When Eric Bledsoe was traded to the L.A. Clippers during the 2010 NBA Draft, he had no idea how sweet of a situation he was entering.
He joined a Clippers team that had won just 29 games the prior season. Any starting hopes he had were dashed by the presence of guards Baron Davis and Eric Gordon.
The limited run he earned during his rookie season of 2010-11 displayed the typical growing pains of an NBA rookie point guard. His 6.7 points and 1.1 steals in 22.7 minutes of action per game showed flashes of the player that he could be, but his 42.4 field-goal percentage and 3.6-to-2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio suggested that he had some work to do.
However, the landscape of the Clippers' franchise (and Bledsoe's career trajectory) turned upside down when the team acquired perennial All-Star Chris Paul in the days leading up to the 2011-12 season. The Clippers' winning percentage jumped from .390 in 2010-11 to .601 in 2011-12.
The arrival of acclaimed veterans Paul and Chauncey Billups (both point guards) along with a torn meniscus in Bledsoe's right knee saw his minutes shrink to just 11.6 minutes per game and his scoring fall to 3.3 poin ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Zach Buckley
Why Eric Bledsoe Will Blossom to New Heights Under Chris Paul’s Leadership
November 20th, 2012 by Zach Buckley Leave a reply »
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