed as a legitimate playoff threat or end up being like Rammstein concert in a retirement home's library. Fine, I'll admit that he is a great scorer and has the ability to finish games in the clutch for a team. VC, however, now finds himself in a unique situation.He has always been the star or at least the lead guy on the teams that he's been in. He is used to being looked to for scoring leadership and lifting his teams out of tough situations in the dying minutes of close games. This is NOT the same scenario. He has joined a team that has an organized system in place. It's a system that is centered on allowing a dominating big man to wreak havoc in the paint, while being surrounded by an army of long range bombers on the outside for support. How does Vince fit into all of this?

At first glance, I thought the Magic's acquisition of Vince Carter (G/F) and Ryan Anderson (F/C) from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Rafer Alston (PG), Courtney Lee (G/F), and Tony Battie (F/C) was a pretty good move for them. But when I was chatting about the aftermath of the NBA draft with my buddy, Frogs, I was surprised to find out that he was quite underwhelmed and unimpressed by Orlando's move. Frankly, Carter did not tickle his fancy. He thinks that VC will need the ball. He will want the ball. He will demand the ball. - and that attitude will end up being the monkey wrench thrown into the well-oiled Magic system. While it is true, that he is an uncontrolled (and untested) variable that is being thrown into their mix, I feel that if he does recognize that it he is now in a situation that he is surrounded by guys who comprise a unit that legitimately can assist him in grabbing that coveted NBA Championship. The team was a pussy's (cat) hair away from winning it all. They just didn't have enough "umf" to pose as a solid enough challenge for Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Carter will undeniably be a difference maker. The question will be whether the difference will be for the better or not.

A big factor on whether or not Carter can become a boon for his new team will be his ego. Not that ego, in itself, is a bad thing. The best players in NBA's history had "big egos." Ego has its place in any competitive sport. It ties in closely with that drive to win and succeed. There are also situations when one's ego has to take a backseat and let allow the events and circumstances that are opening new doors to take their course. There are times that one simply should go with the flow as they say. The moment that VC realizes that this move was not just about him, but about an entire TEAM that is making moves to aid it in satisfying its hunger for an NBA championship; there will be a window of hope for everything to work out well for everyone involved in this deal. - Well probably not the Nets. They're still stuck with Yi Jianlian. Orlando is Dwight Howard's team. That's a fact that shouldn't be contested by Carter's mind or delusions of grandeur. If he can find it in him to do a "Shaq-in-Miami" (when Shaq gave Dwyane Wade the blessing to lead the team) and take a backseat to the Magic's young monster of a center, Dwight Howard, then this deal might just work out fine and dandy in the end.

FANTASY BREAKDOWN:

1. Dwight Howard - Assuming the Magic do lose Hedo's services to another team, I doubt that the introduction of Vince Carter into the mix will detrimentally affect Howard's fantasy production. He will remain as the number one choice for any drafter who plans to employ the "big man/ball" head to head strategy. At most, we might see a slight dip in his scoring by 1.5-2 PPG. Everything else, should pretty much remain consistent with last season or even improve.

2. Vince Carter - His value and will depend on how well and how quickly he acclimates to his new environment. He has always been a potent offensive force. I don't think it to be unlikely that he can maintain his 20 PPG from last season. If it does dip, he should still end up hovering in the 18.5 to 19 PPG range. His three point shooting should also remain steady. His new team does favor that strategy. His passing ability should also come into play. Aside from the team just relying on Howard to kick-out the ball to the three point shooters when he is double teamed, Vince now provides the offensive sets with the option of having him slash towards the basket and passing the ball to Dwight or to a waiting shooter on the wings. I expect the offense to still be orchestrated by Jameer Nelson, so Carter's APG should be expected to have a high of 5 and average somewhere around 4.5 or so. New teams and new systems almost always have ramifications on players' statistical outputs. I would prefer to be cautious when it comes to Vince and his situation. I'd like to see him go in the later end of the third round in most fantasy drafts. This would of course change and be adjusted as the Magic make more moves this offseason.

3. Jameer Nelson - Rafer Alston is now GONE! Frankly, I was worried for Jameer until Orlando traded Rafer away. You have to remember that prior to his shoulder injury, Jameer was having the season of his career. He averaged 16.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.4 APG, 2 3PG, 50 FG%, 88.7 FT%, at only 2 TO/G. Awesome line, eh? (Well for Jameer, at least) My advice is to follow the progress of his rehabilitation and recovery very closely. Once he, the trainers, and medical staff rate him at 90-100%; then he should be a legitimate later 3rd to early 4th round target. If he can duplicate last season's performance, which I must admit I doubt he will do to the decimal, he should still be a nice complement to a Chris Paul or Deron Williams first round pick.

4. Rashard Lewis - Ryan Anderson is not an immediate threat to Shard's minutes. He is still fantasy's best single source of treys, specifically to the tune of 2.8 shots made from beyond the arc a game. I foresee him being the primary kick-out-for-the-three target on the team. He PF eligibility still makes him a much coveted component for most small ball strategies in the head to head format. He will take a hit on his stats if the Magic keep Turkoglu and Carter is simply added to the roster. He will get less touches, which in turn will translate into less production in terms of the offense oriented stats. I will revisit Shard and his fantasy value after more of the Orlando player-transaction-dust has settled.

5. Ryan Anderson - I do not see him developing very quickly, especially now that he is in a more talent laden team. If the Magic do lose Marcin Gortat to free agency, which I suspect they will; Anderson will get more than his fair share of Howard-relief time. I like the way that this kid fits into the Magic's system. He's a big man with an improving long range shot and a reasonably solid mid-range jumper. He actually appears to be more comfortable playing on the wings at times, so his style of play should actually have a smoother integration with the Magic's system compared to Vince. He will odds are, remain undrafted in most leagues, as should be the case. If he does show sparks of improvement, you can always just grab him off the pool. He is a future project for the team. I wouldn't expect greatness this season, just yet.

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