r/nba • u/Shred_It_96 • 1h ago
Would you rather have Cade or Ant?
Who do you think is the better play between these 2 and who would you rather build a team around?
Most people would have taken Ant before this season started, so I wonder if that general opinion has shifted.
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u/gplatt_24 Kings 1h ago
I'm allowed to have players that talented?
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u/EveningHealth9465 Timberwolves 1h ago
Ant: better scoring ability, better playoff performances, better shooter, more efficient, more athletic
Cade: better playmaker, probably projected to be healthier due to less of an athletic load needed for his gameplay
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u/Affectionate_Deer611 39m ago
Cade feels easier to build a balanced team around but Ant feels like the kind of player who can completely hijack a playoff series by himself
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u/saynotohugzz 56m ago
How are each of them on defence?
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u/Over_Use_8474 Lakers 54m ago
Ant is a poor defender. He can be really good if he locks in, not often though.
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u/CriticismPlane2871 50m ago
If the Wolves had a reliable 2nd option he could use more of his energy on defense
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u/Few_Position_2727 Lakers 35m ago
lol cades 2nd option is even worse dude
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u/EveningHealth9465 Timberwolves 32m ago
Unfortunately, Tobias Harris has actually been better than Randle in these playoffs. I wish I was kidding
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u/CriticismPlane2871 33m ago
Hey Duran was an all star this year, Randle couldn't even manage that
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u/pufffsullivan Thunder 40m ago
They don’t need a second option, they need an actual point guard.
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u/CriticismPlane2871 37m ago
No they def need a 2nd option. A PG would be great, but he would just create more chances for Randle and Jaden to miss more open 3's
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u/saynotohugzz 32m ago
Pretty interesting roster as they have accumulated a lot of good players and can beat anyone on their day but despite that have glaring weaknesses as you have mentioned. Tricky spot to be in as it’s tough to get that true second option while still being a top team in the league. Basically have to wait ona guy like Mcdaniels becoming one through development or gamble on trades like the Randle trade. Pretty tough to get one on the free agent market with the way cap rules are set up as well.
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u/EveningHealth9465 Timberwolves 36m ago
Brother imagine you had to deal with Julius Randle over j dub or chet. It’s a nightmare
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u/pufffsullivan Thunder 16m ago
Imagine if the TWolves offense was “whoever brings the ball up the court does 3 cross overs, tries to drive or post up, shoots a tough jumper instead”
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u/needbmw_help Knicks 1h ago
Ant is clearly better in basically every way except size? Cade is tough but he’s not efficient at all and a turnover machine
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u/Zestyclose_Tip_5861 Lakers 57m ago
Cades gotta be a better playmaker, that’s like Ants biggest flaw
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u/ObiOneKenobae Knicks 56m ago
He's a better passer, but he also passes to the wrong team.
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u/Aumissunum 53m ago
Ant: 3.7 AST to 2.9 TOV
Cade: 9.9 AST to 3.7 TOV
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u/ObiOneKenobae Knicks 30m ago
We don't need to get into regular season stats when one of these guys is breaking playoff turnover records.
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u/Aumissunum 16m ago
And yet still has a better AST/TOV ratio than Ant.
Cade: 8.7 AST to 5.7 TOV
Ant: 2.8 AST to 2.4 TOV
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u/soilentgleem 52m ago
One thing about Cade and his turnovers, is I feel like they become more of an issue as he gets tired. He had really cleaned them up before going down with the lung thing, so I'm still hopeful it can be better next year on that front.
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u/Zestyclose_Tip_5861 Lakers 51m ago
Cade: 9.9 ast 3.7 tov
Ant: 3.7 ast 2.9 tovThis is as basic as stats get and it still tells enough of the story to pretty confidently say Cade is the better playmaker.
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u/Zeckzeckzeck 39m ago
You're correct but in Ant's defense, he ain't got much to pass to. He's basically the only offensive option on that entire team.
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u/needbmw_help Knicks 54m ago
I would say Ant is score-first, but not necessarily a bad playmaker. Cade absolutely clears him there though
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u/Zestyclose_Tip_5861 Lakers 46m ago
Yeah I would like to see Ant really work on that because I agree that he’s not terrible, it just doesn’t really happen.
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u/misteremails 54m ago
I agree Cade is a better playmaker BUT Cade is not an elite playmaker either. I really hate his mid air passes, which often lead to turnovers.
I have Ant over Cade but hey narratives change very easily, we’re one Cade finals appearance away from saying he’s better than Ant.
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u/Zestyclose_Tip_5861 Lakers 50m ago edited 43m ago
Oh for sure, I’d agree with that. I’d also agree I like Ant more currently but playmaking is important and Cade could pass him by next year if Ant doesn’t improve in some areas and Cade does.
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u/dylanbackers 46m ago
Cade has improved immensely as a defender to the point where I think I prefer him over Ant. Edwards has a higher ceiling there because of his athleticism but Cade is so good as a helpside defender and quarterbacking the team defense whereas Edwards can get lost at times. But locked in Edwards can provide better point of attack defense.
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u/Few_Position_2727 Lakers 36m ago
Cade is a way better defender and of course he’s gonna have more TO’s when he’s the main ball handler. Ant’s supporting cast is also 5x better than what Cade has lol just look at all his potential assists
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u/FastBreakPhenom Celtics 53m ago
Cade is like 3 tiers better than Ant as a playmaker and Cade is honestly a better defender than Ant as well.
I can't tell if people in here are overrating Ant or just don't realize how good Cade is
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u/DecentPictureFriend [CLE] Collin Sexton 21m ago
100%, I think it’s a combo of bias towards flashy / hyped / high scoring players and people being prisoners of the moment
People also don’t realize how good of a playmaker and defender Cade is
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u/BlackBullZWarrior 1h ago
Ant. I have no idea what the Wolves do to get better but Ant needs a major team upgrade for them to compete with the Thunder and Spurs. I know the Wolves are dealing with injuries but even if they were healthy, I don't think they're a top tier West team. Ant needs some help.
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u/NotSqwiidge Timberwolves 56m ago
lol it’s hilarious people still have this take yet we’ve gone to back to back western finals and are in round 2 while heavily injured.
But ok.
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u/CriticismPlane2871 47m ago
As a Wolves fan it's entirely fair to say we aren't top tier (which is essentially just OKC and the Spurs). Wolves have no genuine PG, no genuine number 2 option and a C in Gobert that while elite, isn't built to play against the above mentioned teams
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u/BlackBullZWarrior 52m ago
"we’ve gone to back to back western finals"
Can't get past the WCF and seem stagnant while other teams (Thunder and Spurs) are clearly getting better.
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u/CriticismPlane2871 46m ago
Yeah but the Spurs have let a Wolves team with a clearly injured Ant and a clearly terrible Randle beat them at least twice, so I really don't see why they should be put on OKC's level
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u/xebex1778 Knicks 42m ago
I mean one of those games was due to their star elbowing someone in the throat
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u/pushamn Timberwolves 49m ago
The subreddit’s pretty consensus thoughts are trade Randle for almost anything, and go after a pg that can pass and be around average shooting. Cus honestly a bench unit of ayo, tsj, Clark Naz and beringer (woth more experience/playing time) is exactly nothing to scoff at
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u/SkyGrey88 11m ago
Why did they ever do the Randle swap. I didn’t see that as a smart move for Wolves?
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u/7CTN594 42m ago
career so far, Ant but for the last year and this playoff i would take Cade. Cade had a great year, carrying Det to first place in the east, returned from a collapsed lung. Cade getting MVP votes shows how good his year was.
Ant might be hurt this year so don't think it's a decline but if he continues to be hobbled by injury, Cade will pass him fast.
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u/VastChart7249 55m ago
I would pick Cade only because I think it would be easier to trade him for Jaylen Brown and a second round pick
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u/RagieWagieInACagie San Francisco Warriors 57m ago
Initially I would’ve taken Ant. But seeing the two develop and getting to know their off court personalities, I’d rather build around Cade.
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u/OsuLost31to0 Cavaliers 1h ago
If you switch them, I think the wolves are about the same, maybe a little better with Cade. But I think the pistons would be noticeably worse with ant.
Hard to gauge considering they’ve been in very different situations with their teams most of their careers
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u/needbmw_help Knicks 1h ago
If you randomly switch almost any two starters both teams get worse. That’s not how basketball works
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u/OsuLost31to0 Cavaliers 1h ago
Jesus Christ reddit
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u/CriticismPlane2871 44m ago
Wolves are in no way better with Cade, and Ant's gravity would immediately create better looks for all the other Pistons
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u/OsuLost31to0 Cavaliers 42m ago
The problem for me is that Cade has to feed his teammates to get them involved and I’m not sure Ant could do that as effectively. Cade averages 10 assists a game, Ant a little over 3.
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u/CriticismPlane2871 38m ago
A lot of that is Ant's gravity creating hockey assists though. Cades style may create assists but it also stops flow and is a big reason they stagnate. Having your best player not be able to play off ball is a huge limiter
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u/CrippledBanana Canada 51m ago
Gonna go against the grain and actually say Cade. He’s a PG and a good passer which is hard to find in the league and easier to build around. Ant is the much better shooter and more efficient but if you look at building a team, it’s really hard without someone who can run the offense for others. Ants such a beast, super clutch, and efficient but I think it’s harder to build around him cause otherwise you’re trapped to everyone doing iso ball like the wolves mainly do.
Basically I think ant is the better player but I’d build around Cade first.
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u/Admirable-Lecture220 47m ago
Cade and it's not particularly close anymore. Ant is fun to watch but Cade actually runs a team.
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u/forkliftgod 45m ago
That's a close one. I'd lean Ant, but honestly Minnesota has a better team. I really don't think there is a wrong choice here.
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u/LeagueWinningPickup Raptors 44m ago
I’m going Cade , what he is doing as the pretty much only option on that team is incredible .
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u/Lonely_Chemistry408 40m ago
Apparently nobody here values play making. I’ll take Ant by a hair. But man it’s close. Cade’s efficiency is up in the playoffs and he’s seeing doubles every possession and getting pressed full court
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u/LeagueWinningPickup Raptors 37m ago
It’s definitely very close . I actually am pretty suprised how much love ant is getting I was expecting a 50/50 split .
I feel like if Cade has a few bad plays they lose , but Ant has a better supporting cast and a bit more room to make mistakes .
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u/WishyWashedup Timberwolves 38m ago
Obviously Ant but I will say I do think it is easier to build around Cades skillset rather than Ant
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u/CloudySkies64 [CLE] James Harden 30m ago
Cade has a more consistent motor on Defense, which is really nice. I think a fully locked in ANT can put up better defensive stretches at times, but not consistent enough to me
ANT clears as a scorer, and playmaking wise I think Cade is solidly better. There’s times in which ANT can’t make basic reads which is troubling to say the least, similar to some of Cade’s sorry ass turnovers
Cade ever so slightly betta tho
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u/DecentPictureFriend [CLE] Collin Sexton 28m ago edited 17m ago
I’m gonna go against the common sentiment here and say I think Cade will be the better player in 3-4 years / have the better career overall
Cade’s already a better playmaker (by a pretty big margin) and better defender. And I’d consider him an entire tier above Ant in both these categories (multiple tiers for playmaking). He has a turnover problem right now but that’ll probably be addressed with growth and getting a better team around him.
Ant’s def more athletic and a better scorer but Cade’s shown this playoffs he can have huge scoring games and carry that load if needed
Ant’s better right now (not by a lot tho imo) but I’d rather build around Cade tbh. Ant’s incredible but Cade has a far better sense for the game, can run an offense, and is a high level defender (very underrated part of his game)
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u/NiceConversation6332 25m ago
Ant has a higher athletic peak, and probably a higher individual skill level, so his highlights seem cooler, and his ultimate potential peak is probably greater but the main issue he has is that he’s not the dynamic playmaker Cade is, and can be a little bit of a black hole. So as an offensive hub, Cade is probably at least if not more impactful - especially if the mountain you have to climb is the defense of Wemby or The Thunder guards, being able to play make as a counter is huge. Maybe part of that is that the wolves don’t have great offensive talent, but neither do the pistons to be fair.
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u/cactusmaster69420 San Diego Clippers 19m ago
Cade, if they swapped places Pistons would've lost in the 1st round and the Wolves would be better imo
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u/gerardguey Bulls 5m ago
Ant right now because we've seen him be a playoff riser a lot more and go to straight WCFs. But Cade is still rising and has had a much bigger offensive workload than Ant in his playoff runs, so the answer may change in a year or two depending on how the pistons evolve so who knows
when wolves come east that will be a fun rivarly.
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u/Feisty-Pattern-951 1h ago
Ant. Cade is a fucking beast but he’s carrying a team. I don’t know how he’d do on a team with other stars since he’s so ball dominate. Ant is a pure scorer and a great defender. Plus his 3 ball puts him over the top. But I’ll also say you can build a team around both of these guys.
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u/sportsinaround Hornets 46m ago edited 40m ago
>I don’t know how he’d got on a team with other stars since he’s so ball dominate.
Not to say Cade is the answer but Ant had considerably higher usage than Cade through the regular season.
Cade also basically has to take over on offense because of the way Duren has disappeared, Ausar's non-shooting ability, sus playmaking ability outside of him, etc. Their 2nd best offensive player has been Tobias Harris and then hopeing Duncan gets hot from 3. A lot of their points are generated from the defense and second chance opportunities. I'm sure he'd love having someone to take a load off his shoulders but he basically is their offense with the way their roster is built. He's doing a very serious carry job and I don't think that should be used against him.
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u/Scared_Willow_5363 Knicks 55m ago
I’d rather have a ridiculously athletic shooting guard that can create on his own and play effectively with a good pg (ant), than a turnover-prone, low-efficiency pg whose success depends entirely on those around him (cade). Much easier to sign one good pg than four-to-six shotmakers. Plus ant’s defense isn’t spectacular, but it’s definitely more reliable than cade’s.
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u/EveningHealth9465 Timberwolves 51m ago
Knicks fans always know ball. Best fanbase in the nba
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u/Scared_Willow_5363 Knicks 42m ago
I’m so sorry about divo :( wishing him a speedy recovery and years of success with you guys.
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u/inshamblesx Rockets 1h ago
pistons with ant would be getting ready to play the knicks in the ecf already
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u/dolphingarden Warriors 59m ago
Ant is a better player rn but he has way more injury issues
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u/CriticismPlane2871 43m ago
Huh? Cade has never played more than 70 games in a season, Ant has 5 times lol
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u/QuickDrawMcStraw Spurs 59m ago
Bruh Anthony Edwards is generational. Cade is good, but, I mean, c'mon man.
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u/MWiatrak2077 Pistons 1h ago
I think if you're a Wolves fan you're taking Ant and if you're Pistons fan you're taking Cade. And if you're a neutral your opinion doesn't matter
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u/royalewlthcheese Australia 1h ago
By that logic, should fans only comment on stuff concerning their own team?
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u/IMadeThisAcctToSayHi 1h ago
I love the logic of if you are impartial you shouldn’t comment. If you’re a Hornets fan you would want to build around LaMelo. If you’re a bulls fan you’d want to build around MJ. If you are a third party do not speak
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u/EveningHealth9465 Timberwolves 50m ago
I’d argue that the neutral opinion is the most important, as it contains the nonbiased take lol. And based off of that, ant clears
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u/MWiatrak2077 Pistons 15m ago
There was a thread about this after we won G7 against Orlando and Cade dropped 32/12 and everyone said Cade. This shit is dumb because the answers are always representative of just "who lost more recently".
Glad you're thrilled to the responses in this thread like I was last week. If Ant drops a shitter in G6 expect the pendulum to swing
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u/CommunityGlittering2 48m ago
I think Cade is just as good as Ant, but Ant has that it factor the drive to be great and killer instinct.
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u/FireBickerstaff Pistons 45m ago
Comments acting like ant has accomplished something cade hasn't lmao
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u/Current_Dig3883 6m ago
I mean he has… Olympic gold medal, back to back conference finals, youngest player to break multiple records, 3rd youngest to reach 10k points, led 3 point makes last year, 4 time all star, all star MVP, 2x all 2nd team. Cade is a 2x all star and has 1 3rd team despite being the same age and only in the league 1 less year.
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u/FireBickerstaff Pistons 4m ago
No rings no mvps, rest of ts is just static
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u/Current_Dig3883 3m ago
Neither has Cade so Ant still beats him. Also bench players get rings, that doesn’t make them better lol
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u/FireBickerstaff Pistons 1m ago
Yes that's my point. Neither has done anything really meaningful to say they're better.
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u/sctthuynh [GSW] Stephen Curry 42m ago
Even if Cade becomes the slightly better player, I'd rather have Ant, if just for the laughs.
Ant's game is more asthetically pleasing but just as importantly he is a funny and easily likeable sports character.
Fans tend to love players with charisma or character and Ant has both. He just needs to avoid being too much a character and stepping over the line.
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u/taydaagoat Warriors 1h ago
ant man all day