| Bledsoe, Eric | Kentucky | 6'2" | 192 | SG | Frosh. | Eric Bledsoe is another prospect I struggle to evaluate. His numbers are close to horrible. Other than scoring, he simply was not efficient in his first year at Kentucky. …But when you watch Bledsoe play you can't help but see his POTENTIAL. He CAN score. He has quickness and speed. …He has good vision and he will hit his BIG teammates at the rim for easy buckets. He has deep range and an easy stroke. ...He hits a nice 38% of his three-point shots. ...He is strong enough to absorb contact and still finish the play. Right-handed. He played really well down the stretch for the Wildcats. ...I love this quote from Bledsoe about why he chose to play at Kentucky - knowing he would be in the shadow of John Wall: “I could’ve gone anywhere, but that’s a part of making sacrifices,” he said. “I just wanted to do one thing, and that’s win a national championship. I couldn’t go anywhere and win one by myself. You have to have people around you that can play.” ...That is a smart kid. ...Now for the negative... ...He had more turnovers than assists despite playing with a team full of finishers. Some are saying this kid is the Russell Westbrook of this draft. I say not so fast on that. Westbrook stayed two years at UCLA, and as a sophomore he was the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Bledsoe showed flashes of brilliance but he was not, and in my opinion, is not - on Westbrook's level. Also - it's not like Bledsoe barely played. He was on the floor 30 minutes per game. True - he had to defer to Wall but what do you think he will have to do in the NBA? (Answer - defer to another better, more experienced teammate). ...So he had a chance at Kentucky and the numbers just didn't support the hype. I see the potential - but I would let someone else nurture that potential. |
Where do I expect Bledsoe to be taken? Somewhere around 27th.
Our best advice: In 2002 - the 27th pick was Chris Jeffries. We said - "take Carlos Boozer".
Our worst advice: In 2004 - the 27th pick was Sasha Vujacic. We said - "take P.J. Ramos".