Bledsoe's Bucks debut shows potential of a truly devastating fast break

With the recently acquired Eric Bledsoe now in the fold, the Milwaukee Bucks' highly efficient transition attack (62.6 eFG percentage in transition as of Thursday, fifth-best in the league) appears destined for new heights. They could even rival the Warriors' gold standard, and they'll do so predominantly without the aid of a fear-inducing 3-point shot.

Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo moving together with the ball in space poses a simple question to defenses: can you stop both physical dynamos without risking life, limb, and foul?

The answer from the aging, Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs on Friday was largely 'no.'

Bledsoe, moving at full speed against a flat-footed defender, is a lay-up drill. Step up to meet him, and he's almost certainly still getting a shot off - while drawing a foul.

But if the defender does manage to corral Bledsoe just enough to dissuade a shot, his teammates better account for a trailing Antetokounmpo, thundering into the paint like a self-contained stampede:

If this is the chemistry between Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo with less than a week of practices, then good luck to the Eastern Conference come playoff time.

Still, despite the explosive pieces in place, the Bucks could stand to be a little quicker to really take advantage of early offense mismatches.

While the Bucks ranked eighth in transition scoring (20.1 points per game) prior to Bledsoe's addition, the half-court offense can be methodical to the point of sluggishness. Prior to Friday, Milwaukee ranked just 24th in pace, averaging 98.88 possessions per game overall, and managed just 94 against the Spurs.

But Milwaukee did force the Spurs - a team averaging 14.5 turnovers per game - into 18 turnovers on Friday, using their superior quickness and athleticism to get down the floor and create scoring opportunities at a rate of 166.7 points per 100 transition plays, according to Paul Garcia of Project Spurs.

Bledsoe finished the night with 13 points and seven assists in the victory.

While it was a solid debut for the guard, the Bucks will need to crank it up a notch and really start embracing the chaos of their "positionless" team if they hope to use their new dynamic duo to their full potential.