Orlando Magic: The pros and cons of going after Eric Bledsoe
By Luke Duffy
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Con: He would hamper team chemistry
It has taken the Magic several years to get here, but both the first and second units are playing with a cohesiveness and understanding we haven’t seen in a while.
Whether it is making the extra pass or going with the hot hand, the core is playing with a offensive swagger early in the season as a result of being together for a few seasons.
Add in unselfish veterans like Jonathon Simmons, Shelvin Mack and Arron Afflalo, and that all-inclusive feeling becomes contagious.
Stats You Want to Know: @OrlandoMagic rank 2nd in @NBA in 3-pointers made per game, 3-point percentage and assists. #NBAStats
— Josh Cohen (@Josh_Cohen_NBA) October 22, 2017
Right now the Magic have a 58.8 assist percentage, the 10th-best mark in the league and further proof that they’re not afraid to give up good shots for great ones.
Bledsoe, primarily a point guard, has averaged 4.6 assists per game for his career. Thos are hardly numbers that go hand-in-hand with sharing the basketball.
Payton was averaging 6.5 assists per game before going down with that hamstring injury, right in line with his own career averages — this despite Payton having a usage percentage of 22.8, compared to Bledsoe’s 28.. Yes, the Suns guard can get you buckets, but at what cost to the team chemistry?