As a rookie, Bledsoe’s athleticism seemed to help and hinder him in equal measure. On the typical Bledsoe possession, he crosses mid-court at a sprint and flashes past his man and through the paint. It’s all very exciting until he finds himself trapped underneath the basket, with two giants hounding him towards the baseline. Perhaps it was the time he spent at the two to accommodate John Wall at Kentucky, but he showed little of the point guard’s “feel” for the game.
Still, I’m thrilled to have him back. Although he’s only 6’1″, his combination of foot speed and crazy wingspan make him the Clips’ stopper against scoring PGs. If not for Bledsoe’s stretch locking down Tony Parker in the third quarter against the Spurs last week, the Clippers lose that game going away. Bledsoe’s weaknesses – his basketball vision and a weak jump shot – are both improvable flaws. Expect more him to get important minutes down the stretch and, depending on the match-up, in the playoffs.
