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Orlando Magic Play Or Pass: Victor Oladipo

By Luke Duffy

Apr 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Orlando won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Orlando won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Orlando won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 4, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Orlando won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Play

In Oladipo the Magic have an athletic 2 guard who can also cover the point guard position. Although his first forays into running the team in his rookie season didn’t go brilliantly, they will have served as valuable experience as he continues to grow in this league. Having a flexible player like that on the team is also a big plus.

Looking at what he can actually do on the court, and it gets even more exciting. If you’ve never seen Oladipo play before and you stick on a Magic game, a few things becomes quickly apparent over the course of the contest. The guy is extremely athletic, is a tremendous defender in this league already and has boundless energy.

He’s kind of like a Swiss army knife of a player in that respect, he can have a positive impact on his team in so many ways.

Comparisons to Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade may be a little premature, but the similarities are there. As the guy asked to be the face of the team as well, it’s his defensive ability that may well shape the identity of this team (he was a top 20 player in steals last season, 1.6 per game) going forward.

Combining his lockdown ability with that of Payton means this team could easily be a top 10 defensive unit next year with the right coaching.

Oladipo’s 35.7 minutes per game last season was a team high, and was also eighth among all players in the entire NBA. Talk about leading from the front.

He improved in essentially every major statistical category (even his dodgy three point shooting saw an increase, going from 32 percents in year one to 34 percent in year two, important in a league now obsessed with long range shooting) from his rookie year, and looks set to continue to do so. He’s the face of this team for a reason.

Next: But Are The Magic Getting The Most Out Of Him?

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