Milwaukee Bucks: Eric Bledsoe’s defense doesn’t get enough credit

Eric Bledsoe‘s long been recognized for his defensive prowess throughout his career, but over his stint with the Milwaukee Bucks he has become even more tenacious on that end of the floor.

When he first joined the Milwaukee Bucks nearly two and a half years ago, it was easy to imagine how Eric Bledsoe would catalyze his new squad.

Chief among them was how his defensive abilities would slot right into a Bucks team that prioritized the defensive end to their overall success under then-head coach Jason Kidd. Bledsoe’s arrival alone didn’t help save Kidd’s job during the 2017-18 season, but it was Kidd’s successor, Mike Budenholzer, that identified just how to unlock Bledsoe defensively, aking to his early career heights on that end.

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

The logic, at the time, was the decreasing success Bledsoe experienced over time with the Phoenix Suns and spate of knee injuries and surgeries during that span negatively impacted his elite abilities on that side of the ball.

To that point, Bledsoe’s diminished high-flying athleticism has still showed on some nights, but it took a backseat for the wealth of knowledge and experience he has accrued over his 10-year NBA career.

And it’s been Bledsoe’s relationship with Budenhozler that’s been critical to both his individual renaissance and overall function within the Bucks’ top-ranked defense in back-to-back seasons.

The accolades are easy to point to as Bledsoe finally took home the biggest honor of his career to date when he was named to the All-Defensive First Team by last season’s end. And given the Bucks’ collective success, Bledsoe isn’t the only Bucks player to benefit from Budenholzer’s stewardship on this side of the ball.

But it’s been under Budenholzer’s watch, and in the scheme the Bucks have built that has perfectly mirrored how Bledsoe has grown in his capabilities to bother opposing guards and ball-handlers at the point of attack.

Certainly the most extreme example of Budenholzer’s trust in Bledsoe’s defensive prowess and gifts surfaced in the unique defensive strategy the point guard unleashed when checking Houston Rockets superstar James Harden last season. For those that need the reminder, Bledsoe explained the basis behind his strategies to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Matt Velazquez following their 116-109 win over the Rockets back in January of last season:

"“There were a couple times in film this season Bud was telling everybody schemes and he basically just told me, ‘Bled, you do what you do,’” Bledsoe said. “I was just try to play to people’s tendencies. I know he likes the step-back a lot going both ways. My main thing was just to get him off the three-point line, force him to shoot twos.“It wasn’t even trying to stay in front of him, it was almost like, ‘You can have the lane.’”"

That’s certainly the most exaggerated example, but it provides the perfect window to just how far Bledsoe will take his reading of other players’ games and skill set and try to turn them on their head, a true hallmark of being an exceptional defender.

After all, it’s Bledsoe’s workhorse intensity and deceptive speed that makes him integral to giving the Bucks a critical perimeter presence as he gummies up the point of attack and disrupts opposing offenses’ initial plans. Without his work in that regard, the Bucks’ defense doesn’t play to the same level by its otherworldly standards.

And it’s the 30-year-old’s talents and importance to the Bucks defensively that has left Budenholzer letting the reins up a bit for Bledsoe to enact his brand of chaos as he told to Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated last year:

"“And as for Bledsoe’s role, Bud says, “Eric is just so talented defensively. So gifted. He has a little more rope than probably any player I’ve ever coached. He’s so athletic and strong and fast, he can get to spots from unique positioning. So yeah, he exaggerated a little bit and it was good for us.”"

Before this current season stoppage, there was no question that Bledsoe was in the running to claim a second All-Defensive Team honor. Per NBA.com/stats, Bledsoe has the fifth-lowest defensive rating of all players in the NBA and fittingly ranks behind his teammates Brook Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, Wesley Matthews and Giannis Antetokounmpo, all in that order.

It’s even remarkable to point out that Bledsoe’s 99.6 defensive rating from this season is quite the step down from the 104.2 defensive rating he tallied during the Bucks’ 60-win campaign last year.

The rarefied air the Bucks’ defense has increasingly reached under Budenholzer is marked by everything being put in its right place. And while there are many cogs that help keep the Bucks humming in that regard, Bledsoe’s handiwork shouldn’t go underappreciated.