NBA Draft 2013: Indiana’s Victor Oladipo Player Profile
By Nathan Giese
Here we continue to look at the top prospects for the 2013 NBA Draft. Today we examine:
Victor Oladipo drives the lane against the Wisconsin defense. (Photo credit: Indiana Public Media, Flickr.com)
Victor Oladipo, SG/SF, Indiana, 6’5”, 214 lbs
2012-13 Collegiate Stat Line: (all stats courtesy ESPN.com)
13.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 59% field goals, 43% 3-point field goals, 75% free throws, 2.1 steals
The Skinny:
Nobody has burst onto the scene more than Indiana’s Victor Oladipo this season. While all the hype revolved around Cody Zeller before the season, it has been the play of Oladipo that kept the Hoosiers in national championship contention. He’s also gone from a decent role player to a National Player of the Year candidate and potential lottery selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, should he decide to leave school early.
Strengths:
When thinking of Victor Oladipo, explosiveness is usually the first word that comes to mind. So athletic, so quick and such a great leaper, Oladipo is unmatched this all three areas in the 2013 draft class. He’s a scary threat because one second he could be in a stationary position and the next he’s gone by his man, finishing off a monster dunk. He’s sneaky and streaky.
Efficiency is key and Oladipo has it. Quick hands and an eye for the basket allows Victor to finish at a high rate (highlighted by near 60 percent field goal percentage). He’s willing to run through the offense to get an open look. He’s not going to force his shot, rather, he’ll wait for timing and rhythm to be right for him.
Oladipo’s quickness and great hands also helps him on the defensive end of the court. He’s Indiana’s shut-down defender. He stays in front of his man and never gives up on a play. Oladipo is relentless on defense and frustrates his opponents to no end.
Weaknesses:
While Victor has plenty of upside (yes, that word again) he does have a few areas he will need to improve upon. For instance, despite being a main ball handler for Indiana, he’s not great at it. He often gets flustered with a defender in front and can’t fight out of double-teams very well. For a 6’5” college small forward who will probably slide over to a shooting guard in the NBA, ball handling is a must. This will need to improve.
Despite shooting 43 percent from 3, Oladipo only averages two attempts from deep per game. He’s efficient from deep, but opposing defenses are willing to let him shoot from those 3s. Again, for a probable shooting guard, this will need to improve as well. His shot has dramatically improved in the past year or so, but it could use some work.
Oladipo is the definition of a pure athlete with some room for improvements. He’s a raw talent but still has some growing to do.
Highlight Game:
Feb. 10 at Ohio State (W 81-68) 26 points, 8-for-10 field goals, 1-for-1 3-point field goals, 9-for-10 free throws, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals
As stated in the strengths section, Oladipo is efficient in terms of scoring. He can get to the rim at will but can hit the open mid-range jumper as well. He gets to the free-throw line frequently and converts the freebies at a high rate. His athleticism was just too much for a good Ohio State defense to handle.
Lowlight Game:
Dec. 15 vs. Butler (L 88-86 OT) 18 points, 7-for-10 shooting, 1-for-1 3-point field goals, 3-for-5 free throws, three rebounds, four assists, four steals, six turnovers
You might be asking, “What makes this a lowlight game for Victor Oladipo?” Well, despite his nice overall numbers, the six turnovers are a significant factor in the game for Indiana. Those six turnovers helped sink the Hoosiers late in the game and it started a trend. Starting with the Butler game, Oladipo had five or more turnovers in three out of Indiana’s next five games–staggering numbers for someone with the ball in their hands constantly.
Potential Landing Spots:
Victor Oladipo’s raw talents alone make him a lottery pick. While there are improvements that can be made, his overall game is one that cannot be overlooked and won’t be overlooked by NBA teams.
Teams That Make Sense:
Minnesota Timberwolves: With a healthy Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, the Timberwolves are an exciting, young team with great promise. However, it’s very rare that both Love and Rubio are healthy together. By drafting Oladipo, you have another young, exciting offensive presence to spark the offense when one, or both, of these players is out of commission. Oladipo would also be the man to guard some of the top players in the league, something Minnesota desperately needs.
Also, with Andrei Kirilenko (unrestricted) and Chase Budinger (restricted) being free agents this summer, a shooting guard/small forward combo is exactly what the Wolves need for the future.
Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond has turned out to be a better selection for the Detroit Pistons than most people anticipated, so he and Greg Monroe have formed a nice duo in the frontcourt for the Pistons, allowing them to search for another scoring threat along the wing.
Brandon Knight has been doing some good things during his time in Detroit and Jose Calderon is an unrestricted free agent this summer. If the Pistons fear they will lose Calderon on the open market, Oladipo makes sense here. This move would allow Knight and Stuckey to split time at point while Oladipo fills the void at shooting guard.
Overall Synopsis:
NBA teams want athletic players who can play multiple positions. Victor Oladipo personifies this exact desire. He can stretch the defense and take it to the rim at will. He has some improvements needed to his ball handling and outside shooting, but overall he’s going to be taken fairly high in the draft. Don’t expect to see his name last on the big board for very long.