By InsideHoops.com

The Toronto Raptors, featuring Vince Carter and a season's worth of injuries, visited Madison Square Garden and suffered a defeat that the hands of the playoff-hopeful New York Knicks. InsideHoops and other media interviewed Carter after the game.

How often this season did you look around due to all the injuries and feel like you barely knew the rest of the team?

Vince Carter: Naw, I'm not commenting on that. It's obvious, all season. Simple.

Do so many injuries really ruin the season?

Vince Carter: Somewhat. Yeah, it does. I guess I can say that. Because, we've been undermanned, we really haven't had our full arsenol. Still haven't. Still missing Lamond, still missing Eric Montross, still missing Lindsey Hunter. So, it's just tough, but at the same time, it's not an excuse. We can't let third quarters go by the wayside like that, especially when we're playing so well in the first half and come out and give a shitty third quarter. It's going to kill us every time.

Coach thinks it might have been a fatigue factor, starters having to play so many minutes.

Vince Carter: He's right, he could be right, but at the same time, it's a team effort, so when the starters are not doing the job, that's why you have your reserves, that's why you have guys come, you only put five guys and you have your next five or whatever, and, it's a team game, we have to do it as a team. If we don't, we're going to fall short every time, which we've done. It's not lack of effort, I'm not going to say that, but, a lack of concentration coming into the second half.

Is this by far your most disappointing season as a pro?

Vince Carter: No, this has been a great season. I've learned a lot. I think sometimes I think just because everything goes good, everybody thinks "oh, he's living the life, it's a great season, oh he's scoring points," everybody's caught up in scoring points, but, this has been great for me because it's been a learning experience, it brings you down to Earth. A lot of guys might not have gotten the chance to face this, problems like this, but it's making me stronger, it's made me think different about you guys (the media)... no, it hasn't. It's just opened my eyes. No, just kidding. It's opened my eyes to a lot of things, and it's helped me learn some things maybe I wouldn't have seen or understood a couple of years ago.

Can you tell us what some of things are?

Vince Carter: Nope.

Is it more frustrating knowing that the East is wide open this year?

Vince Carter: Well, like I said, I'm not going to make that excuse, that's obvious, we know that. It's just unfortunate that we can't be in this race, because I think we're capable. But at the same time, we're not playing the quality basketball to even be considered a playoff team right now?

What's your reaction to talk of your coach and his job security?

Vince Carter: I worry about my job on the court. I could be the next one out if I don't do my job. So, I think if we play harder and do what we're suppossed to do... but at the same time, it's tough because we're not doing our job on the floor.


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