NBA 2K15: What’s Wrong With The Suns?
By Scott Chasen
No. 1 — Eric Bledsoe’s Overall Rating (83)
83 is a pretty solid ranking for a player, but according to the rankings, that means Eric Bledsoe is worse than other guards like Kobe Bryant and Tony Parker.
And when you look at it by the numbers, it really doesn’t make sense. Let’s start with Tony Parker:
Parker averaged 14.4 points, 4.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game last year, with a PER of 15.94 and a true shooting percentage of 53.9.
Bledsoe averaged 2.6 more points, 1.2 more assists and 3.3 more rebounds per game, with a PER that was nearly three points higher, and a true shooting percentage greater by two percentage points.
Then moving to the game logs, Tony Parker scored 20+ points in a game 18 times last year. He had no triple-doubles and he was never really close.
Eric Bledsoe, on the other hand, scored 20+ points in a game 26 times last year, eight more than Parker. He had two triple doubles, and he had two more games where he was either one assist or one rebound away from getting another.
Then consider the following:
Eric Bledsoe is a better defender than Tony Parker.
Eric Bledsoe is stronger, faster and more athletic than Tony Parker.
Eric Bledsoe is 25. Tony Parker is 32.
So why is Tony Parker rated higher?
Parker has a decisive edge over Bledsoe in some categories where he really shouldn’t.
Standing Shot Close:
Tony Parker: 94
Eric Bledsoe: 85
Moving Shot Close:
Parker: 90
Bledsoe: 78
Layup:
Parker: 91
Bledsoe: 84
Here are the problems with all that.
Tony Parker shot 58.5 percent from the field in the restricted area last year. He shot about 60 percent on layups overall. And from five feet or fewer from the basket, Parker shot 58.6 percent from the field.
Eric Bledsoe, on the other hand, shot 63 percent on layups, which was actually three percentage points HIGHER than what Parker shot. He also shot 61.5 percent from the field in the restricted area, which was also three percentage points higher than Parker. And from five feet or fewer from the basket, Bledsoe shot 59.2 percent, and was once again better than Parker.
But the game decided Parker was better in close, so it is what it is.
Then there’s also this fun category called Shot IQ. Tony Parker has a 97 in that category; Bledsoe has an 88. And it’s all fine and well to say that Tony Parker has a higher basketball IQ than a guy like Bledsoe – certainly there are no arguments here – but if that is the case, that has to be reflected in the other statistics.
If that is true, then the fact that Bledsoe had a better field goal percentage and converted better in close than Parker should only ADD to his ratings on the inside, since he’s taking worse shots and still hitting a greater percentage of them.
Instead, the game used it as another way to detract from Bledsoe in this specific comparison, which is funny, because when you fix those rankings in the game, or even just match them to Parker’s, Bledsoe rating goes up to 85, which moves him right past Tony Parker, but that isn’t even the most egregious error with the rating system.
To have Kobe Bryant as an 85 in the game is utterly ridiculous. That puts Kobe even or ahead of guys like Bledsoe, Chris Bosh, Jeff Teague, Jimmy Butler, Andre Drummond and Damian Lillard.
That’s just wrong.
I get the nostalgia factor. Definitely. I think it’s the same reason that Parker is a little overrated too. And it’s not like the game doesn’t take injuries into account. After all, Bradley Beal has a rating of 76, which is actually below guys like Gerald Green and Luis Scola, not to mention even with the likes of Carlos Boozer.
That takes into account his injuries and his play while he was hurt, whether or not fans appreciate that.
But it all comes down to this…
Bradley Beal is better than those players.
Eric Bledsoe is better than Tony Parker and Kobe Bryant.
And if you disagree with me or think I’m wrong, please comment below. I’d love to talk more about this, changes to the game or just about anything Suns related in particular. If you’ve made it to the end of this, that means you read 3,100 words about the Suns in a video game, and you’re probably a pretty gigantic NBA fan as well.
Thank you and goodnight.
Next: Bobby Portis: Phoenix Suns Draft Profile