The Phoenix Suns were one of the youngest teams in the association before they shipped away 28-year-old fan favorite Goran Dragic to bring in 23-year-old Brandon Knight at the 2015 trade deadline. But with the Suns in the middle of their fight for a playoff spot, 25-year-old Eric Bledsoe will need to become the face of the franchise.
One great game against Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder last night doesn’t mean he’s ready to be “the man” on a playoff team just yet, but it was a damn good sign for Suns fans who were starting to wonder who would be the unspoken new leader of this team moving forward.
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Bledsoe was the obvious best choice, of course. Despite Knight’s stellar play for the Bucks this season, he’s still only 23 and has played three games with the Suns. An adjustment period is to be expected, though the initial signs are promising (16.8 points and 4.5 assists per game in his four appearances for Phoenix so far).
Alex Len has the potential to be a franchise center considering his vast improvement, soft touch and shot-blocking abilities at the tender age of 21, but he’s not ready yet. And although Markieff Morris has shown how incredibly underrated he is with his ability to score in a variety of ways, not to mention his clutch shooting, it’s Bledsoe that needs to be the leader in a point guard-dominant game plan.
Even before last night’s potentially season-altering win in overtime, Bledsoe had been showing he’s capable of becoming that guy. Here’s a look at why Eric Bledsoe is the new leader of the Phoenix Suns.
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