I’m not giving any excuses, I’ve been really disappointed with cades play. I don’t know what is up with him, his rookie year he’s looked better, this year he just looks even slower and plays very lazy defense with lazy passes thrown he looks not engaged in some of these games. Today was some of the worse defense I’ve ever seen him play and it was pathetic. Granted so did everyone else but still, not what I expect out of him
If this team wasn’t as bad as it is right now if the team signed players that didn’t Brick every 3 like today though, im sure fans would be more patient with him. But im just so sick of it, he has a lot going against him right now. Shit roster, year off from playing, Mont forced the ball in his hands and played hayes with him, and he’s still young, but im just so sick of it. I really don’t know what’s off with his play, because I know he ain’t this bad, his rookie year he flashed a lot of leadership qualities, but now he just looks dejected at every level.
And for the idiots saying trade cade or he was the wrong pick, every good player in that 2021 class has had some long, tough stretches or still has major flaws in their game.
He has a heliocentric playstyle, which is basically the Doncic/Harden style of ball dominant game.
However, there are two clear separations, and that is foul drawing and contested 3 PT shooting. Harden/Doncic are not particularly athletic, but they are strong physical players that consistently draw fouls. They are also really really good at hitting contested 3s, which basically forces defenders to get as close to them as possible, giving them an easy blow by (and they usually ram into their defenders to draw fouls as well when they get a step on their defenders).
I don’t know if Cade will ever develop the ability to hit contested 3s consistently, but if he can’t draw fouls like them then he cannot be played as a heliocentric offensive player. The foul drawing is how Harden/Doncic scores “cheap points”.
Players of different archetypes all have easy ways to score “cheap points”. Skilled big men get easy buckets when they roll to baskets, fast, athletic players can get easy points via off-ball movement or transition buckets (outrunning or jumping over everyone). The Harden/Doncic (Trae Young is on this list as well) archetype can draw fouls.
However, what is Cade’s source of easy points? If the defense improves and more turnovers are created, the ball is going to Ivey or Ausar for the transition play. Is Cade good off the ball? He doesn’t move around nearly enough to get himself a rhythm catch and shoot. He also isn’t fast enough to be a threatening cutter, nor is he someone you expect to blow by his defenders with ease.
So the issue is if he doesn’t have a way to score easy points, he also doesn’t have easy ways to get himself going. A lot of players in this league can start 0-5, but finish 8-15 because they get a few easy buckets which basically puts them back into rhythm. If Cade starts 0-5, what can be done to get him a few cheap points?
Unless this is solved, I cannot see him as a primary offensive option.