Eric Bledsoe has finally been traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN. The Bucks gave the Suns Greg Monroe and a future first round pick in return. This trade was somewhat expected by many NBA fans, with Milwaukee, Denver, New York, and Cleveland being the destination favorites. Now that the trade is being finalized, what does the Eric Bledsoe trade mean for the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Bucks were off to a hot start, riding their MVP candidate and rising superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, NBA defenses around the League have figured Milwaukee out. Scoring in crunch time has been somewhat of an issue for them. With teams focusing on Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have needed a guard who can create his own shot and score off the dribble. Brogdon and Dellavedova are great defensive players and teammates, however, the Bucks have been longing for a player like Bledsoe who can score in iso situations.
I’ve repeatedly mentioned the significance of Jabari Parker’s contribution to the Bucks over the years. It isn’t easy to replace a consistent 20-point a night scorer in the NBA. Over the last two seasons leading up to this year, Bledsoe was just that.
If you’ve been following @persources on Instagram, you know I’ve never been a huge Eric Bledsoe guy. Many of our followers have reached out, asking me if he’s underrated or under-appreciated. I just never thought he had all-star potential. That being said, a team like Milwaukee could be exactly what he needs. He’s going to be playing for a successful head coach who lets his players play to their strengths. Many coaches, in sports in general, have their set systems and get players to fit in. Jason Kidd, on the other hand, puts his players in a position to succeed. What other coach in the league would let Antetokounmpo play the point guard position or even give a guy like Thon Maker a chance? Bledsoe is going to be allowed to do the things he does well. His offensive ability will take pressure off of Antetokounmpo and make the game easier for everyone around them. Brogdon can continue to make smart plays instead of focusing on scoring aggressively as well. I believe this was a great move for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Does this move make Milwaukee better than Washington, Toronto, Boston, or Cleveland? I hate to break it to you die-hard Bucks fans, but not quite yet. I still believe that the success of the Bucks heavily depends on the health and development of the entire roster. That includes Jabari Parker. That being said, say in an ideal world Bledsoe was added to the Bucks team which included a healthy Jabari Parker heading into the playoffs; The rest of the NBA better watch out. The Bucks are most certainly trending upwards and could be in a position to take over.
Care to weigh in? Tweet me @TPRx11