Hoops Habit
Fansided

Phoenix Suns: Eric Bledsoe Taking Steps Toward Being Elite

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 31, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) celebrates after scoring in the first half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Suns won 101-90. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 31, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) celebrates after scoring in the first half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Suns won 101-90. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
Phoenix Suns
Oct 31, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) celebrates after scoring in the first half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Suns won 101-90. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Phoenix Suns saw glimpses of it throughout his early tenure with the team. A game-winning three-pointer against the Utah Jazz in his second game ever in a Suns uniform. Highlight plays of breathtaking athleticism left and right. A near triple-double in a huge win over the Oklahoma City Thunder last season that saw him put up 28 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and four blocks while going toe-to-toe with Russell Westbrook.

The issue for Eric Bledsoe was never how great he could be; just how consistently great. In his third season with the Suns, it appears that Bledsoe has unlocked the key to consistently playing at a high level, opening the doorway to the “elite point guard” conversation.

Through Phoenix’s first nine games, Bledsoe is averaging 23.2 points, 6.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range (on 3.9 attempts a night). With the exception of his rebounding numbers, those are ALL career highs.

More from Phoenix Suns

The Suns are outscoring opponents by 6.0 points per 100 possessions with Bledsoe on the floor and although nine games is a small sample size, he hasn’t taken his foot off the gas since the team’s disastrous season opener. Already this year, he’s reached the 30-point plateau twice, finished one assist shy of a triple-double against the Los Angeles Clippers and dropped a 30-7-4 stat line on the Denver Nuggets despite not playing the entire fourth quarter.

It finally appears as though Bledsoe is ready to be the star of this team with the kind of night-in, night-out effort that Phoenix needs to reach the playoffs.

At Suns Media Day, when asked if he believed he was a top-five point guard in this league, Bledsoe replied, “I feel like I am.” Here’s a look at how his play to start the 2015-16 season has been backing up that assessment.

Next: Defense

Home/Phoenix Suns