Minnesota Sports Forum

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2026 1:17 pm

rapsuperstar31 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2026 10:32 am

Q-is-here wrote: ↑Fri Oct 09, 2026 8:33 am I doubt Ant becomes a "2-way" star, as hardly any of those even exist anymore.

Jokic - It was almost shocking how ineffective he was against a banged-up Wolves team that just kept on puncturing the paint against him in the playoffs as he stood there like a statue. He's a liability on that end without a healthy Aaron Gordon next to him.

SGA - Usually gets assigned one of the weakest offensive players on the opposing team to guard.

Luka - Total sieve, and similar to Jokic, someone the Wolves repeatedly exploited in the 2025 first round of the playoffs.

Giannis - picks his spots defensively, although his sheer length still makes him a net plus on that end.

Wemby - might be the only guy that is truly becoming a two-way star, but again, his freakish length and agility are unlike anything anyone has ever seen in the NBA.

Brunson - Has three guys in Hart, Bridges, and Anunbody to protect him on the perimeter. Otherwise a total liability.

Many of these guys have rings!

All of that being said, Ant definitely needs to increase his defensive intensity this year. He coasted in 2nd or 3rd gear on that end for most of the regular season, ostensibly because he was taking on greater ball-handling responsibilities. That's part of the reason, but I also just think he's not wired for it. I'd be happy if he just gets it up to 4th and 5th gear a little more often. But that ain't happening every minute he's on the court.

The final defensive play of the game Ant doesn't get taken out of the game (at least so far he hasn't been) Both Towns and Brunson were getting subbed out on defense and in on offense in the final minutes of games. I've seen SGA get subbed out on defense at the end of a game before. Maybe that is something they may ultimately do with Ant in the biggest defensive moments when you have a timeout and can bring him back in on offense, especially if Cody with his length can really provide something there. It's on Ant, Ball and others to play well enough on defense that they don't get taken out at key moments. It has been encouraging to see the effort so far, and I do think Ant is a step slow right now after sitting out 2 full months to recover from his knee issues. Hopefully as he ramps up, that energy level only increases.

Ant has always been a clutch defensive player and has won us multiple games with his defense, something that gets somewhat forgotten since it's his clutch offense - both the struggles and successes - that has received the most attention. His top-end defensively is elite. I just want him to get to 80 or 85% of that level for longer stretches, that's all I ask. Just get back to being more helpful than hurtful defensively during the normal course of play.