TORONTO - Vince Carter will have knee surgery next week, and the Toronto Raptors' star guard is expected to miss the rest of the season. <br>
<br>
He will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in Toronto and there is no timetable for his return, the team said Friday. <br>
<br>
Carter has had problems with his knee since early February, and the injury has worsened the last month. <br>
<br>
``For Vince to continue to play would risk a more serious or chronically debilitating injury, so we need to take care of this now,'' team physician Paul Marks said. ``Unfortunately, the knee hasn't responded the way we hoped through the process of conventional daily therapy.'' <br>
<br>
The Raptors, expected to contend for the Eastern Conference championship this season, have fallen out of playoff contention after losing 17 of their last 18 games since the All-Star break. <br>
<br>
``Vince has shown great determination and dedication in giving his best effort to help our team during the last few weeks,'' general manager Glen Grunwald said. ``His desire to continue to play through the injury speaks highly of his commitment to the team and to our fans.'' <br>
<br>
Carter averaged 24.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 39.8 minutes in 60 games. He missed seven games in February with the knee injury, which forced him to miss a start in the All-Star game in Philadelphia. <br>
<br>
In recent outings, Carter has not been as effective or mobile as usual and has looked in pain. He scored just 10 points in Tuesday's loss to Minnesota. <br>
<br>
The Raptors, who have 13 games left, entered Friday's game against Cleveland eight games below .500 (30-38).
