Eric Bledsoe had his season cut short once again when he was forced to have knee surgery in December. The Phoenix Suns guard only managed to play 31 games before the injury, having perhaps the best season of his career. Unfortunately, injuries have been a trend for the young guard, having played fewer than half of his teams’ games in three separate seasons.
But according to Paul Coro of AZ Central, Bledsoe is “nearly fully recuperated” from that surgery and is close to nearing a return to the court. The Suns had a supremely disappointing season, but if they are to turn their fortunes around next year, Bledsoe will have a big role in that.
Of course, there will be some questions asked this offseason about what Bledsoe’s role will indeed be. The Suns still have Brandon Knight and the young guard showed big strides last year despite injury problems of his own. Meanwhile, the team found a stud and potential future star in rookie Devin Booker, leading to a crowded back-court.
The last time the Suns attempted to trot out a three-headed monster, it did not go well, with none of the three players feeling comfortable in that role. Phoenix can try that experiment again with new players, or it can look to trade one of their two veteran guards.
Bledsoe’s value may not be very high after the injuries and when he is healthy, he is an undoubtedly talented player to build around. It will be a tough decision for the Suns as they decide what direction to go in. Should they make the choice to stick with Bledsoe, they can rest easy that he seems to be nearing full health.
It’s been an injury-riddled career for Eric Bledsoe. Let’s hope he has left that behind him.
