Eric Bledsoe looks like a steal for the Milwaukee Bucks
Welcome to today's NBA, where a single tweet can change the fortune of an entire organization and the hopes and dreams of thousands of fans that come along with it.
The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired Eric Bledsoe for basically chump change from the Phoenix Suns in what seems to be a gigantic leap on the right path towards being considered serious title contenders.
The seven-year veteran point guard put up a solid 13 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds debut against the San Antonio Spurs on the road, snapping a four-game losing streak for the Bucks. Could the Bucks be on their way to the top seed in the Eastern Conference with their new addition?
Let's look at it this way:
Bledsoe by the numbers last season
The former Phoenix Suns' star averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game last season with a PER (Player Efficiency Rating) of 20.5 which could be considered borderline All-Star calibre numbers for the Eastern Conference, similar to the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker.
The last Bucks point guard to post similar numbers was Brandon Jennings with 17 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds, so yeah - I'm taking this as a win for the bucks.
A secondary ball-handler
For most Brew City fans, you cannot spell Bucks without a capital G.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on a meteoric rise, putting up MVP numbers that the NBA has never seen the likes of, ever.
But no matter what, the Greek Freak can NOT do it alone. The Bucks are awful (and I mean plain trash) without Giannis on the floor dictating the flow of the offence.
Bledsoe provides an added depth to put the ball down and attack the lane at a high caliber. He does also shoot the ball, a capable 37 percent three point shooter on the catch-and-shoot.
Expect plays like this in the future :
Compatibility issues
On the flip side, the biggest question is whether Giannis can share the ball with his new team mate.
With both players having high usage rates (34.6 and 27.9 percent respectively) and Giannis still not the finished product as a jump shooter, he needs the ball in his hands and floor spacing could become a major problem.
However, it's worth keeping in mind that Bledsoe has played with other ball-dominating team mates before and has done just fine - he was with Goran Dragic and Devin Booker with the Suns, also Chris Paul with the LA Clippers.
The Bucks play the LA Lakers next at home, definitely a winnable fixture.