Cade Cunningham

[yoyoboy]

Yeah Cade isn't or rather shouldn't be a primary playmaker in the NBA imo. I definitely see being being more of a playmaking forward than an actual point. The lack of halfcourt athleticism and the terrible ast/to ratio are problems. People can point to teammate quality all they want but I don't buy that go-to excuse. Name me a prospect that had a similar ast/to ratio as the lead playmaker in college who didn't struggle as a playmaker in the NBA. Genuinely asking here.

I do like his potential a lot more when I envision him as a forward in the NBA rather than a tall point guard.

[reamily]

Guys like lika doncic are in demand now and no matter peoole would say, he is a forward. So if we meet half way, cade can be a solid borderline all star to build up to, if youre minny, cleveland and houston..

[Neeva]

Oregon State is gonna end this kid's #1 draft status.

Who do u have as number one , Mobley?

[DCasey91]

Cade is like Paul Pierce/more polished Barrett than a Luka prospect though I can’t see Cade with his Athletic profile and his obvious Handle that needs work to grade out as a premier top 5 wing.

Durant/Leonard/Tatum/Doncic/Giannis they all just have far more going for them personally. Tatum is a fair size taller than Cade just from the eye alone.

Is that list supposed to be related to your top 5 comment? Because Durant is going to be retired once Cade is in his prime and Giannis is not comparable at all, completely different position. Let's also not forget that Tatum was not some elite no-brainer prospect out of college, and Cade compares favorably to Tatum in their respective college seasons – and Tatum is also not an established superstar yet. Yes, we cannot expect Cade to become as good as Kawhi. You know who else wasn't supposed to be anywhere close to Kawhi's level? Kawhi Leonard. He certainly had less ‘going for him’ than Cunningham coming out of college.

What remains is that Cade most likely isn't the same kind of prospect Luka was and is; that's something I agree with. But dude, not every #1 pick is a generational prospect like Luka was – that's what makes these players generational. It's way too early to make statements like ‘I can't see him grade out as a top 5 wing’ when at least three of the five players you listed didn't look like they will be top 5 wings in the NBA at the time they were drafted. That should tell you enough.

Realistically, virtually no NBA draft prospect should be expected to be shoo-in for perennial All-NBA accolades. I don't expect that for Cade (even though it clearly is possible in my view), but I also don't expect that from any other prospect in this draft – and I see zero reason why Cade is supposed to be notably behind in odds compared to the other top prospects. I mean, feel free to compare Kuminga and Green to the five players you listed and tell me what their odds are to be better than (some of) them.

Well for one Jalen Green I have grading out if he hits his ceiling as being the Best “Pure SG” in the comp.
Best athlete plus being a natural scorer screams at least to me best player in the class all said and done.
Derozan with a 3 ball or a bigger Beal is a scary player. I have him ahead of Anthony Edwards. Edwards has the profile like Green.

Those top 5 wings I mentioned their profiles alone even when drafted just has way higher upside, Either freak measurables, A tier athleticism, just outlier types. In other words they have more going for them but their development curve was way less than Cades is. Just so happens they developed out of sight.

Even I know Luka (Body) had a ways to go. If you saw his old man I knew that Luka would have closer to a Lebron tank body without the freak athleticism. That’s my actually comp for Luka, just a proverbial tank at 6”8 handling the rock.
He was a class above all stars dragic/prizing is in Fiba ball. Was more impressed by that than his Euroleague stuff (18 yr old Luka was already legit).
Divac is an idiot btw lol. He should know 18yr old Euroleague MVP isn’t normal, it’s abnormal.

Not knocking Cade at all I like him I have him around 20/7/4 guy being a sound secondary option more then a lead option. He’s a very very good basketball player.

Tatum is closer to top ten then top 20 now. He’s been superb even his profile (height) is more intriguing.
And Tatum was just as polished as Cade coming out.

Ingram (Freak length, more natural scorer), Brown (Athleticism).

Here’s my order of priorities when analyzing a prospect

1. Transferability (Most important imo)
2. Role (which ties into the first point)
3. Developmental level (How far along is his maturity, mentality and psychically, work ethic etc etc
3. Ceiling or overall envisioned player the draftee is to become

Out of all of the top 5 Jalen Green has by far the biggest upside imo. He’s about 170 pounds dripping? Lol that’s the scary part about his ceiling.

Kuminga is by far the youngest

I’ve lowered my expectations on Mobley because I see him more of as a tweener (Power Forward) than a true center.
AD is a better version at the same age (Closer to a generational type prospect like Doncic, James). But this is a big but. The fundamental skill set is there for Mobley to be a 20/10/3 DPOY guy.

All five with Suggs have seriously high floors (day one contributors) because they are very sound basketball players. I just like Green the most because his development curve and ceiling might actually be the highest out of the top 5 (Kuminga as well though Green’s profile just a tad better.)

1. Green
2. Cade
3. Mobley

Though the cool thing about it all 5 have a chance to be the best player when it’s all said and done. Subjective but I see legit superstar Potential in Green.

Could all be a wash though especially for Kuminga/Green if they go to the Wolves (I don’t the Wolves anywehere near the top 5 imo lol).

[BostonCouchGM]

The one thing I don't like is how he's seemingly too cool for school. I hate that in players. It's making me question how high I have him. Simmons and Ingram are both like this and neither will ever live up to their talent level. It worries me about Cade.

[Stillwater]

The one thing I don't like is how he's seemingly too cool for school. I hate that in players. It's making me question how high I have him. Simmons and Ingram are both like this and neither will ever live up to their talent level. It worries me about Cade.

ORst calling Calloos number to get payback for OKst dismissing him lol

[DCasey91]

The one thing I don't like is how he's seemingly too cool for school. I hate that in players. It's making me question how high I have him. Simmons and Ingram are both like this and neither will ever live up to their talent level. It worries me about Cade.

Actually I see that way more in Green than I do in Cade. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all. For Green I like that attitude because you need that as a go to scorer. Though he needs the most work out of the top 5 love any of them on the Spurs. Pop would help develop all five of them to their true ceilings.

I definitely have Ingram as living up to his talent level. I had him as KD lite without the absurd scoring gifts, less athleticism which Ingram basically is. Ben on the other hand 1000% agree it’s always between the ears he himself is capping his potential, it’s not the due to skillset, development etc etc. It’s between the ears always has been. The mental side of things is the biggest unknown.

For Cade he has leadership qualities just like Barrett coming out of College. The similarities (Lack of Athleticism/Ballhandling) are truely there. The upside with Cade is his shooting profile which is sound. I’m betting he’ll get to where Barrett is at right now and probably better way sooner.
Don’t see an elite scorer though too much on/off so I can understand the Ben comparsion.

20/7/4 as a secondary option wing which is my fair est is a fine choice for a number one pick.

The huge kicker I can see Green averaging in the high 20’s once his body fills out and develops well. He’s just way too shifty, explosive, basically what an modern classical star SG type looks like. He needs the most work 100%. But the rewards for me are too great.

All 5 have sound floors anyway so I’ll take Green out of the rest.
All 5 I can see having a chance to be the best in the draft. Sure right now one is better than the other but the gap/profile/summit/skillset on all five aren’t that much apart imo. Envisioning Green 4-5 years from now once he’s body is filled out and he irons out the kinks? My lord have mercy.

Once again I’m hoping each of the five each to go the right place with good opportunity/developmental environments. So no Wolves lol.

The most slept on one is easily Kuminga.
Look at his age (super duper duper young)
Different cultural background
Legit more advanced basketball at the same age then the ones below:

Siakam, Brown, Giannis

I think he should be discussed more. Picked 5 is there such thing as value at pick 5?

[reamily]

Cade isnt a 10 assist a game guy people envision him to..

[yoyoboy]

Cade isnt a 10 assist a game guy people envision him to..

People envisioning him to be a Simmons/LeBron/Doncic type of oversized lead playmaker are going to be very disappointed. His best path is clearly as a 3 in the NBA imo. It's not just the lack of a first step. It's the high dribble, lack of shake, and the fact that his passing is good for his size, but not special overall.

I don't know how people can watch him out there today and not be concerned by the fact that he has to keep resorting to ISO threes because he can't take his defender off the dribble. The best shots he's been able to create in the half court inside the arc are after using his size to try to back the defender into the paint and then having to take a floater/push shot near the FT line.

It's certainly far from his fault why they'll probably lose today, but in projecting how he'll fare in the NBA, the red flags are absolutely there in this game.

[reamily]

Cade passing can be good for a loaded team, I was wrong, you dont put him on franchise that is on rebuild..

[yoyoboy]

Cade can shoot the hell out of the ball but we knew that. He's had a good second half and if they lose he's definitely not the reason for it.

[Upperclass]

His teammate Avery Anderson is a better prospect... Reminds me of a young Monta Ellis

[Stillwater]

he got beavered

[reamily]

He will be perfect on kings as they have pieces.. wolves also and will help you get regular season wins..

[Stillwater]

If these tourney games were all we had to go on he wouldnt be a lottery pick. But the kid is skilled as hell just not athletic enough to use all his tools when it counts so that will have to be a knock on his draft stock I would think for most star seeking orgs

[Upperclass]

If these tourney games were all we had to go on he wouldnt be a lottery pick. But the kid is skilled as hell just not athletic enough to use all his tools when it counts so that will have to be a knock on his draft stock I would think for most star seeking orgs

It won't effect his stock one bit. Crappy NBA teams like to make the same mistakes for decades on decades.

[clyde21]

His teammate Avery Anderson is a better prospect... Reminds me of a young Monta Ellis

there are hot takes and then there is this

[reamily]

I definitely saw one game in tournaent where I have the gut feel that this star will never make it big.. Ben Mclemore when he played jn Kansas, he definitely cruised his way but saw him a guy who hadno handles and cannot create for himself, but can shoot and athletic as hell..

[Stillwater]

If these tourney games were all we had to go on he wouldnt be a lottery pick. But the kid is skilled as hell just not athletic enough to use all his tools when it counts so that will have to be a knock on his draft stock I would think for most star seeking orgs

It won't effect his stock one bit. Crappy NBA teams like to make the same mistakes for decades on decades.

oh I think CC is going to be a damn good pro and given the right situation could easily carve a high usage role as a playmaker and scorer if his shooting ability transfers against better defenders...but right now there are growing concerns that his lack of handles are going to slow that progression and eliminate him as a top 3 prospect given the field has way more polarizing options now that the tourney buzz is alive

[akhan786]

I think a great fit for him would be Sacramento.

Out of the spotlight a bit so that he doesn’t have that much pressure to be Luka which is what some of the hype insinuates. And the Kings will just be appreciative and provide a loving environment for him to develop his game towards something more like Pierce/Tobias Harris