When Victor Oladipo made it to the NBA, no one really knew what to expect from him. Many believed he was too selfish to be a point guard and too short to be a shooting guard. And during his first few years in the league, it seemed as if those concerns were true. Oladipo looked like the best player on an underwhelming Orlando Magic team, but it was not clear whether he could make that leap to stardom.
He played for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, and he just didn’t look good. He never fitted alongside Russell Westbrook, and as a result, he got traded during the offseason. Oladipo was part of the package the Thunder sent to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Paul George. And as a result, Oladipo returned to where he had lived his best years. Let’s remember he played for the Indiana Hoosiers during his NCAA career.
Oladipo got a third chance to be a star in the NBA. But this time, he took full advantage of it. He has emerged as the undisputed leader of the Pacers, and Indiana has been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA so far. Their rebuild has accelerated considerably, and it is not crazy to imagine them as a team that could reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That would be quite a jump considering they lost their star player only a few months ago.
But let’s get back to Oladipo. Prior to Thursday’s action, the 25-year-old is averaging 24.3 points, 4.1 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. All of those numbers would be career-high marks and don’t be surprised if he makes the All-Star team this year. He could also be in contention for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. He went from a serviceable player to an undisputed star. One that is currently averaging 29.7 points during December. And he has had impressive performances during the current season.
Let’s take his 47-point performance against the Denver Nuggets, for instance. That was a career-high for him, and it was one of the performance where Oladipo was able to prove just how much he has grown over the past few months.
Or maybe the game-winning three he made against the San Antonio Spurs early in the season. That was one of the games where Indiana proved they could compete with any team in the league. And Oladipo also proved he can be the “go-to” guy the Pacers have needed all these years (sorry, Paul George).
https://youtu.be/N5yEJMHbIgY
It remains to be seen whether Oladipo can keep this up during the whole season, but he is talented enough to keep playing like this. His confidence is out of this world, and it seems no defender in the league can stop him right now.
Not too shabby for a player who didn’t seem to have a future in the NBA a few years ago, does it? He is finally living up to his pre-Draft hype. and is on the verge of stardom. Just like everyone expected when he came out of college.