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I just saw Eric Bledsoe's name come across the news wire and it reminded me he's still a player in the NBA. He's had a really weird career arch so far....

Became a super-sub with the Clippers, someone everyone assumed would be awesome with an expanded role.
Gets traded, becomes awesome in an expanded role.
Completely falls off the face of the NBA map....

For awhile there, people could stop talking about Bledsoe, he goes to Phoenix, has some huge success but then kinda just falls into obscurity.

So what happened?

Forgettable

injuries happened

Like many promising young players before him and in the near future, injuries and bad luck will hinder their maximum career potential.

Injuries got him, injuries are good at making players forgettable.

DusterBuster wrote:I just saw Eric Bledsoe's name come across the news wire and it reminded me he's still a player in the NBA. He's had a really weird career arch so far....

Became a super-sub with the Clippers, someone everyone assumed would be awesome with an expanded role.
Gets traded, becomes awesome in an expanded role.
Completely falls off the face of the NBA map....

For awhile there, people could stop talking about Bledsoe, he goes to Phoenix, has some huge success but then kinda just falls into obscurity.

So what happened?

Actually Clippers fans knew he would be good, but it was far from everyone. If you remember other fans would argue he wasn't worth players like Arron Afflalo even paired with a draft pick.

Disappointing... mainly because of injuries. I was so high on him.

Very good player. I'd have him as a top 10 PG if he's healthy. He's just injured a ton.

Injury prone thus far

When he played at Kentucky there were times where I thought he was the best player on the floor. And that's playing with Boogie Cousins and John Wall. He's got a good Pro game he just can't stay healthy.

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Wow, this is an interesting read by general NBA fans. Suns fans (for the most part) are really high on him. He's really good across the board. Good passer, shooting has improved, rebounds well for a guard, one of the best shot blockers for a PG, and plays good defense, though he gambles on steals maybe too much but succeeds some there too.

He's finally become more vocal and more of a leader this year after being pretty reserved up to now.

Obviously injuries have hurt his career and they could come back and hurt it more or end it, but if he stays healthy, he's a good PG in this league.

I could see him having a Kyle lowry like career where he becomes a star at age 29/30 if he gets healthy for an extended period of time.

I'm just going to leave this year for those who forgot how good this kid is when healthy

injured with flashes of potential

At his best he's actually a top 5 PG, not top 10. Problem is he's rarely healthy. He's a lock down defender and capable of 20/5/5 type numbers on offense with improving shot.

He shined bright while sharing the spotlight with another PG in Dragic and is very good. I just don't think he'll ever reach his potential or have longevity with that recent knee surgery he just had. I think he could have been a clear cut top 5 PG before those injuries but now we'll have to see. Doesn't help that the team went to tank mode immediately after the 2 PGs in Thomas and Dragic and the 2 Morris' were traded so that tanked his value.

OrlandoTill wrote:He shined bright while sharing the spotlight with another PG in Dragic and is very good. I just don't think he'll ever reach his potential or have longevity with that recent knee surgery he just had. I think he could have been a clear cut top 5 PG before those injuries but now we'll have to see. Doesn't help that the team went to tank mode immediately after the 2 PGs in Thomas and Dragic and the 2 Morris' were traded so that tanked his value.

Good post. To add to this doesn't help that the Suns FO keeps insisting on acquiring ball dominant PG's to compete with Bledsoe instead of letting him run the PG. Guys like IT, Knight etc. They are really good players but Bledsoe hasn't gotten the confidence to man the position at all IMO. Even when he wasn't injured. I agree that his knees are a major issue. He got the surgery which made CP3s quickness never the same again (cutting away meniscus).

It's hard to stay relevant when he's been on a lottery team and even harder when he doesn't play large portions of an NBA season. Still a top 10 PG imo when he's healthy. One of the few legit two-way PG's.

ClipsFanSince98 wrote:

OrlandoTill wrote:He shined bright while sharing the spotlight with another PG in Dragic and is very good. I just don't think he'll ever reach his potential or have longevity with that recent knee surgery he just had. I think he could have been a clear cut top 5 PG before those injuries but now we'll have to see. Doesn't help that the team went to tank mode immediately after the 2 PGs in Thomas and Dragic and the 2 Morris' were traded so that tanked his value.

Good post. To add to this doesn't help that the Suns FO keeps insisting on acquiring ball dominant PG's to compete with Bledsoe instead of letting him run the PG. Guys like IT, Knight etc. They are really good players but Bledsoe hasn't gotten the confidence to man the position at all IMO. Even when he wasn't injured. I agree that his knees are a major issue. He got the surgery which made CP3s quickness never the same again (cutting away meniscus).

I think by trading Dragic (who I think Sarver wanted to keep but McDonough wanted to deal) and then trading IT who many call a bad trade, and in hindsight it looks bad, but they only gave up cap space (not much) to sign him to make him an asset in the first place, so they ended up getting something for him.

The Knight trade for the pick was bad, but that wasn't to make him a PG but to make him more of a SG that can also handle the ball (they said they didn't think IT and Bledsoe together were tall enough together to be combo guards...flawed but that is what they said).

Given the way Booker turned out, Knight has become a 6th man, and we are not sure he wants to be in Phx or not. The vibe is that everyone is happy. He avoided media the other night, and at first I thought he might be disgruntled, but with more thought figured there is a good chance he just didn't want to keep answering questions about becoming a sixth man...he has been a starter his whole career and likely took and ego hit but he has stated he liked Watson telling him instead of waffling and said "if we are winning, I don't care what my role is".

We don't know if that is completely the truth or not. Of course he might rather be a starter someone else but everyone on the team now seems to love Watson and the camaraderie they have. Would he want another change after two times moving? I don't know and none of us know despite all the speculation around it and most of the Suns fans on the Suns forum follow the Suns more closely than Zach Lowe or any general nba media reporters and people speculating.

Most Suns fans seem to like having a sixth man that good, but some still want him traded. I guess time will tell but the Suns seem fairly solid at most positions....well solid might not be the right word because PF is a question mark as is Len but they specifically told Dudley they want him to be the starting PF until he can mentor Chriss and Bender to be ready and think eventually play together at either 3/4 or 4/5.

I know I have gone off topic here but wanted to lay it out because it appears some don't know what they view Bledsoe as, and he is firmly the starting PG for now. If he gets injured, that is another story, because I don't think Knight is right for a starting PG. I personally hope they select someone in the next draft in the deep pool of PG's to succeed Bledsoe and be there in case of injury.

Ulis is probably better than people think, and a much better true PG than Knight, but probably not a future starter on a contending team but I certainly wouldn't count him out completely..I think he could hold the fort down for a while if need be...especially for a rebuilding team.

TL;DR, Bledsoe no question is the starting PG and Booker, a true SG starts next to him.

The Suns have history in trading the wrong players, so i will not be surprised if they keep knight and trade eric at some point.

ClipsFanSince98 wrote:

OrlandoTill wrote:He shined bright while sharing the spotlight with another PG in Dragic and is very good. I just don't think he'll ever reach his potential or have longevity with that recent knee surgery he just had. I think he could have been a clear cut top 5 PG before those injuries but now we'll have to see. Doesn't help that the team went to tank mode immediately after the 2 PGs in Thomas and Dragic and the 2 Morris' were traded so that tanked his value.

Good post. To add to this doesn't help that the Suns FO keeps insisting on acquiring ball dominant PG's to compete with Bledsoe instead of letting him run the PG. Guys like IT, Knight etc. They are really good players but Bledsoe hasn't gotten the confidence to man the position at all IMO. Even when he wasn't injured. I agree that his knees are a major issue. He got the surgery which made CP3s quickness never the same again (cutting away meniscus).

This brings up another interesting point. Has any team over the past 5ish years been as insanely mismanaged from a player personnel as the Phoenix Suns?