Kempton: Bledsoe, Dragic both worthy of high-pressure possession

Can they share? That’s the question most had regarding Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic after the Phoenix Suns traded for the former over the summer.

With both featuring best at point guard, the question was whether they’d each get enough touches and how, exactly, last-second possessions would be divvied up. Then, after Bledsoe was named the starting point guard, with Dragic sliding over to the two-guard, a picture was painted of the new, hot acquisition usurping the proven Sun — becoming the team’s offensive focal point.

Now, although Dragic has struggled with a nagging early-season ankle injury and Bledsoe has looked like the star the Suns hoped he would be, it seems late, high-pressure possession could still be evenly distributed between the two.

So, the question was posed to Suns’ radio color analyst, Tim Kempton, Wednesday on The Doug & Wolf Show: Who would he give the ball to in the final possession?

“Either one,” he responded.

“Let me look at the defense first — who’s guarding who? I’m going to go with the matchup.”

Seven games in, Bledsoe has tallied one such successful possession, hitting a game-winning three-pointer versus the visiting Utah Jazz in the team’s second game.

It will be interesting, however, to continue to observe the progression in ball handling in high-pressure situations, especially as Dragic’s ankle heals.

Kempton, for one, counters the notion that the two cannot co-exist, by saying having two capable handlers as the clock ticks downward is a major advantage.

“That’s the beauty of having those two guys on the floor,” the analyst continued. “Either one is able.”

And the idea that Bledsoe, a career-long backup prior to this season, would be incompetent in big situations has been all but dismissed by his performance in the first seven games.

“Eric Bledsoe has definitely come up and shown us that he can do it,” says Kempton.