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Phoenix Suns: What To Expect From Eric Bledsoe In 2015-16

By Troy Tauscher

Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) dribbles the ball past New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) dribbles the ball past New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (10) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 90-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Over two years after Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough made his first big move in trading for Eric Bledsoe, it seems like Bledsoe is the last man standing in a time of wild transition. Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Morris and Gerald Green, among others, have all been shuffled around the league as the Suns attempt to build a playoff-caliber roster.

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At this point, it certainly looks like Bledsoe is the leader of the team. The Suns committed five years and $70 million to him, and have maintained that moving him for other assets is not on the agenda, despite rumors earlier this summer.

Bledsoe as the current face of the franchise puts the Suns in an interesting position. He cannot carry a team to the playoffs alone, and his quiet personality makes him an unlikely on-court leader. However, there is optimism that Bledsoe will embrace his role as a team leader and evolve with new backcourt mate Brandon Knight.

While every NBA player (like every other human being) is unique, Bledsoe does fit a certain archetype. He’s a freakishly good athlete who drives to the basket with ferocity and makes a few insane passes or defensive plays per game. He definitely stuffs the stat sheet, averaging 17.0 points, 6.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last season.

Bledsoe primarily gets his points on drives to the basket, either out of isolation, pick-and-roll sets, or in transition. He’s a marvelous physical specimen, who, at 6’1″, plays bigger than he is. He’s fast, thick and when he wants to get to the rim, it’s hard to stop him.

One thing Bledsoe does very well is recover from attempts to disrupt his drive. He doesn’t dodge bodies like the crafty European guards do. He goes straight through defenders and adjusts his body and the ball in a fraction of a second.

When Bledsoe really wants to get to the rim, it takes a good defender to even stand a chance of preventing him from doing so.

Bledsoe’s athletic gifts translate to some exciting defensive plays. Chase-down blocks and crazy, out-of-nowhere steals are staples of his game. He also has a knack for combing athleticism with court vision, leading to wild behind-the-back passes to big men in the paint or corner shooters.

While he does have quite a wild approach to the game, Bledsoe can also be a smart play initiator when he wants to be.

He orchestrates the above pick-and-roll very precisely. He sees that DeAndre Jordan, a monster rim protector, is zeroed in on him. He also knows that Chris Paul is just to his right. He waits the perfect amount of time before getting Miles Plumlee the ball, and it works just as planned.

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As with some other players, particularly the athletic freaks, conversations about them — even those revolving around how good they are — get sidetracked by enumerating their flaws. Unfortunately, that’s where this is going.

Bledsoe’s athleticism and drive translates into some plays that are amazing to behold, but it also sometimes translates into silly mistakes. Offensively, sometimes his crazy drives end up just going nowhere. This either results in a poor shot attempt, or a turnover, which is often a desperate pass that sails out of bounds. According to Basketball-Reference, Bledsoe committed 152 bad passes last season.

Defensively, Bledsoe can be a great on-ball stopper. He plays physically in the paint and on the perimeter, and when he’s determined, he can guard bigger guys on post-ups and block any shot he can reach.

Like most NBA players, Bledsoe is guilty of taking plays off sometimes. The difference is that with Bledsoe, it is really very obvious whether he’s trying or not. When he doesn’t try, he doesn’t power through screens, he doesn’t switch quickly and he falls for easy moves and tricks.

Or he just does…whatever this is.

Then there are the times when Bledsoe’s gambling for steals makes him leave an assignment and hurts the team defense. It’s an interesting flaw, because I don’t think it’s that he wants to make highlight reel plays. He’s not that kind of guy, at least off the floor.

I get the sense that Bledsoe has his mindset on the ball and whose hands it’s in. He doesn’t focus on what, say, Chris Paul is planning when he passes. He just knows that Paul is passing, and that if he stops that pass, he’s stopped a score.

The good news is that Bledsoe, at least off the floor, has shown a greater degree of maturity than his previous two seasons in Phoenix. It seems as though he’s been working all offseason, from getting in extra time with Alex Len, to attending Summer League, and now being one of 10 players to attend voluntary workouts ahead of schedule.

It’s possible that progress off the floor will translate to progress on the court.

Bledsoe will also have a more positive surrounding environment. With the exception of Markieff Morris, the team certainly seems like its internal dynamics are more kosher than last season.

The addition of Tyson Chandler means that Bledsoe will have better defensive support, particularly in pick-and-roll defense. His shortcomings are only exacerbated by the fact that his last line of support was Alex Len, who, despite showing great improvement, still has a ways to go before he masters interior defense at the pro level.

In the end, Eric Bledsoe is a player who is very talented and exciting, but also fundamentally flawed. The most important thing for the Suns is that those negative aspects to his game are minimized to the fullest extent possible.

There’s reason to be excited for Bledsoe this season. He finally has the full spotlight and, at face value, appears ready to tackle the challenges that come with that. I’d anticipate seeing improvement out of him in his leadership, both in the huddle and in his decision-making on the floor.

There will still be nights when he does silly stuff and plays lazy defense, but there will also be nights where he throws up a triple-double and destroys everything in his path. The Suns will be at their best this coming season if Bledsoe can harness the latter like lightning in a bottle.

Next: Can Eric Bledsoe Become A Leader For The Suns?

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