azcentral sports Sat Feb 22, 2014 12:31 PM

There has been an “if and when” attached to the comeback of Suns guard Eric Bledsoe this season.

It now is looking more like just “when” he returns. That is because Bledsoe possibly is about a week away from resuming practicing with the team, if all progress and check-ups continue to go as well as they have thus far. Bledsoe has been doing more active shooting on the court this week and working with assistant coaches.

It has been six weeks since Bledsoe underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The team and Bledsoe’s representatives are making sure it is a careful recovery process for a knee that also had a surgery 27 months prior.

“He’s working more and more every day,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. “He’s going to get checked out again just to make sure nothing’s going on in there. He’s in good spirits and I think he’s itching to go but they’re being cautious with him and making sure that we’re not rushing him back to be in this run. When he comes back, it’s going to be great. It gives us another weapon so we look forward to that day.”

Bledsoe is unavailable for comment until he resumes practicing.

The Suns were 16-8 in games with Bledsoe, who missed his 30th game Friday night.

Hornacek does not worry about hesitancy in the 23-year-old guard once he is cleared for game action.

“The true competitors really don’t, and I think he is a true competitor,” Hornacek said. “When he starts playing, you won’t see him hesitate. I’m sure he’ll still play the way he always did.”

No trade OK by coach

Everyone has admired the Suns’ chemistry this season but nobody more so than the one charged with juggling the way 15 well-paid, confident athletes mesh. That made him pleased that his team stayed intact after Thursday’s trade deadline.

“It was great that the team stays the way it is and keeps going,” Hornacek said.

“We were all concerned about that and how it would affect us if we did anybody out there. (Suns General Manager) Ryan (McDonough) is still going to look at what’s best for our future. If something was going to help us immediately but hurt us long-term, he didn’t want any part of it. He’s got a plan. We’re happy with our guys. With anything that came up, nothing was better than what we have.”

Plumlee’s challenge

After McDonough allowed the trade deadline to pass without fortifying the frontline, he noted that the Suns’ rebounding issues have not come when center Miles Plumlee is on the floor.

Plumlee entered Friday night’s game with the 13th best rebound rate in the NBA, averaging 15.2 boards per 48 minutes of play this season and feeling like he still has another level in that department. The double-doubles are what have become more scarce, along with Plumlee’s playing time this month.

Plumlee scored in double-digits once in nine games entering Friday night. He had done so 21 times in the season’s first 44 games.

“It’s part of the game and teams have ramped it up,” Plumlee said. “It’s my first time going through this stretch of the season and I can already tell the intensity is higher and things just have to be sharper. Personally, I’m taking this month to focus and tighten things up.

“Compared to the beginning of the season, people actually consider me a threat, so defenses are alert. There aren’t as many easy buckets. It’s different without Eric. I definitely got a lot of easy buckets with Eric and the attention he drew. It’s a different way to play but I know I can still affect the game in a lot of different ways.”

Plumlee also did not get revived much by the All-Star break, which turned into a “whirlwind weekend” for him with his participation in the Rising Stars Challenge and all the associated appearances had at All-Star weekend in New Orleans.

Free throws

Suns point guard Goran Dragic’s streak of scoring at least 15 points in a game dates to Dec. 28, a game before Bledsoe’s knee injury. At 25 games entering Friday, it is the fifth longest streak for a Suns player since 1990-91.

— Suns forward P.J. Tucker recorded consecutive double-doubles in Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s wins, a career first. His February average of 8.7 rebounds per game entering Friday led the league for players who are 6 feet 7 or shorter.

Up next

Suns vs. Rockets

When: 7 p.m. Sunday

Where: U.S. Airways Center

TV/Radio: ESPN, FSAZ/KTAR-AM 620, KPKX-FM 98.7, KSUN-AM 1400