Vince Carter to sit out potential last game in Toronto

Vince Carter has seen and heard it all at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. He's heard the ear-splitting cheers and the equally deafening boos. He's seen a sea of his No. 15 jerseys, and a sea of defamatory signs cursing his name, and a moving video presentation (followed by a standing ovation) welcoming him back into the good graces of the franchise he once spurned.

The 39-year-old Memphis Grizzlies swingman will be back in Toronto to face the Raptors on Wednesday, in possibly his last visit as a player to the city in which he began his NBA career 18 years ago.

Due to a hip flexor injury, however, he'll have to spend that visit in street clothes on the bench.

In parts of seven seasons with the Raptors, Carter averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and one block, while making five All-Star teams and getting two All-NBA nods.

On top of the opportunity cost in terms of sentimentality, Carter's absence will be a blow to the Grizzlies, for whom he's remained surprisingly effective in this, his 19th season. Carter is putting up 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists off the bench, and Memphis has been 9.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. This is the first game of the season he will miss.

Already without point guard Mike Conley, small forward Chandler Parsons, and power forward Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies will dress just nine players against the Raptors.