Eric Bledsoe deal high-risk, high-reward situation for Suns

After a long, long summer of negotiations, Eric Bledsoe finally got his money — $70 million over five years, to be exact. While retaining Bledsoe is undoubtedly a good move, the Suns are taking a risk with a contract this large, for this many years.

Last summer, after three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Bledsoe was traded to Phoenix and was finally able to step out of his shell. In LA, Bledsoe was like a bag of popcorn that you put in the microwave. Coming off the bench, you could see Bledsoe’s potential. You could tell that popcorn was going to be so tasty, so salty. It smelled so good, so buttery. When he was traded to the Suns, the popcorn was done, and you could finally rip the bag open and indulge in the delicious snack.

Just like that bag of popcorn, Bledsoe was opened and all that heat that was trapped inside for so long was unleashed. In the first full month of the NBA season (November), Bledsoe averaged 19.4 points, 5.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. At the end of the year, Bledsoe’s numbers stood at 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game, looking like an all-around stud. And that’s exactly what he is: a stud, a beast, whatever adjective that describes Bledsoe positively fits.

Even with those great numbers, there was one thing that could have–and probably did–prolong the negotiations between Bledsoe and the Suns: he only played 43 games.

Bledsoe suffered a meniscus injury in a game against his former team in LA just a couple days before the New Year. Despite finishing the game–7 points on 3-of-10 shooting with 4 assists in 31 minutes–Bledsoe missed nearly two and a half months. Aside from that injury, Bledsoe only missed six other games after bumping shins in practice with teammate P.J. Tucker in November.

It’s hard to call Bledsoe injury prone, as he didn’t miss too many games as a Clipper. Despite missing 42 games in 2011, Bledsoe only missed 7 combined games in his other two seasons in LA. It is still understandable that Phoenix would be cautionary, as Bledsoe was clearly a large investment of time and money.

Signing Bledsoe to a deal this large is a risk, but with a risk, there’s always a chance at a reward seeing things go well. With Bledsoe, there could be a huge reward. If this 24-year old stays healthy and continues to trend upward as a player, he can be a huge piece in the Suns’ many playoff runs they will have over the next five years.

LeBron James, who happens to share an agent (Rich Paul) with Bledsoe, had plenty of good things to say about the young stud on Instagram.

"Great work today lil bro @ebled2!! Future All-Star in this league in no time. PHX break bread. #Klutch #Work #GymRats #StriveForGreatness"

Just like LeBron said, this kid is a future all-star. Even in the jam-packed-with-talent West, Bledsoe can obviously compete and if he stays healthy, pretty much has a spot on the all-star team waiting for him.

Bledsoe will be a big part of Phoenix for at least five more years, and is arguably the centerpiece of that team, but nonetheless, still has plenty of help around him. Bledsoe won’t struggle with help in Phoenix like Carmelo Anthony did in New York last season.

Just at the guard position alone, Phoenix is oozing with talent. Bledsoe’s backcourt partner, Goran Dragic, playing in a contract year, is sure to average 20 and (almost) 6 as he did last season. Coming off the bench behind those two–we assume–will be Isaiah Thomas (acquired over the summer from Sacramento) and either Archie Goodwin, rookie Tyler Ennis or recently signed Zoran Dragic, brother of Goran. While Zoran is still technically under contract in Spain, he is currently in the buyout process and hopes to join the team soon.

Joining all that talent on the floor will be guard/forwards Gerald Green and P.J. Tucker, Marcus and Markieff Morris, as well as Miles Plumlee. Even in the Western Conference, this team is bound to break through the playoff barrier after sitting on the bubble last season.

After a long summer of negotiations turned silent, the Suns can finally focus on their upcoming season. Following their Media Day on Monday, Phoenix will dive right into their training camp not long after that.

You can almost smell the season in the crisp, fall air, with any Media Days that weren’t on Friday being wrapped up Monday. To follow, team training camps will begin on Tuesday and international preseason games on October 5.

For the Suns, there has to be a little pressure this season, but not much. Expectations are high with this roster that is overflowing with talent, but there is no pressure to follow up a playoff season as they didn’t have one last year. Who cares about pressure and expectations, though, because they will play their game and shouldn’t have too much trouble grabbing a lower seed in the ultra-competitive West.

For Bledsoe, he’s got the money he claimed to deserve. While he may, he must prove it this season, and I think he will.

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