10. Eric Bledsoe lights it up for the weekend
When the Milwaukee Bucks traded for point guard Eric Bledsoe, it was supposed to be a finishing move. Adding a high-level point guard with the length and athleticism this team coveted was the perfect addition, and he would pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo to be an unstoppable one-two punch.
That combination did not pan out during the regular season (and certainly not in the postseason) as Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo more often took turns having big games. With the team’s overall defensive struggles, the Bucks slowly began sliding to the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Detroit and Charlotte began to creep ever closer as the calendar turned to spring.
A crucial trip out west at the end of March saw the Bucks take on the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. An 0-3 performance could’ve cast their playoff spot into doubt. Instead, Eric Bledsoe responded with his best three-game stretch of the year.
Over the course of four calendar days, Bledsoe scored 90 points, including a season-high 39 to sink the Lakers. Overall he shot 12-for-22 on 3-pointers. The weekend was a shot of confidence that the Bucks could get wins when they needed them, and that Bledsoe was the guy who could lead them to those wins.
The standout play did not last, and Bledsoe went both cold from deep and lost his defensive verve by the time the postseason began. But for fans — and front office officials — looking for hope, Bledsoe turned in as dominant a three-game stretch as any Bucks turned in this season. That version of Eric Bledsoe is a dangerous piece to have.