Jason Kidd is in his fourth season as the head coach of the Bucks, and for all the promise that’s been shown in the first three years, the Bucks have made little progress in the postseason, and he’s now going to have to show some results. With that in mind, Kidd and the Bucks took a gamble this week, sending a 2018 protected first-round pick, 2018 second-round pick and reserve big man Greg Monroe to the Suns for oft-injured guard Eric Bledsoe.
Kidd is betting on Bledsoe’s health. That’s a tricky wager. Bledsoe has had some major injury in two of his past four seasons. He will have to hope that there are convalescent powers in the bratwurst and beer steins of the Brew City this year.
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It’s not quite desperation, but it’s close. The Bucks have not gotten off to the start that was expected after they’d finished last season on a 21-12 run and gave Toronto a good series in the first round, going six games. Milwaukee is 4-5, losers of three straight, with a shoddy defense that has seen them give up 39.8 percent shooting at the 3-point line, second-worst in the league.
Bledsoe can’t single-handedly turn that around. But he can give the Bucks sorely-needed depth in the backcourt, and an ability to play either guard position in a mix with Tony Snell, Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova. He can be a more credible No. 2 option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and take pressure off Khris Middleton, who has been struggling with 41.8 percent shooting from the field and 26.7 percent from the 3-point line.
That’s the ideal. Middleton has been taking 17.0 shots per game, far more than his career average coming into the season (11.3 per game), and the Bucks need to reduce that. If Bledsoe — whose speed and ball handling should help in the Bucks’ cut-heavy offense — can return to his own usual level of efficiency and reduce the dependence on Middleton, the offense will click much better. At his peak, Bledsoe is a capable 20-points-per-game scorer.
But Bledsoe might do little to turn around the Bucks’ perimeter defense, and worse, he’s a red-flag health risk, which is why Phoenix had so much trouble moving him. Bledsoe has only about half a meniscus between his two knees (his right meniscus was removed altogether), putting him in constant jeopardy of knee trouble.
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He is signed for this year and for next, while Monroe’s contract was expiring. That means the Bucks are making a two-year commitment to Bledsoe at a time when they’ll also have to worry about what to do with restricted free agent and former No. 2 pick Jabari Parker, himself coming back from knee surgery later this year. With the luxury tax looming, the Bucks might have difficult decisions ahead.
Kidd, though, needs this to be a breakthrough season. According to sources, there has been no talk among the Bucks owners about him being fired, and he signed an extension in the summer of 2016 that runs through 2019-20. But he has an elite talent, Antetokounmpo, and a new arena scheduled to open next year. He can’t afford to waste either. That’s pressure, even if the axe is not yet dangling over his job.
The trade for Bledsoe, then, can be understood as an act of near desperation. If he stays healthy, he could get the Bucks back to the 45-plus win team many expected this year. But he could have knee trouble yet again, and the Bucks’ hopes toward progress could deteriorate further.
That’s the gamble Kidd is taking. He now has a lot riding on Bledsoe’s shaky knees.