Phoenix Suns: What The Eric Bledsoe Trade Means

Heading into the 2013-14 season, the point guard spot was the one position on the Phoenix Suns’ roster that you could positively say, “They’re set.” In one of the hottest cities in the country, it was still hard to see the 2012-13 season as anything less than dreary as the Suns posted their second-worst record in franchise history. But that difficult season was not without a lone bright spot that came in the form of Slovenian point guard Goran Dragic, who was shrewdly re-signed the summer before.

Dragic averaged 14.7 points, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game in his first season as the Suns’ starting point guard. He led Phoenix in all three of those categories and had a team-high player efficiency rating of 17.5, according to ESPN.com. Even though he didn’t exactly emerge as a charismatic leader for the Suns, anyone watching the games could tell he was the team’s driving force and all-around best player. Sure, he was the quarterback on the team with the worst record in the Western Conference, but without the Dragon, the Suns would have been even more lost. Simply put, Phoenix was set with Dragic at the point guard position. Now it needed to put more talent around him.

With that in mind, it’s understandable for Phoenix Suns fans to feel a little perplexed about the Eric Bledsoe trade. As part of a three-team trade, the Suns sent fan-favorite Jared Dudley to the Los Angeles Clippers and a second-round draft pick to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Clippers also gave up a second-round draft pick in return for J.J. Redick, while the Suns hauled in Bledsoe and Caron Butler. On paper, not a bad trade for Phoenix since they’re bringing in a young and extremely athletic point guard that seems to be bursting with potential.

For my part, I don’t have any huge problem with the trade. Bledsoe has been sought after by quite a few teams and many experts have predicted him to be an upcoming star who could show his worth on the right team. I loved Dudley for his hustle and his intensity, but flipping him and his expiring contract for a budding talent is quite a clever move that gives me a lot of faith in the upcoming era of Ryan McDonough as Phoenix’s general manager. My only problem with this trade is what it may mean for Goran Dragic’s future with the Phoenix Suns.

According to ESPN’s story, the Suns are planning on playing Dragic and Bledsoe alongside each other. This is great news on the surface. Dragic isn’t the most popular athlete in Arizona, but he certainly became something of a fan favorite for any Suns fan who understands the fundamentals of the game. But I have two major concerns regarding a Goran Dragic-Eric Bledsoe backcourt: 1) That it won’t work out defensively and 2) That this Bledsoe trade makes the Dragon expendable.

I’d hate to see Dragic leave after submitting the best season of his career, but there are certain defensive problems that will arise if he starts alongside Bledsoe. Dragic is 6’3″ and Bledsoe is 6’1″. Dragic made great strides defensively this season and racked up a lot of steals, but he’s not quite strong enough to stop bigger point guards in the lane when they make up their minds to attack the basket. Bledsoe is quick and plays terrific defense, but his height makes it hard for him to defend taller guards at times. The Suns have had a lot of problems defensively in the past few years, so it has to be somewhat worrisome that they just turned one of their best defenders into another undersized point guard, even if he is unbelievably athletic.

When this defensive liability becomes evident, the Suns will either start shopping Dragic or bring one of the two off the bench. If the Suns bring Dragic or Bledsoe off the bench, one will become a slightly overpaid backup, especially considering that Bledsoe will be eligible for an extension this season. If the Suns trade Dragic, they’re shipping off a quality starter and possibly the most underrated point guard in the league (it’s a tossup between him and Greivis Vasquez) and putting a lot of faith in a guy who, up to this point, has really only shown potential and athleticism.

Don’t get me wrong, I see the potential with Bledsoe. He’s quite possibly the most athletic player in the league for his size and will bring some much-needed enthusiasm and excitement to games at US Airways Center. But am I prepared to place my trust in an athletic young point guard who’s shown me nothing but “potential” over a point guard who has proven himself capable of being a starter and has the passing skills necessary to keep this kind of team afloat offensively? No. At least, not yet.

Maybe it’s unfair to compare a starter to a guy who only averaged 20 minutes per game behind Chris Paul with the Clippers. But let’s take a look at the per 36 minutes stats for each, courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com:

Goran Dragic:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/3/2013.

Eric Bledsoe:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/3/2013.

As you can see, Dragic still has the edge. You can only put so much faith in a projected stat like per 36 minutes, but there’s still something to be said about unrealistic expectations. Yes, Bledsoe deserves projections based on his potential. After all, when Chris Paul missed 12 games due to injury, Bledsoe averaged a respectable 13.3 points, 5.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 40.5 percent from the floor. But with such a small sample size, should we fully invest in a guy who still has a lot to prove over the guy who spent all season doing just that? I say not yet.

Suns fans have to keep the ultimate goal in mind. Even if Alex Len lives up to his potential and the Dragic-Bledsoe tandem works out in a best-case scenario, that kind of roster still isn’t going to challenge the Miami Heat for the 2014 NBA Finals. No, the ultimate goal is a high pick (or picks) in the loaded 2014 NBA Draft. Andrew Wiggins is a franchise player, but even if Phoenix doesn’t get the No. 1 pick, there are still plenty of game-changers in next year’s draft. This season is about improving chemistry with the future in mind. I’m not an advocate of tanking and I appreciate McDonough for making an incredibly smart trade to bring in young talent like Bledsoe. But at the same time, we can’t forget what Dragic gives the Suns for the sake of potential.

I’m not ready to move the Dragon to the bench for Eric Bledsoe and neither should you. The Suns could be in yet another difficult personnel situation, with two solid point guards that may not be compatible on the court at the same time, if only because they’ll have a hard time stopping bigger backcourts. The sky is the limit for Bledsoe, but unless we see him emerge as a superstar and completely prove me wrong, I really hope Goran Dragic doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

Bearing all this in mind, the fact that Suns fans are stressing about having two talented point guards is an undeniable step in the right direction. Although the Clippers probably won this trade bringing in two quality perimeter shooters, I have hope for the Phoenix Suns’ future. Things may be getting a little brighter in the Valley of the Sun with the dawn of the McDonough era.