Prediction No.1: Jon Leuer becomes the starting power forward, averages 25 and 12, and gets All-NBA Second Team
Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention.
Real Prediction No. 1: Eric Bledsoe gets into the All-Star conversation
This isn’t the hottest take ever, actually. Bledsoe averaged an 18-6-5 stat line last season and now has a better team around him with the addition of Tyson Chandler, the return of Brandon Knight, and the (hopeful) improvement of T.J. Warren and Alex Len.
Bledsoe’s basic struggles have been well documented. He’s not the most reliable shooter, and his turnovers and occasional lapses in judgement do affect his team and the perception of him as a player.
His offseason has been very promising. He didn’t leave Phoenix. Instead, he spent tons of time in the gym, working with Alex Len on pick-and-rolls as well as his shooting and ball handling. He followed that up by coming into Media Day looking to be in great physical shape and saying all the right things.
Eric Bledsoe: "Tyson (Chandler) is the main guy and whatever he's got to say, I'm going to listen."
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) September 28, 2015
Bledsoe should be in a better situation to pad his stats as well as improve his qualitative performance. He and Brandon Knight can make a workable guard combo. I’ve gone back to Knight’s impressive spot-up shooting stats frequently. He averaged 1.12 points per shot in spot-up situations.
On the flip side, Knight can attack the rim, pass and run with Bledsoe when the Suns push the pace. Bledsoe’s turnovers are ultimately on him, but there’s a truth to the idea that it helps to have another guard. From before to after the All-Star break, Bledsoe’s turnovers went from 3.1 per game to 4.
That can be chalked up to various things, but among them, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas were gone, replaced by an unfamiliar Knight. Bledsoe had to attack the rim by himself because he had no one to run with him or create with the ball.
Now that Knight is healthy and settled, Bledsoe can do more off cuts or take passes in transition rather than just running the whole floor himself and then turning the ball over when something gets in his way.
Also…
If Bledsoe can still do this while having a presence on the floor that can help limit the times when these possessions go nowhere, expect improvement.
It’s hard to say if he actually makes it. On paper, the West is loaded, but guys rise and fall in ways we can’t expect. He seems ready for a season a la Goran Tragic 2013-14. He shows good improvement, gets All-Star buzz, may or may not make it, and is considered an unfortunate snub.
However, signs point to Bledsoe making progress this season — progress from what he currently does will at least put him comfortably in the discussion of who to send to Toronto in February.
Next: No. 2