ESPN's Dan Patrick wonders "who are the Raptors?" Are they the team that lost 17 of 18 earlier this season? Or are they the team that has won 8 straight and forced their way back into the playoff hunt?

Losing 17 of 18 in today's NBA is nearly impossible, especially for an Eastern Conference team. That kind of performance is mysterious. Given the Raptors' talent, they should have won a couple of those games just by accident. And if Carter was hurt during that stretch, he should have done what Michael Jordan did: have the surgery quickly and try to get back in time to help his team make the playoffs.

By the same measure, let's not go nuts over winning eight straight in the Eastern Conference. It's really not that big a deal to make the playoffs in the East this year. The top East team would be the fifth seed out West. The Raptors could make the playoffs with a .500 record. But winning without Vince Carter?

This winning streak is a slap in Vince's face. The team comes alive when he goes out? That has to be troubling. The team is spreading the ball around. They're not waiting around for Vince. The guys know that they can do something with the ball rather than wait to see what Vince has. Are the Raptors a better team without their most talented player? I don't know the answer to that, but the evidence is troubling. I think it's hard to say it's a coincidence that they've won without him.

There is talk he might come back if the team makes the postseason. I wouldn't do it. If I were Vince Carter, I'd watch the playoffs -- particularly the games played by the Philadelphia 76ers and Allen Iverson.

It seems to me that Carter lacks the very thing that defines Iverson's greatness. You can call it guts or toughness or courage or heart. But Iverson wants the ball in pressure situations. The opposition pretty much knows he will have the ball in pressure situations. Yet he wills his team to victory. He has no regard for his body, especially when the stakes are high. After a Sixers loss, there's never any doubt Allen Iverson gave his all.

The same cannot be said about Vince Carter right now.