The LA Clippers are loaded up for what should be a very strong 2021-2022 season.
They had the best season in Clipper history last year, and I actually have them as making even more progress this year.
A lot of the weight lies on a few players in particular. It’s a team game, but these three absolutely need to step up to give us a shot to win the West.
No. 3 player that will make or break 2021-2022 for the LA Clippers: Eric Bledsoe
Eric Bledsoe is going to be crucial in his return to the LA Clippers.
Ty Lue is already planning on starting him.
In the past few years, we’ve seen two different versions of Bledsoe.
We’ve seen Milwaukee Bledsoe, who won back-to-back All-Defensive nominations, and put up 15.5 points per game with 5.5 assists per game.
Then, we saw New Orleans Bledsoe, who scored 12.2 points per game and dished out 3.8 assists per game. He went from shooting 47.5% from the field in the past two years to 42.1%.
Many attribute this drop-off to him switching positions with the Pelicans. He was primarily a point guard with Milwaukee, and primarily a shooting guard with New Orleans.
With him in the starting lineup, we don’t yet know how Lue plans to use him. All we know is that we need more of the Bledsoe of the last decade, and not the Bledsoe of the last year.