Scouts in Sports Illustrated RIPPED the Phoenix Suns

What is Eric Bledsoe’s future?

PORTLAND, OR – OCTOBER 3: Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during a preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 3, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images)

"We’ve reached the point where you have to conclude that Eric Bledsoe can’t be the main guy for a winning team. He’s probably their best trade piece, but Brandon Knight falling off a cliff and getting injured again killed their ability to move Bledsoe. . . ."

This scout nails one points while completely missing two others.

Has anybody ever believed that Eric Bledsoe could or should be the main guy for a winning team? When was this ever in consideration? Bledsoe is a very good point guard. Is he elite? No. But is 20+ points, 6+ assists, and nearly 5 rebounds a game something that many point guards produce?

In fact, do you know how many points guards in the league last season averaged Eric Bledsoe’s minimum statline of 21.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists?

Four. Including Bledsoe.

The others were Kyle Lowery, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook.

Now to be fair, LeBron James averaged above that statline and other players were very close to it falling behind in at least one category, but in the end, only four point guards in the league averaged what Eric Bledsoe averaged in 2016-17, including himself.

Now that I have sufficiency defended Eric Bledsoe, I need to agree that the scout is entirely correct that Bledsoe is the Phoenix Suns’ best trade piece. Many fans have hoped for the Suns to have traded him already, and odds are he will not finish his current contract in Phoenix, especially if Ryan McDonough is offered a package of picks and/or a young player without taking on any albatross contracts.

So why then is it that Brandon Knight getting hurt kills heir chances of trading him?

For starters, the Suns are tanking. If they trade Bledsoe and do not bring back any additional talent, they will still be on that path. Secondly, they have Tyler Ulis. Ulis is a capable and potentially good starting point guard in the NBA and is about all the direct positional depth that the team needs should Bledsoe either be traded, or go down to another major injury.

Don’t sleep on Mike James either as a backup to Ulis should it be necessary.

Phoenix also has Devin Booker. Book performed admirably his rookie year at point guard when pressed into service after both Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe went down to season ending injuries in the second half of the season. In a pinch, on a tanking team, Book absolutely should be given the reins again, and – like I have argued a thousand times – should be the future starting “point guard” for this team anyway.