Misguided Bledsoe
For pro hoops fans, any doubt Eric Bledsoe has played his last game for the Suns faded away after general manager Ryan McDonough lit into him and his agent Rich Paul in an interview the other day. The anger is understandable; after all, he essentially drew a line in the sand when he saw fit to tweet “I don’t want to be here” over the weekend, a development that both reflected his desire to be traded and led to the ouster of head coach Earl Watson. Though the point guard insisted that he made his social media contribution while in a hair salon with his girlfriend over another matter altogether, the terrible optics sealed his fate.
That said, McDonough did the Suns no favors with his candor during an interview aired on the Arizona Sports radio channel 98.7. Considering that he and owner Robert Sarver had obviously had enough of Bledsoe, the last thing he should have done was to deflate the trade value of his asset. In this regard, it bears noting that he had been fielding a number of calls for potential deals, but did not — or could not — yet latch on to one because of his high asking price.
Certainly, there can be no faulting McDonough for taking the position that “the ideal time to get a deal done is whenever the best offer presents itself.” And he’s right, too; the worst decisions are those made in the heat of the moment. On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense for him to preach prudence and then make his job harder by bringing Bledsoe down, if for no other reason than to be perceived as aggrieved. He wants what he deems a fair return, but at the same time casts doubt on the character of the player he is shopping around.
It’s bad enough that, in terms of timing, McDonough is hampered by National Basketball Association rules that prevent many of the Suns’ potential acquisitions from being made available until Dec. 15. And with practical considerations all but preventing him to make a move before then, he would do well to, in fact, highlight Bledsoe’s strengths instead of training the spotlight on his frailties. Saying he’s “an energy drain, or moping around, or honestly not putting great effort,” he’s not convincing even the most ardent suitors to up the ante. Why pay a lot for a headache?
Which is just too bad. As McDonough acknowledged, Bledsoe “is a talented player, and a good player.” Why add “misguided” to the description? “This was a decision Eric made and, unfortunately, he has to live with that. And we have to live with the consequences.” Indeed.
As Suns general manager Ryan McDonough acknowledged, Bledsoe “is a talented player, and a good player.” Why add “misguided” to the description? “This was a decision Eric made and, unfortunately, he has to live with that. And we have to live with the consequences.” Indeed.