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.
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He’s not good enough to make up for his lack of athleticism, or lack of shooting, or lack of passing ability. He’s closer to Killian than Luka.
He simply can’t shoot. If his shot remains broken he will never be an elite player. We wanted Luka like player but he’s looking more like Evan Turner with a green light
He’s a below avg nba athlete. So craft only gets him so far. He doesn’t draw fouls. Doesn’t finish at rim at good clip. And his strength at the mid range has been so so this year
And his defensive effort has just not been there. He was a better defender as a rookie than he is now. Big regression
See nothing from him that screams #1 pick. Watch Zion, Wemby, Banchero and you see those flashes of superstardom. Haven’t seen it with Cade since a fee games his rookie season
Nah I’ve seen as much flashes from Cade as I’ve seen Banchero. Zion, Wemby, sure - but definitely not banchero. Guy also shoots bricks.
Yea his athleticism isn’t going to change he will always be that crafty player so if he wants to be a number one in this.leaguenhenis going to have to develop a deadly shot. It is not happening. Flat out. We need to start putting some of the other players in the one position and take some of the pressure off of him or we will ruin him imo
I know what to think.
Cade is a potentially very talented player who is not up to the task of pulling a trash team to wins. The pressure is on, he has the keys to the entire offense, has a higher usage rate than Tatum and Trae Young, and is not up to leading this team.
He would be an amazing piece on a good team.
We have a saying for players like that in Australia when we talk about football. A lot of players are downhill skiers, meaning that when things are going good, they’re comfortable because the pressure is off.
Cade can’t handle the pressure of being a number 1 option. YET.
He might still come good, but for all intents and purposes, he is 100% failing his draft position and the expectations of him from inside the organisation.
You can argue that the expectations are too high and that very few players could succeed. But unfortunately for him it’s the position that he’s in, and it’s exposing his drive to lead the team to wins.
Double unfortunate that he plays for a historic franchise that has one of the greatest examples of heart and hustle to ever play the game in Isiah Thomas. I personally look at how hard Zeke held his own teammates accountable for the trash early years and flat out willed this organisation to multiple chips within like… 8 years?
Surrounded by Grant or Bogey, you saw what Cade could do with a something that resembled an NBA team around him.
Nobody comes into the league a finished product, and right now our FO is doing him a massive disservice by forcing him to be used how he is and as much as he is on this team this year.
He can’t play his game, (which is a bit slower and methodical with this roster). It’s tough to lull players asleep until he can get to his spots when there’s 4-5 players going after him whenever he touches the ball and zero consistent outlets to pass out to.
Does anybody remember this Cade Cunningham? What happened…the future looked so bright: https://youtu.be/2bBClM6LVqw?feature=shared
I wouldn’t be surprised if Cade is injured again…maybe the shin splints reoccurrence, and is trying to play thru the pain because of the pressure on him. He just does not seem like the same player, or is mentally exhausted because he has zero help on the floor and some of the guys have low motors.
Cade’s rebound numbers are WAY down. Just 2 dunks this year
Something is off with him. Maybe he’s missing a spring in his step since the surgery and he’s an easier cover
He’s averaged 28 pts the last 3 games.
I’ve been wondering if Cade got a bit of a taste of the good life playing in the team USA camp this summer and is just fed up with playing with scrubs and losing.
I’ve also been wondering if he should hire someone other than his cousin for his offseason training.
Man, this is getting tiring. Cade has shown many flaws, which SHOULD be normal for a guy who just turned 22, is 93 games into his career, and is carrying a top 5 usage percentage on a team that is last in 3 pointers taken… not to mention, it’s dead obvious putting shooting around him is how you win with his style of play.
He has flaws, as he should. The flaws are bigger than anticipated, still okay. The whole “not that guy” shit is just tired and lazy. If he was truly not that guy, teams would give him a bunch of space and let him trip over his own shoes, but instead they constantly blitz him and double him. I don’t think there is a single 22 year I have seen in my life time that could do a whole hell of a lot more with this group. Maybe Lebron or Luka?
He deserves criticism, just like everyone else on the roster. But if you’re going to do the finger pointing and ignore the rest, point the finger elsewhere, because there is bigger problems.
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.