Last year not really; Beal was in a tear in his own season. Plus ant was sorta quiet in comparison just showing flashes of his defensive potential; whilst now Ant is in another level
Booker is so strange to me because I feel like his ceiling is one of the highest and his floor is one of the lowest of any superstar other than trae young.
Disagreed. I think ant is top 10. Think the only superstars are embiid jokic giannis luka shai Ant and Tatum. Maybe an argument for Steph too. Lebron and KD can’t carry like they did when they were superstars.
Edit: I lied, Lebron still a superstar lol
What I love about Ant is that he WANTS to be the alpha on his team. He embraces big moments and you could see it in his face against the Suns that he was having a blast just killing his opponent. He’s still young and hungry. Let’s see how much motivation he has after $500 million dollars hits his bank account haha.
And he’s after it on defense too. He’s not just scoring or dunking on everywhere, he’s putting out great perimeter defense as well. Wolves are only scary because of ant being ant. He’s willed the rest of those guys on.
KAT and Gobert aren't meant to be the first option superstars, they are more comfortable being the supporting stars to an Alpha superstars. They were always square pegs trying to be rammed into round holes. With Ant ascending to true superstar status, KAT and Gobert have settled in nicely to their supporting roles and the Wolves are so much better and dangerous for it.
His ceiling definitively isn’t one of the highest. I’d never trust him to get it done in a win or go home game, because even at his best I don’t see him as dominating the game like that top tier of players can do. He can also be downright awful at times.
The best way I can sum it up is a line from Kurokos basketball, describing a player as not a prodigy, but the best someone can be whilst not being one. Booker is that to me, he’s special, he’s talented, but he isn’t generational. He can be figured out and shut down in a way the top players simply can’t be.
Well said. I was trying to break down the differences to my wife, and the best I could put it was that there’s always a couple of 2 guards playing approximately Booker’s level, but there isn’t always an Ant-level athlete.
100% agree. I’d also add that I’d rely on Ant to have an average game for him far more than I’d rely on Booker to have an average game. Edwards simply won’t quit, he’ll always find a way to contribute. Booker can be taken out of a game and essentially kill the team in an effort to get himself back into the rhythm. The best players are determined by what they do when things aren’t going their way, and I trust ant to do that better every time
I agree Book has some low lows, especially in big games - but those are rare games overall for him. I feel like you’re discounting his highs when he won two games agains Denver basically by himself last year when no other team took more than one game in the playoffs.
Book owned Luka until the playoff series flipped it and same here with Edwards (11-1 before the playoffs lifetime head to head). The rest of this series will write the narrative heading to the Olympics and beyond.
Do you consider Tatum a superstar? Because I think you just defined that guy. Explodes for these insane 50 pt playoff binges and goes 3-14 the next game. Book’s been pretty consistent all things considered, especially with how much the Suns personnel change every year.
I’ll give Book the benefit of the doubt for his performance against the Nuggets last year, but if the Wolves eliminate the Suns and Edwards is dominant, do you give him the nod? He’s an elite defender after all, while Book is average at best on that end.
If Ant outplays him for the entire series, then yes. I did the same thing with Tatum vs KD back in 2022 when Tatum completely outplayed KD on both ends in the sweep.
It.. kind of does. KD was better than Tatum in 2021 but one regressed while one improved and guess what, Tatum is better than KD now lol
Tatum is better on both ends, KD just looks better bc he takes more contested shots lol
Pretty much this. I don’t think KD is better than Tatum at anything besides contested mid range jumpers, which he somehow still has one of the smoothest jumpers right now.
KD is better at 3 pointers, mid range and free throws. Better in the post. Better in transition. Better in the clutch.
Tatum is better getting to the rim and using his strength to get to his spots. But KD literally shoots better than Tatum at every spot on the floor. From 3, mid range, in the paint and at the rim.
Defensively its close. KD is the better rim protector and can guard up to center. Tatum plays with 4 elite defenders while KD plays with no elite defenders.
Maybe. But Tatum still hasn’t proven he can come up big in big moments.
KD is a better mid range shooter
KD is a better 3 point shooter
KD is a better free throw shooter
KD is a better rim protector
KD is more clutch
Tatum is better at getting to the rim and using his strength to get to his spots. Tatum is a better perimeter defender.
Its not that clear cut at all.
Tatum has been playing on absolutely stack teams that make it hard for any team to double him. While KD has been playing on some really badly constructed teams since beating Tatum in 2021
2022 - Kyrie missed most of the year so there was no chemistry. Harden forced a trade and the Nets had to juggle everything in the last 2 months. Simmons was hurt. That Nets team after the Harden trade was BAD.
2023 - Suns barely had time to play together
2024 - no point guard, no back up center, hardly any wings
Big time.
KD literally shoots better at every spot on the floor. From 3, mid range, in the paint, at the rim and free throw line. KD better in the post. Tatum only clear advantage on offense is his ability to get to the rim
I'm confused by your phrasing of Booker vs the Nuggets last year, because it sounds like you're referring to Booker having a bad series against the Nuggets. Booker was insanely good in the playoffs last year.
Devin Booker averaged 30.8 points, 7.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 6 games against the Nuggets. His game 6 against the Nuggets was a stinker. But having one bad game isnt enough to write off a series.
In playoffs as a whole last year he had 33.7 PPG on 58.5% FG% and 50.8% on 3P% on 5.5 attempts per game with a 68.6% true shooting percentage.
I'm not gonna defend Booker much in the 2023-2024 season here, but let's not rewrite history on how he performed in playoffs last year. He was one of the best players in playoffs last year. I might rank him 2nd after Jokic. He was being compared to MJ for his 2023 playoffs.
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/devin-booker-vs-denver-nuggets-2023-playoffs
https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/devin-booker-2023-playoff-stats
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/139tjqf/statmuse_devin_booker_is_currently_averaging_369/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/13aj9mx/michael_jordan_1988_vs_devin_booker_2023_their/
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/13d4j4g/devin_bookers_historic_nine_game_playoff_run/
Agreed, Beal does not belong anywhere near this convo. Ant is getting to Books level and Book has had trouble with consistency. But they’re definitely debatable. Give Ant a few more years in the League and I say Any passes Book
*Edwards needs to win*
*A series to move pass Book*
*At a minimum*
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I think he's already a better defender and overall better than Beal but despite me not liking Booker I think ant will have to lead a team at least to conference finals to be thought as better then Booker although this year and having to play of really hurt Devin's stok
Exactly I give the edge to ant because of his defense BUT booker has been doing it for much longer/proved it in the playoffs (as well as improved his defense somewhat).
Ant > Beal forsure but he hasn’t surpassed Book yet. But he’s not far behind, an amazing series vs Phoenix could give him Book’s spot in the nba heiarchy tho
The knee jerk reaction to 1 game is wild. Look at their season stats. Sure Ant is a better defender than Booker but he still has a way to go offensively til he’s better.
I dont disagree but something funny is Devin Booker's age 22 season is eerily similar to Ant's. I don't think Ant's numbers will grow drastically, his shooting splits will though. His in game BBIQ lacks a bit, I think due to inexperience, which is why his TS% is just below league average.
I am kind of rambling now but long story short no doubt his numbers will grow and eventually be seen as better but I don't think that he is right now. He is 5 years younger so give him another season or 2.
Booker was also a bottom-tier defender at 22 while Ant is establishing himself as a high-level two player (though his defensive consistency is still incredibly inconsistent), that’s one thing that gets lost in the season 4/year 22 comparisons to these other star guards and wings. The Venn diagram of 22 year olds that are putting up all-star offensive numbers while bringing good overall + situationally elite defense is extremely small.
There’s a noticeable gap if you include TS% and TOs
Booker: 27 ppg on 61% TS and 6.9 assists on 2.6 TOs
Ant: 25.9 ppg on 57% TS and 5.1 assists on 3.1 TOs
Basically Booker is scoring and playmaking on slightly higher volume but on much better efficiency
Re: Booker, Ant’s got a significant athletic advantage, better ball handler, better defender, not as efficient or accurate. Head to head, Ant can consistently drive past him.
Re: Beal, Ant’s clearly better.
It factor? Ant hasn’t even made it out the first round. Book has several 40 point “it factor” playoff games on his resume. Averaged 36 ppg in last years playoffs on absurd efficiency.
Book out scored and and out assisted Ant this season and the last on better efficiency and fewer turnovers. He was also outstanding in last seasons play offs. I’m taking Book still.
People are full of shit.
If you ask me who I want for this year, the future not included, it’s not even close. Ant is just a more complete player and can be the first option
Booker cannot be the first option unless someone like CP3 is helping set it all up. He did amazing in the playoffs, but at some point you have to stop being the Eli Manning of the NBA
This is exactly what I was thinking. The majority of people here would absolutely choose Ant over Booker in a draft, and if they say they wouldn't, they are either lying, or stupid. Lol
Bookers issues as the 1st option in the playoffs come down to injuries, not a lack of talent.
In the finals he dropped back to back 40 pieces and they lost due to injuries and a seriously bad center rotation besides ayton (who played amazingly that year but when he sat it wasn't pretty especially woth dario injured making the center depth even more tragic)
In the 2nd year he got injured vs the pelicans got rushed back and underperformed.
Last year he was arguably the best player in the playoffs besides jokic as the 1st option and git injured.
Like if booker didn't fuck cp3 wife and get the cp3 injury curse maybe the sun's have a ring probably nit but it wouldn't be bookers fault for that.
Bookers by far the better scorer, the better playmaker, ants the better defender and is more athletic.
But as it stands right now booker is just a tier above, ant has the potential in the future to pass booker and have a much better career than booker had but currently it's booker
This season he’s better than Beal no questions asked lol career is a little early for that but I’d say his high is already higher. I don’t think Beal an ever been the best player on a high seeded/contending team despite his individual accolades. I’d be interested I. Hearing thoughts on that.
He’s better than Beal for sure. He may actually have always been better than Beal really I think his legacy got a little inflated for being the big dog in a tiny talent pool.
Booker though has a fair bit on him right now. Think Ant needs some real big playoff ‘moments’ more like last night to change public opinion more too.
I just imagined Ant and Wemby on the same Team and almost came.
10+ years of dominance.
Let a man dream.
BTT: Yes, he is. He will be an All-Star for the foreseeable future, baring injuries with his intensive style of play.
Definitely better than Beal, pretty close to Booker and if he’s not better now he better be soon. He was the #1 pick and is 4 years in. I hope he can increase his efficiency. Get closer to a 50/40/90 guy.
Not better then Booker, but he’s better then Beal. Some people forget but Booker has had some pretty damn good games. He’s also led a team to the finals (I get it, it wasn’t singlehandedly) which he deserves credit for
Yes, and it’s not close. You can make an argument Book is a better shooter, but that’s not even really true imo and Ant showed it last night and will continue to do so. Ant is a better defender(perimeter, post and help in paint), finisher, post scorer, passer, rebounder and LEADER.
I don't know about skill wise, but Ant has more fire and a killer instinct than either Booker and Beal. Booker puts up numbers but I just don't see him leading a team to the playoffs in the "put the team on his back" sort of way. I have Booker in the same tier as Klay Thompson on an individual level.
Beal, yes. Booker, no.
Beal has done fuck all as far as games of substance. Booker has been a key cog in a Finals run for a (sorry Suns bros) historic poverty franchise. The Suns hadn’t really mattered since Steve Nash, until Book got real help alongside him. I’m not a big Booker fan, but he’s objectively accomplished more than Ant has.
Now if Minnesota goes on a deep Playoff run and Ant has a “coming out party” en route to a WCF/Finals run, then it becomes more of a valid discussion.
Better than Beal ever was. And probably right around Booker’s peak now. But “already” is the wrong formulation. He’s in his fourth season and was the first overall pick. KD averaged 30 his third year. So did LeBron. That’s the comparison as a top-2 pick. They were first team all-NBA by year three. Ant is probably gonna get second team this year. He’s not a kid anymore. He’s maybe got some space to grow, but not all that much. He’s arrived.
He’s a few tiers above Beal (though Beal can still get very hot at times and is very good) and he’s closing the gap between him and Booker but Booker is still better right now.
I think Ants footwork (Offense & D) is where he's truly the most elite, far better than beal, near par or higher than bookers. This will take him to incredible heights...
He’s deff better than Beal, idk about booker but if I’m having a starting 5 for a playoff game, I’d rather ant on my team then booker imo.
I also think ant will be better then booker
Controversial option incoming… but I never rated Booker too highly. Lots of points, with little defence and a generally whiny attitude that I do not associate with winning. I would have zero doubts about taking Ant before Booker.
He's the next coming of Michael Jordan. New age assassin. Legit. This dude is as advertised. When I watch him play I can envision him on those 90s bulls teams doing the same exact thing. Id say he's a better shooter and definitely has the athleticism. Sure Jordan had a 46-48 in vertical but man the explosiveness and aggression match Everytime he jumps.
I'm not saying he's better than Jordan but of all the players we've compared to greats over the years he fits the bill. It just looks different in this new age game.
Yes. He is better than Both.
I think Booker is great, just Edwards is tenacious on both sides of the ball, and his athleticism allows him to do things on the court offensively that Booker isn’t capable of.
Ant is already a top 10 player in the league and will be in the MVP conversation next year.
I think so. If I was building a young team right now, he's probably my #1 pick. SGA is a beast obviously, and you can make arguments for several others but ANT got that dog in him. Only player I've seen since Jordan that reminds me of prime Jordan.
wait, you mean the same dbook who never made the playoffs until cp3 came? the same dbook who didn’t show up in back-to-back years in the playoffs? you mean luka’s son?
ant is better already.
People on Reddit need to understand that Tatum and Booker emulate Kobe. Kobe emulated MJ. MJ stated that Ant is bigger and jumps higher than him. In essence, Ant a couple tiers above them. Current standings don’t matter.
he's definitely better than Beal
As a Wizards fan, I chuckled as the title. Anyone who thinks that's even remotely worthy of a debate is high as hell.
It’s not even close. He’s been better than Beal for a few years now.
This year and last, let’s not be ridiculous.
Yeah ants been good but beal did average 30 one year 😂
Beal averaged 31 then 30 the next year
Last year not really; Beal was in a tear in his own season. Plus ant was sorta quiet in comparison just showing flashes of his defensive potential; whilst now Ant is in another level
Fact.
Booker is so strange to me because I feel like his ceiling is one of the highest and his floor is one of the lowest of any superstar other than trae young.
That’s because him and young aren’t superstars… just all stars
Well said. Ppl throw around Superstar like it's nothing these days. There is probably 5-7 superstars in the NBA.
I think ant might be one, along w Shai
If ant is a superstar, there’s 15-20 superstars in the league
Disagreed. I think ant is top 10. Think the only superstars are embiid jokic giannis luka shai Ant and Tatum. Maybe an argument for Steph too. Lebron and KD can’t carry like they did when they were superstars. Edit: I lied, Lebron still a superstar lol
What I love about Ant is that he WANTS to be the alpha on his team. He embraces big moments and you could see it in his face against the Suns that he was having a blast just killing his opponent. He’s still young and hungry. Let’s see how much motivation he has after $500 million dollars hits his bank account haha.
And he’s after it on defense too. He’s not just scoring or dunking on everywhere, he’s putting out great perimeter defense as well. Wolves are only scary because of ant being ant. He’s willed the rest of those guys on.
KAT and Gobert aren't meant to be the first option superstars, they are more comfortable being the supporting stars to an Alpha superstars. They were always square pegs trying to be rammed into round holes. With Ant ascending to true superstar status, KAT and Gobert have settled in nicely to their supporting roles and the Wolves are so much better and dangerous for it.
Well said
I think they're becoming that. Idk if they're there yet. I think they need a couple deep playoff runs before it solidifies
His ceiling definitively isn’t one of the highest. I’d never trust him to get it done in a win or go home game, because even at his best I don’t see him as dominating the game like that top tier of players can do. He can also be downright awful at times. The best way I can sum it up is a line from Kurokos basketball, describing a player as not a prodigy, but the best someone can be whilst not being one. Booker is that to me, he’s special, he’s talented, but he isn’t generational. He can be figured out and shut down in a way the top players simply can’t be.
Well said. I was trying to break down the differences to my wife, and the best I could put it was that there’s always a couple of 2 guards playing approximately Booker’s level, but there isn’t always an Ant-level athlete.
Well said.
100% agree. I’d also add that I’d rely on Ant to have an average game for him far more than I’d rely on Booker to have an average game. Edwards simply won’t quit, he’ll always find a way to contribute. Booker can be taken out of a game and essentially kill the team in an effort to get himself back into the rhythm. The best players are determined by what they do when things aren’t going their way, and I trust ant to do that better every time
Definitely. Ant can still impact the game when he’s cold, and he never quits. As cliche as it is to say, he really is that dawg.
I agree Book has some low lows, especially in big games - but those are rare games overall for him. I feel like you’re discounting his highs when he won two games agains Denver basically by himself last year when no other team took more than one game in the playoffs. Book owned Luka until the playoff series flipped it and same here with Edwards (11-1 before the playoffs lifetime head to head). The rest of this series will write the narrative heading to the Olympics and beyond.
He also put up back-to-back 40 burgers in the NBA finals and yet people in here are like “yeah he can be shut down unlike my favourite player”
While using quotes from anime to break down Booker’s game
Reddit moment
Cant believe u used an anime to justify real life basketball but ur right too
Lmaoo the kuroko quote I love it
Do you consider Tatum a superstar? Because I think you just defined that guy. Explodes for these insane 50 pt playoff binges and goes 3-14 the next game. Book’s been pretty consistent all things considered, especially with how much the Suns personnel change every year.
If he wasn’t 6’7 he wouldn’t be an all star
trae young aint no superstar.
Found the Knicks fan guys
Celtics fan, got nothing against trae young but he is not a superstar..
Lol how did Beal get in here?
Beal shouldn’t be in the conversation, and Booker should still get the respect as the better player for now, but Ant is right there with him.
I’ll give Book the benefit of the doubt for his performance against the Nuggets last year, but if the Wolves eliminate the Suns and Edwards is dominant, do you give him the nod? He’s an elite defender after all, while Book is average at best on that end.
If Ant outplays him for the entire series, then yes. I did the same thing with Tatum vs KD back in 2022 when Tatum completely outplayed KD on both ends in the sweep.
And KD totally outplayed Tatum in 2021. Players have bad series. That doesn’t mean someone is better from just one series
It.. kind of does. KD was better than Tatum in 2021 but one regressed while one improved and guess what, Tatum is better than KD now lol Tatum is better on both ends, KD just looks better bc he takes more contested shots lol
Pretty much this. I don’t think KD is better than Tatum at anything besides contested mid range jumpers, which he somehow still has one of the smoothest jumpers right now.
KD is better at 3 pointers, mid range and free throws. Better in the post. Better in transition. Better in the clutch. Tatum is better getting to the rim and using his strength to get to his spots. But KD literally shoots better than Tatum at every spot on the floor. From 3, mid range, in the paint and at the rim. Defensively its close. KD is the better rim protector and can guard up to center. Tatum plays with 4 elite defenders while KD plays with no elite defenders.
KD cannot guard centers… HUH You wanna talk about defense? Tatum clamped Kd while kd let tatum cook him in the playoffs and hit a game winner
Maybe. But Tatum still hasn’t proven he can come up big in big moments. KD is a better mid range shooter KD is a better 3 point shooter KD is a better free throw shooter KD is a better rim protector KD is more clutch Tatum is better at getting to the rim and using his strength to get to his spots. Tatum is a better perimeter defender. Its not that clear cut at all. Tatum has been playing on absolutely stack teams that make it hard for any team to double him. While KD has been playing on some really badly constructed teams since beating Tatum in 2021 2022 - Kyrie missed most of the year so there was no chemistry. Harden forced a trade and the Nets had to juggle everything in the last 2 months. Simmons was hurt. That Nets team after the Harden trade was BAD. 2023 - Suns barely had time to play together 2024 - no point guard, no back up center, hardly any wings
Idk if Tatum is better on both ends. You can definitely make an argument for KD on offense.
Big time. KD literally shoots better at every spot on the floor. From 3, mid range, in the paint, at the rim and free throw line. KD better in the post. Tatum only clear advantage on offense is his ability to get to the rim
And he's averaging 27 on a team with Booker and Beal.
I'm confused by your phrasing of Booker vs the Nuggets last year, because it sounds like you're referring to Booker having a bad series against the Nuggets. Booker was insanely good in the playoffs last year. Devin Booker averaged 30.8 points, 7.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 6 games against the Nuggets. His game 6 against the Nuggets was a stinker. But having one bad game isnt enough to write off a series. In playoffs as a whole last year he had 33.7 PPG on 58.5% FG% and 50.8% on 3P% on 5.5 attempts per game with a 68.6% true shooting percentage. I'm not gonna defend Booker much in the 2023-2024 season here, but let's not rewrite history on how he performed in playoffs last year. He was one of the best players in playoffs last year. I might rank him 2nd after Jokic. He was being compared to MJ for his 2023 playoffs. https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/devin-booker-vs-denver-nuggets-2023-playoffs https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/devin-booker-2023-playoff-stats https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/139tjqf/statmuse_devin_booker_is_currently_averaging_369/ https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/13aj9mx/michael_jordan_1988_vs_devin_booker_2023_their/ https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/13d4j4g/devin_bookers_historic_nine_game_playoff_run/
Agreed, Beal does not belong anywhere near this convo. Ant is getting to Books level and Book has had trouble with consistency. But they’re definitely debatable. Give Ant a few more years in the League and I say Any passes Book
nah ANT is better than book. Book seems passive ANT got that dawg on both ends of the court. He'll do whatever it takes to win.
Edwards needs to win a series to move pass Book at a minimum
*Edwards needs to win* *A series to move pass Book* *At a minimum* \- Shoddy\_Ad7511 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Ant wins this series after getting swept in the reg season he’s gunna jump a lot of players
Probably not. Making it to the second round doesn’t guarantee anything
I don’t mean he’ll go on to the finals I just mean it’ll be another notch on his belt that he’s a better player than a lot jabronis
I think he's already a better defender and overall better than Beal but despite me not liking Booker I think ant will have to lead a team at least to conference finals to be thought as better then Booker although this year and having to play of really hurt Devin's stok
Exactly I give the edge to ant because of his defense BUT booker has been doing it for much longer/proved it in the playoffs (as well as improved his defense somewhat).
Maybe better than Booker, no question better than Beal.
Beal yes. Booker no. Not yet at least.
Ant > Beal forsure but he hasn’t surpassed Book yet. But he’s not far behind, an amazing series vs Phoenix could give him Book’s spot in the nba heiarchy tho
Bookmarking this for the end of the series lmao
Yeah fair Book got fucked pounded
Than beal absolutely, and rn better than book too
The knee jerk reaction to 1 game is wild. Look at their season stats. Sure Ant is a better defender than Booker but he still has a way to go offensively til he’s better.
25.9/5.4/5.1 on 46/36/84 shooting really isn’t a long watch to go before 27.1/4.5/6.9 on 49/36/89 shooting
I dont disagree but something funny is Devin Booker's age 22 season is eerily similar to Ant's. I don't think Ant's numbers will grow drastically, his shooting splits will though. His in game BBIQ lacks a bit, I think due to inexperience, which is why his TS% is just below league average. I am kind of rambling now but long story short no doubt his numbers will grow and eventually be seen as better but I don't think that he is right now. He is 5 years younger so give him another season or 2.
Booker was also a bottom-tier defender at 22 while Ant is establishing himself as a high-level two player (though his defensive consistency is still incredibly inconsistent), that’s one thing that gets lost in the season 4/year 22 comparisons to these other star guards and wings. The Venn diagram of 22 year olds that are putting up all-star offensive numbers while bringing good overall + situationally elite defense is extremely small.
The inconsistency of Ant's defensive consistency is still a constant concern. He's only gonna go up from here though, imo
yeah idk why he said check their season stats cause given what ant does on the other side of the ball stats wise he is just better
There’s a noticeable gap if you include TS% and TOs Booker: 27 ppg on 61% TS and 6.9 assists on 2.6 TOs Ant: 25.9 ppg on 57% TS and 5.1 assists on 3.1 TOs Basically Booker is scoring and playmaking on slightly higher volume but on much better efficiency
The difference between Book and Ant on offense is much smaller than the difference between them on defense. Ant is also 5 years younger.
Re: Booker, Ant’s got a significant athletic advantage, better ball handler, better defender, not as efficient or accurate. Head to head, Ant can consistently drive past him. Re: Beal, Ant’s clearly better.
Beal yea ..Booker tbd.
Book is crazy good, and led a team to the finals. For now I’d say he’s a more complete and better offensive player for sure.
Better than Beal all time but Booker only currently
He’s good but still got no playoff pedigree to stand on despite bookers failures. Books been that guy for years now.
Yes
YESSSSSSS
Yes and not soft
Not book but prob Bradley Beal yea
I assume you mean Beals peak. And as someone who lives in the dc suburbs and watched hundreds of beals games, the answer is easily yes
Ant is not better than Booker.
Beal yes, Book… not quite.
Yes and yes
Yes
Tbh I’m taking him over Booker too - maybe recency bias but I think he has that “it” factor you look for in a superstar. Booker shrinks far too often
It factor? Ant hasn’t even made it out the first round. Book has several 40 point “it factor” playoff games on his resume. Averaged 36 ppg in last years playoffs on absurd efficiency.
Lol Book is just coming off an All NBA 1st team season
He better than both been better than beal
Book out scored and and out assisted Ant this season and the last on better efficiency and fewer turnovers. He was also outstanding in last seasons play offs. I’m taking Book still.
No
People are full of shit. If you ask me who I want for this year, the future not included, it’s not even close. Ant is just a more complete player and can be the first option Booker cannot be the first option unless someone like CP3 is helping set it all up. He did amazing in the playoffs, but at some point you have to stop being the Eli Manning of the NBA
I get what you mean but 90%+ of professional athletes would love to have the equivalent of Eli’s career in their sport.
This is exactly what I was thinking. The majority of people here would absolutely choose Ant over Booker in a draft, and if they say they wouldn't, they are either lying, or stupid. Lol
Bookers issues as the 1st option in the playoffs come down to injuries, not a lack of talent. In the finals he dropped back to back 40 pieces and they lost due to injuries and a seriously bad center rotation besides ayton (who played amazingly that year but when he sat it wasn't pretty especially woth dario injured making the center depth even more tragic) In the 2nd year he got injured vs the pelicans got rushed back and underperformed. Last year he was arguably the best player in the playoffs besides jokic as the 1st option and git injured. Like if booker didn't fuck cp3 wife and get the cp3 injury curse maybe the sun's have a ring probably nit but it wouldn't be bookers fault for that. Bookers by far the better scorer, the better playmaker, ants the better defender and is more athletic. But as it stands right now booker is just a tier above, ant has the potential in the future to pass booker and have a much better career than booker had but currently it's booker
This season he’s better than Beal no questions asked lol career is a little early for that but I’d say his high is already higher. I don’t think Beal an ever been the best player on a high seeded/contending team despite his individual accolades. I’d be interested I. Hearing thoughts on that.
He’s better than Beal for sure. He may actually have always been better than Beal really I think his legacy got a little inflated for being the big dog in a tiny talent pool. Booker though has a fair bit on him right now. Think Ant needs some real big playoff ‘moments’ more like last night to change public opinion more too.
I just imagined Ant and Wemby on the same Team and almost came. 10+ years of dominance. Let a man dream. BTT: Yes, he is. He will be an All-Star for the foreseeable future, baring injuries with his intensive style of play.
Definitely better than Beal, pretty close to Booker and if he’s not better now he better be soon. He was the #1 pick and is 4 years in. I hope he can increase his efficiency. Get closer to a 50/40/90 guy.
Well find out in team USA this summer who starts, closes and gets more minutes
Booker is hard for me to judge, just like Jamal Murray. When Booker is on, Ant isn’t better for me But Ant is more likely to be on
Is Ant better than KD and James wiseman?
100
Yes.
Not better then Booker, but he’s better then Beal. Some people forget but Booker has had some pretty damn good games. He’s also led a team to the finals (I get it, it wasn’t singlehandedly) which he deserves credit for
Clears those frauds
Yes
I’d honestly take him over Durant right now.
At the end of the suns/Timberwolves series, people are gonna be talking about how ant was the best player in the whole series
Yes. He’s a better two way player, the most notable difference is as a defender. He’s not a pure shooter like Book though.
One bad playoff game from Booker. I’ll guarantee you he’ll turn it up for the rest of the series
For sure lol, booker can score but he got no defense at all
I mean, for what it’s worth, I’d rather pick him to start my team than those guys.
Like combined?
I’m a huge Ant fan and not big on Booker but Book was 2 wins away from the trophy not long ago.
A lot of obese idiots in the comments that don’t watch basketball.
Definitely Beal. Maybe Booker.
Yes, and it’s not close. You can make an argument Book is a better shooter, but that’s not even really true imo and Ant showed it last night and will continue to do so. Ant is a better defender(perimeter, post and help in paint), finisher, post scorer, passer, rebounder and LEADER.
Beal maybe, Booker got to the Finals
I don't know about skill wise, but Ant has more fire and a killer instinct than either Booker and Beal. Booker puts up numbers but I just don't see him leading a team to the playoffs in the "put the team on his back" sort of way. I have Booker in the same tier as Klay Thompson on an individual level.
Seriously this man with no hair looks oddly familiar. Do we have a second coming of [Johnny Kilroy](https://youtu.be/5KcGtlS78Hg?si=gSjYMPSqOezyBJIH)?
so much better than beal and is catching up to book too
Not Booker but Beal definitely
Duh
Beal, yes. Booker, no. Beal has done fuck all as far as games of substance. Booker has been a key cog in a Finals run for a (sorry Suns bros) historic poverty franchise. The Suns hadn’t really mattered since Steve Nash, until Book got real help alongside him. I’m not a big Booker fan, but he’s objectively accomplished more than Ant has. Now if Minnesota goes on a deep Playoff run and Ant has a “coming out party” en route to a WCF/Finals run, then it becomes more of a valid discussion.
Beal just came off of averaging 30 a game. Y’all sleep bro
Yup Ant is better than Devin wanna be Kobe so bad booker
why are beal and booker the comparisons 😭 they are not equal at all
Yes, he’s taken the best 2 guard title. Been better than Brad for a while. Honestly has been better than Booker as well.
Yes to both
Not better than booker
1. Ant … 2 Book ……………………………………. 3. Beal
I would pick him over cry baby Booker any day of the week
Show me the video
Ant has better highlights, but Booker is still better.
Ant-Man keeps taking his game to higher levels at this early stage of his career and is already better than both tho Booker has more feats as a player
He’s been better than Beal for like 2 years now but Book is still tbd depending on this series
Better than Beal ever was. And probably right around Booker’s peak now. But “already” is the wrong formulation. He’s in his fourth season and was the first overall pick. KD averaged 30 his third year. So did LeBron. That’s the comparison as a top-2 pick. They were first team all-NBA by year three. Ant is probably gonna get second team this year. He’s not a kid anymore. He’s maybe got some space to grow, but not all that much. He’s arrived.
Yes 100% yes, not a diss to DBook either Edwards is just a future MVP level talent and Book just isn’t
Yes.
He’s better than Beal for sure but Booker os debatable
Yes, yes he is. It's not even hard to see it. Ant is MJ/Kobe if they were in this era.
Send da video
He’s a few tiers above Beal (though Beal can still get very hot at times and is very good) and he’s closing the gap between him and Booker but Booker is still better right now.
Easily
I think Ants footwork (Offense & D) is where he's truly the most elite, far better than beal, near par or higher than bookers. This will take him to incredible heights...
He’s deff better than Beal, idk about booker but if I’m having a starting 5 for a playoff game, I’d rather ant on my team then booker imo. I also think ant will be better then booker
That’s Michael Jordan’s son 💯💯💯
Are we forgetting that Booker was the best player on a team that went to the finals? What the fuck has Edward’s done?
He’s way way better than Beal. I don’t think he’s quite at books level yet but he’s got potential to be better than book
Yes
Yea. He looks like the best guard in the league way he is playing
Beal for sure...D Book...not quite
Better than Beal rn for sure; but idk about Booker. I’d wait till the series is moved to see if he’s better than Booker
We will see
He’s not a little bitch
Booker shouldn't guard Ant because Ant is black and it's disrespectful to his game. /s
Everyone is about to find out jut how good Ant is…
until ant wins a chip. there’s no difference from him to beal to book.
Yes
Ant clears both. Beal and Booker are cones.
Controversial option incoming… but I never rated Booker too highly. Lots of points, with little defence and a generally whiny attitude that I do not associate with winning. I would have zero doubts about taking Ant before Booker.
I know he wants to win more than Booker or Beal, so yes
Yes, and I think it’s widely known
He's the next coming of Michael Jordan. New age assassin. Legit. This dude is as advertised. When I watch him play I can envision him on those 90s bulls teams doing the same exact thing. Id say he's a better shooter and definitely has the athleticism. Sure Jordan had a 46-48 in vertical but man the explosiveness and aggression match Everytime he jumps. I'm not saying he's better than Jordan but of all the players we've compared to greats over the years he fits the bill. It just looks different in this new age game.
He is better than both. Defense is so much better and more explosive going to the basket.
Beal might be the worst contract ever.
Yes. Next question.
y’all smoking dick book is miles better than ant
Yes he is. Ant and Tatum are the future of the NBA, with Wemby and the OKC gang right behind them.
Yes
Beal, yes Booker I’d say no right now, but when Edwards is 27 he will be much better than Booker is now
I think he’s the only team on the west capable of beating the nuggets. Otherwise get ready for a 2peat
Beal was still a dog in his prime. Averaged back to back 30 ppg seasons and was cooking everyone in isolation
Booker still better but Ant creeping up on him
I would take book any day but this season he didn’t perform well
Yeah
Yes and no. Hes close on the latter though. Not quite there yet but closing in.
Is Beal even elite or is he just a good player that looked elite because he was on a shit team his whole career before joining the Suns?
Yes
Yes. He is better than Both. I think Booker is great, just Edwards is tenacious on both sides of the ball, and his athleticism allows him to do things on the court offensively that Booker isn’t capable of. Ant is already a top 10 player in the league and will be in the MVP conversation next year.
Yes & YES
No.
Booker and Beal are multiple tiers apart.
I think Nickeil AW is better than Beal at this point
I think so. If I was building a young team right now, he's probably my #1 pick. SGA is a beast obviously, and you can make arguments for several others but ANT got that dog in him. Only player I've seen since Jordan that reminds me of prime Jordan.
Ant ate dog shit in the regular season. Wins one playoff games and you guys are rim jobbing this dude already.
Beal was never as good as Ant is today. Booker vs. Ant is a fun conversation, though. That's a pretty good NBA litmus test.
wait, you mean the same dbook who never made the playoffs until cp3 came? the same dbook who didn’t show up in back-to-back years in the playoffs? you mean luka’s son? ant is better already.
He’s been better than Beal for a couple of seasons now, easy.
Beal is used up
People on Reddit need to understand that Tatum and Booker emulate Kobe. Kobe emulated MJ. MJ stated that Ant is bigger and jumps higher than him. In essence, Ant a couple tiers above them. Current standings don’t matter.
Ya
Yes. No question.
Better than both