Despite being such a well-rounded, physically gifted player, Eric Bledsoe is something of a divisive figure in the NBA community. Is he an up-and-coming star on the cusp of entering that “elite” category? Or is he an overrated player who will never be a leader or live up to the hype he generated once upon a time as Chris Paul‘s backup?
The truth is probably somewhere in between. As of right now, Bledsoe is an excellent two-way player who has a few flaws that need to be addressed. He may never be a superstar, but he’s an excellent rebounder for his position, a skilled passer when he’s not turning the ball over and a freakishly strong penetrator who can bully opponents on both ends of the floor — despite not being a great perimeter shooter.
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The question is, how much higher is this 25-year-old’s ceiling, and how close is he to reaching it already? Those are fair questions to ask after Bledsoe averaged a well-rounded 17.0 points, 6.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last season, especially heading into a new season in which he’ll be splitting point guard duties with Brandon Knight in the backcourt.
Individual stats aside, however, there are clearly areas of Bledsoe’s game that he can improve, no matter your opinion of his ceiling. As the Phoenix Suns look to end a five-year playoff drought, here’s a look at five realistic goals that Eric Bledsoe should have for the 2015-16 season.
Next: No. 5