Even as the big picture for the Milwaukee Bucks is currently muddled with tough decisions and lingering questions, the acquisition of guard Eric Bledsoe has proven to be the exact talent upgrade the team was sorely in need of.
Having been nearly two months since he was acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s safe to say that having to place the words ‘newly added’ alongside Eric Bledsoe may not apply anymore.
While we may have gone past that honeymoon phase some time ago, that doesn’t mean the jolt of electricity Bledsoe often provides has been lost on Bucks fans by any means, though, as he’s gradually settled his way into the team’s roster.
Before bringing in Bledsoe in exchange for big man Greg Monroe and a pair of intricately protected future draft picks, the Bucks were lacking a true change of pace ball-handler — one that possessed the kind of speed, athleticism and physicality that Bledsoe has displayed regularly throughout his career.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
Additionally, it was clear the Bucks needed another primary creator in order to lighten the gargantuan workload that was heaped upon the shoulders of their star Giannis Antetokounmpo at the beginning of the year, given how the team was constructed at that time.
Now having combined forces with Antetokounmpo, as well as Khris Middleton, to form a dangerous trio that has generated a dizzying number of nicknames and acronyms (they’re almost all too good to pick just one, in my opinion), Bledsoe has transformed the Bucks’ backcourt and the team’s overall foundation in a significant way.
Of course, Bledsoe’s early trademark of his career, his defensive doggedness and savvy anticipation, has been on full display from the first night he suited up in a Bucks uniform when they toppled the San Antonio Spurs back on November 10.
But it’s been Bledsoe’s offensive prowess that has really stolen the show in recent weeks, especially considering his early struggles shooting the ball.
Posting 18.6 points per game in his 25 appearances so far while wearing green and cream, Bledsoe has been relentless in attacking the rack as he’s averaging 12.2 drives per game, per NBA.com/stats.
That near-constant probing of the paint that Bledsoe has unleashed on opposing defenses while with the Bucks has opened up opportunities every night for the 28-year-old to either connect passes to teammates or show off his skillful finishing at the basket with either or both hands for whenever it applies.
As much as his finishing has been a consistent source of creation for him and the Bucks as a whole, Bledsoe’s shooting touch has gradually stabilized after he was clearly looking for his legs following his two-week “sabbatical” prior to coming to Milwaukee.
For all the concerns some fans and followers may have had about fitting a player of Bledsoe’s shooting inconsistencies alongside Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe has found his range from beyond the arc, specifically in catch and shoot situations, by hitting 38.6 percent of those opportunities on 3.0 attempts per game (which is six percentage points greater than his overall three-point percentage at 32.5 percent).
Bledsoe’s finding similar to even greater success inside the arc too as he’s averaging a career-high 53.5 percent on 9.1 two-point attempts per game and is shooting 48.7 percent on shots between 10-16 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com.
As you can see, it’s been more than just Bledsoe providing the lift the Bucks were in desperate need of at one point earlier in the season. The Alabama native’s presence on the Bucks has given the team some much needed versatility, playmaking and an overall talent boost that wasn’t present at that spot on their roster.
With that said, there are clear ways where the addition of Bledsoe hasn’t solved some of the Bucks’ longstanding concerns, the team’s ongoing defensive issues and inconsistencies being the biggest example, given that they rank 23rd in terms of defensive efficiency.
But if we’ve learned anything about that at this point, it’s that one person’s arrival won’t negate the stubborn qualities Bucks head coach Jason Kidd has routinely clung to regarding the team’s defective defensive scheme, no matter how sturdy of an individual defender Bledsoe still is.
Next: Win In 6 Podcast #172: The Milwaukee Bucks’ unsung heroes
Regardless, the trade-off Bledsoe took by having to experience the harsh winter in Milwaukee instead of languishing his talents in the Phoenix desert clearly appears to be a successful one so far. If all goes right, both Bledsoe and the Bucks will keep reaping the rewards, especially as they look to make some noise come April.