Phoenix Suns 5-on-5: Pick A Wingman
By Gavin Schall
If Eric Bledsoe maintains his current production is he an all-star?
Gavin Schall: I would bank on it. Bledsoe’s one of four players in the league to average 23-6-4, of course two of the other ones are Western Conference point guards. Bledsoe’s current PER of 25.65 would be one of the 160 highest in league history. Plus he’ll be far and away the best player on what should be a playoff team. If that doesn’t scream all-star, I don’t know what would.
Scott Chasen:Maybe not, because of how deep the point guard position and how good the West is, but he’s been pretty dang good this year. Right now, he’s over 23 points per game with a PER above 25, and he’s posting the lowest turnover rate of his career. Really the only area he has regressed in is rebounding, but that’s more of a statistical concern than anything else, given who he is playing around.
Tyler Strachan:I feel like this is a trick question because I’m not sure whether or not to include the, “Kobe Factor,” within my response. For our purposes, I’ll pretend that fan voting isn’t the worst, and Kobe doesn’t get in. With that being said, I think there are five guards in the conference who could challenge I-Bled for a trip to Toronto in February. Curry, Harden, Westbrook, Lillard, and CJ McCollum. There’s plenty of time for McCollum to come back to Earth, or for one of the others to get hurt, so if Bledsoe keeps this up I don’t see how he could be left off the roster.
Troy Tauscher: I think there’s a chance, but the West is still very loaded. I bet it’ll be a situation a la Goran Dragic two years ago. He plays really well, doesn’t make it, and is widely regarded as a snub.
Mark Harris: Yes, or at least he should be. Bledsoe has been a quality player for years and it’s about time he gets his due. Right now he’s averaging 23.2 points and 6.2 assists per game, so if he keeps that up he deserves to be an all-star.
Next: More or less Markieff?