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Isaiah Thomas expects to play with Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe

By Andrew Melnick

Apr 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) celebrates with guard Goran Dragic (1) against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half at the Smoothie King Center. The Suns won 94-88. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) celebrates with guard Goran Dragic (1) against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half at the Smoothie King Center. The Suns won 94-88. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports /
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When the Phoenix Suns pulled off a sign-and-trade to acquire Sacramento Kings’ point guard Isaiah Thomas and his new four-year deal, many were surprised. The Suns’ best player last year, Goran Dragic and their second best player, Eric Bledsoe, play the same position (of course with Bledsoe, a restricted free agent and the Suns on the outs, it may turn out to be a move they needed to make).

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Thomas, however, wants Bledsoe back and expects all three to play together.

“People always ask me, ‘What’s going to happen with you, Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic?’ At the end of the day I’m going to play, we’re going to play together, we’re going to have fun with it and we’re going to figure it out,” Thomas said via Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “I mean whatever happens, it’s for the best, and that’s how I’m going about it. We’re going to compete each and every day, we’re going to make each other better and we’re going to do what’s best for the team. … The coaching staff and the organization said, ‘You’re going to be a big part of what we do. We want Eric Bledsoe back – we hope he comes back because we feel like with the three of you guys it would be a combination that no other NBA team has.’ One thing that’s good about it is that we’re three different basketball players, three different guards; we’re not all the same, we go about our ways differently, we play the game of basketball differently and we can complement each other in different ways. I’m just excited about it.”

Dragic put up 20.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 50.5% from the floor, 40.8% from three and 76.0% from the charity stripe last season. Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field, 35.7% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free throw line. Thomas averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last season while shooting 45.3% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc and 85.0% from the free throw line.

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