NBA: Carter Interview: “The Cavaliers Are Not Swept”

The still active NBA legend Vince Carter spoke with SPOX and about the finals. Air Canada does not want to copy the Cavs and explains what they need to do better – and why J.R. Smith is able to check off his mistake.

Carter also talked about Dirk Nowitzki, who recently tried to dunk on him. Match 2 of the finals will be live on DAZN at 3am next night.

SPOX/DAZN: Mr. Carter, Warriors vs. Cavaliers – this has become one of the greatest rivalries in NBA history. But many expected a boring series, but Game 1 changed that, right?

Vince Carter: It’s the NBA finals! Of course, on paper, the Warriors have a clear advantage. They have the better squad, they have the better numbers. But on the other hand, there is a proud player who has already won a championship with his team. And with Tristan Thompson, JR Smith or Kevin Love there are other players who have already won on this stage. In game 1 they played very well, their stakes were great. They caught Golden State on the wrong foot – they even had the chance to win!

SPOX/DAZN: However, an error by JR Smith destroyed this…

Carter: His mistake wasn’t the only reason for the defeat. In the last five minutes of the game, there were many small situations that the Cavs could say:’If we’d done this and that a little bit better, we wouldn’t have been in this situation at all in the end’. So it would be too easy to say that this one situation has decided everything just because it was the last one.

SPOX/DAZN: What kind of small gliders decide games at this level?

Carter: You have to keep your opponent out of the zone, you can’t allow that many simple throws. Then there were many ball losses that need to be reduced. These two points alone can have a great influence on the final result. And it is very important that every player on the court knows his role, that he implements the game plan correctly.

SPOX/DAZN: Let’s talk about LeBron James. Is it even defendable in this form?

Carter: I don’t think so. If he wants to get past you, he can do it. If he wants to make a throw, he can make it. He can always do whatever he wants on the court. But that’s nothing new – what can make the difference in this series are players like Jeff Green or George Hill at the Cavs. They have to play solidly, be reliable. If they do, the Cavaliers have a chance. All you have to do is win a game here in the Oracle Arena and then you can take care of the rest at home.

SPOX/DAZN: So you believe the Cavaliers can win this series? Many say that it’s over after game 1 – because if you don’t win such a game against the Warriors, you won’t win one…

Carter: They definitely have the chance to win their home games. I don’t think they’re being swept. It was already the case in the series before the finals that they were weak on the road but did their job at home. If they could do that again, there would be a game 7 – and in this game anything could happen, then everything is possible. “It can’t happen against these overpowering warriors.” But nobody expected a game like the one in game 1. But I also believe that this experience was a wake-up call for the Warriors. You’re not getting caught on the wrong foot like that again.

SPOX/DAZN: What adjustments will there be in Game 2 – on both sides?

Carter: For the warriors, the most important thing is that they have to start faster, speed up. The cavaliers have to push the ball more, get into the zone faster and search for kills or fouls. You don’t want to get into a situation where you don’t finish until the shotclock is over. You should attack Steph Curry, let him work in defense. And they must continue to rebound so aggressively on the offensive board. They definitely need more possessions than the warriors to have a chance.

SPOX/DAZN: Let’s talk about J.R. Smith again. The Internet exploded after his mistake at the end of game 1. What do you think is going on in his head now?

Carter: There’s no excuse. He’s in the finals for the fourth time. You just have to know the score and the playing time in such situations. But he can come back from it. He has no weak mentality. He believes in himself and his strengths. If he hits an early throw, he is able to pot five or six threes in a row.

SPOX/DAZN: But if he doesn’t hit his first litters…

Carter:… then he must defend! The Cavs can’t afford to have just one player in the rotation who doesn’t have everything in defense. Smith cannot be an exception. His matchup is probably Klay Thompson again, but there will be a lot of sweating, so that he also has to take on Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

SPOX/DAZN: Finally, a completely different topic: You’ve been playing in the NBA since 1998, as long as Dirk Nowitzki. What do you think of his career?

Carter: Legendary! I had the chance to play with him for three years. He works so hard and deserves every praise. It’s made for the Hall of Fame. I’m still in contact with him, too. He’s such a great teammate. The trait I love most about him is that he’s such a selfless superstar. He just wants his team to win. He was never someone who cared about taking every litter. And he’s also a funny guy.

SPOX/DAZN: Do you have an example?

Carter: There are so many! Last year when we played, he tried to dunk on me. I blocked him. “Man, I felt like I was 19.” I just said, “You can feel as you want, but you’ll never dunk on me.”