As expected, the boo-birds were out in full force Friday night at the Air Canada Center as Vince Carter made his much-anticipated Toronto return since being dealt to the New Jersey Nets on Dec. 17.

 Carter, who in his 6 ? years in Toronto became the face of the NBA?s lone Canadian franchise thanks to his dazzling array of high-flying dunks, was not only greeted with a chorus of boos during player introductions, but chants of ?Carter (stinks)? and ?V.C. (stinks)? rained down on Carter every time he touched the basketball in the Nets? 101-90 victory over the Raptors.  

 Fans ? many of which on this night sported purple-and-white baby bibs with the No. 15 draped all over them in acknowledgment of Carter?s whiny persona ? had every right to voice their unrelenting displeasure with the player formely known as ?half-man, half-amazing.? Carter?s final days in Toronto were an unmitigated disaster - primarily because the six-time all-star decided he was going to go through the motions on the court in hopes of ensuring his departure from the Ontario, Canada capital (an admission Carter himself made only days following his trade to the Nets) ? and thus for fans to do anything but jeer Carter would have been a disappointment.

 However, let?s not fool ourselves here; there?s plenty of blame to go around in the Vince Carter-Toronto saga.  Carter himself is but one guilty party.    

 In fact, if the Raptors organization were not the NBA?s version of Siberia, it would have been interesting to see then just how Carter would have been received by the Toronto faithful.  Carter, arguably, would still be an inspired and contributing member of the franchise had there been a sense of purpose and direction all along.

 Carter handled his displeasure in a truly unprofessional manner (his awe-inspiring 39-point performance Friday night only goes to show how lethal he still is), but don?t blame him for wanting out of a situation that is only going to get a whole lot worse before it shows signs of improvement.  

 To hate on the Raptors, as most in the media do, because they don?t reside in the US is sheer ignorance (insert Canadian jokes here, as is so often the case by many US sports media outlets).  But at the same time, it?s also hard to say anything positive about a franchise that has only three playoff appearances (and has been no further than the Eastern Conferences semis) in its ten-year existence and is headed down a one-way trip to nowhere.    

 Where is the upside in an organization that changes head coaches as often as you and I change our underwear (okay, too much information, I know, but six head coaches in franchise history and three in the last three years is telling)?  Where is the upside in an organization that is run and operated not by bright basketball minds but hockey people who are only concerned about the bottom line?  And finally, where is the upside in an organization that continually performs gaffe after gaffe after gaffe, and has little else to offer outside of franchise power forward Chris Bosh?  

 Simply put, there?s not a whole lot of upside if you?re the Raptors, which is really a shame because the organization does boast a knowledgeable and plentiful fan base that quite frankly deserves better (the atmosphere Friday night at the ACC was electric, as it was during the 2001 Playoffs ? the last time Toronto qualified for the post-season).  Fans will remain loyal to a rebuilding process as long as they see glimmers of a bright future.  But you have to wonder how much longer it will be before the faithful decide enough is enough.

 ?I want to win more than anything and I felt it wasn?t happening here anymore and I felt they were kind of going in a different direction,? said Carter, who also finished with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in 43 minutes of action.    

 And what direction may that be, Vince?  Do you even know?  Does anyone know?  Can anyone tell me, because I sure don't.  And I wonder at this point whether first-year general manager Rob Babcock even knows himself.    

 So while 19,800 fans may have got their money?s worth Friday night by jeering their former franchise poster boy to no end, it is Carter who winds up getting the last laugh.  Not only are his Nets still remotely alive in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, but he no longer has to spend the prime years of his basketball career playing for a franchise that has no clue on how to build a championship winner, or even an Eastern Conference playoff fixture, for that matter.

 A consummate professional Vince Carter is not.  But before you blame Carter for his lack of integrity, look at what he left behind and then tell me you wouldn?t do the same if you were in his shoes.

Kostas.Bolos@realgm.com