Behind the Bucks Pass
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks: The depths of Eric Bledsoe’s exceptional attacking prowess

By Jordan Treske

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 8: Eric Bledsoe #6 of the the Milwaukee Bucks if defended by Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic during the game at the Amway Center on February 8, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The Bucks defeated the Magic 112 to 95. 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. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 8: Eric Bledsoe #6 of the the Milwaukee Bucks if defended by Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic during the game at the Amway Center on February 8, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. The Bucks defeated the Magic 112 to 95. 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. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Eric Bledsoe’s attacking prowess has been critical to the Milwaukee Bucks’ offensive firepower and he’s certainly kept that up this season.

Since the arrival of head coach Mike Budenholzer a little more than two years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks have been associated with the 3-pointer.

But that only tells half of the story as the five-out system the two-time NBA Coach of the Year has designed, along with his staff, has opened numerous driving lanes for reigning Most Valuable Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. And by extension, Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe.

More from Bucks News

The aggressiveness and all-out attacking expertise that Bledsoe has shown throughout his career certainly gets overshadowed by the dominant paint presence that Antetokounmpo has provided since arriving in Milwaukee.

But for all the same reasons why the Bucks’ model for success has propelled Antetokounmpo to extraordinary success, the same goes for Bledsoe and the way he shines with his speed and strength when getting into the heart of opposing defenses.

In fact, Bledsoe’s ability to get downhill has helped drive (pun intended) the Bucks’ inside-out attack as he leads the team by averaging 11.9 drives per game this season, per NBA.com/stats.

Being able to blow by defenders with the ease that the 30-year-old often does opens up Bledsoe’s game in tremendous ways and especially with putting the ball in the basket. After converting 68.4 percent of his scoring opportunities with the restricted area last season, Bledsoe downed 67.4 percent within that range before the 2019-20 season came to a pause.

While his volume of attempts may not be as high as some, Bledsoe’s near-elite finishing efficiency this season puts him in good company as far as players around the league are concerned.

Beyond Bledsoe’s ability to actually finish at the basket, though, the pressure he puts at the cup and on opposing rim protectors has resulted in an uptick in the former Wildcat being able to get to the free throw line.

By per-36 minute standards, Bledsoe averaged 4.6 free throw attempts this season, which is nearly a free throw attempt higher than what he averaged during the Bucks’ 60-win season. And with the incremental improvements he’s made in his shooting stroke, Bledsoe has hit 81.3 percent of his free throw attempts, which stands as the second-highest mark in Bledsoe’s 10-year NBA career (Bledsoe put down 84.6 percent of his free throws in 2015-16 season while in Phoenix).

It goes without saying that when it comes to fully realizing his fit with the Bucks and being able to help them in their pursuit to win an NBA championship when the season eventually restarts, Bledsoe’s attacking with the ball in his hands, while exceptional, isn’t enough.

We’ve seen in each of the Bucks’ last two playoff runs just how brutally shaken Bledsoe’s confidence turned when being able to space the floor and simply hit from 3-point range and the detrimental effect it subsequently has on the team’s offense with all of their cornerstone pieces on the floor.

Bledsoe’s erratic play hasn’t been confined to just that area of his game, but the precipitous effect obviously shook Budenholzer’s confidence in the point guard when the Bucks’ season was on the line as their Conference Finals collapse was cemented just over a year ago.

With how all of the pieces fit within Milwaukee’s offense this year, though, Bledsoe’s attacking of the basket can hopefully shine more under the postseason spotlight, or however the NBA ends up sorting out the rest of the season.

dark. Next. Bucks must embrace chance to win amid any format change

Time will tell on that front obviously, but with plenty of motivation to live down his failures from the past two seasons, Bledsoe has nothing to lose when it comes to putting pressure on opposing defenses.

Home/Bucks News