There is a perception around the league that the LA Clippers acquired point guard Eric Bledsoe because they wanted to increase their financial flexibility for this upcoming season. Jack Maloney of CBS Sports stated on August 15th that the Clippers’ main objective in the Bledsoe deal was to lower their luxury tax bill by $30 million.
Although this is true, the financial aspect of this deal shouldn’t overshadow what Bledsoe will provide the Clippers on the court. Bledsoe has seen a dramatic decline in his production over the past four seasons, shooting 46.5 percent from the field on 11.9 shots per game, which allows him to average 15.3 points.
Let’s take a look at how the LA Clippers are in a position to help Eric Bledsoe get back to his Phoenix Suns days next season.
The production is 27.5 percent less than the 2016-17 season, when he shot 43.4 percent from the field on 15.9 shots, averaging 21.1 points per game. Bledsoe’s statistical decline can be associated with how teams have used him over the past four seasons.
Bledsoe has been a player who thrives with the ball in his hands. A common denominator to determining how successful Bledsoe was going to be, is how many pick and rolls he was allowed to run.
For instance, Bledsoe ran 10 pick and rolls per game during the 2016-17 season, shooting 44.7 percent from the field on 7.1 shots per game. He averaged 9.8 points per game out of the pick and roll during that season: 46.4 percent of his total production.
Unfortunately, his pick and roll opportunities have dwindled ever since he left Phoenix as he had to play with ball reliant players, like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson. Antetokounmpo and Williamson have at least touched the ball 63 times with Bledsoe on their team.
Consequently, Bledsoe has been primarily an off-the-ball player, taking 38.5 percent of his field goals from three, averaging 4.6 per game. Bledsoe’s 3-point attempts went by 13.5 percent as he took 25 percent of his shots from behind the arc before Milwaukee averaging 2.6 a game. However, Bledsoe has struggled from the 3-point line since he came into the NBA, making 33.7 percent of his attempts.
The increase in threes has coincided with a decline in pick and roll possessions as he has only averaged 4.5 per game over the past four seasons. Bledsoe has still been effective in these limited opportunities, shooting 43.3 percent from the field on 3.4 shots per game. He has been able to average 4 points per game out of the pick and roll.
Fortunately for Bledsoe, re-joining the Clippers will potentially allow him to have more pick-and-roll chances. The Clippers finished 12th in pick and rolls during the regular season, averaging 21.3 possessions per game.
Unfortunately, going into this offseason, the Clippers needed to acquire another pick and roll ball handler, as the team leader in pick and rolls, Kawhi Leonard, is expected to miss at least the start if not all the 2021-22 season, as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Leonard averaged 5.3 pick and rolls per game during the last regular season. Leonard also was the team’s top pick and roll producer, shooting 51.7 percent from the field on 4.4 shots per game, averaging 6.3 points.
Leonard’s absence will allow Bledsoe to get more pick-and-roll chances where he has been successful throughout his career. Consequently, if the Clippers can increase his pick and rolls and limit the threes, they should get a similar version of the Bledsoe in Phoenix.
In conclusion, although the Clippers are expected to get financial relief from this deal, Eric Bledsoe’s impact on the court shouldn’t be overshadowed, as the Clippers run a system that accentuates his strengths.
