Indiana Pacers: Victor Oladipo flourishing in lead role
The Indiana Pacers traded for Victor Oladipo during the offseason with the hope that he would embrace the opportunity to become a focal point of the offense. Through five games, he’s done exactly that.
When the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder struck a deal for Paul George last summer, the Thunder knew what they were getting in the seven-year veteran and four-time NBA All-Star.
The Pacers, on the other hand, were taking a gamble on what Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis could eventually become with more experience and increased opportunity.
Sabonis has been a find for Indiana in the early going, putting up 11.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game on 57.9 percent shooting from the floor.
Victor Oladipo came into the season pegged as part of a 1-2 punch with center Myles Turner, but after a terrific performance in the opening game of the year, Turner has since been sidelined by a head/neck injury.
Oladipo has responded by grabbing the role of No. 1 scoring option and running with it — literally and figuratively.
Through five games, he’s averaging 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per contest. Additionally, Oladipo is producing these numbers efficiently on shooting splits of .500/.448/.886.
Victor Oladipo is also considered one of the best defensive shooting guards in the league, and he’s continuing to excel on that end of the floor with a Defensive Rating of 106 — the best of any Pacers rotation player.
What we see with Oladipo is a player who has the talent to be a star, but did not have the chance to perform in a lead role during his three years with the Orlando Magic or his one season in Oklahoma City.
Nikola Vucevic was the main man during most of Oladipo’s tenure in Orlando, and he was a distant second-fiddle to superstar Russell Westbrook when both played for the Thunder last season.
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General manager Kevin Pritchard tabbed Victor Oladipo as a potential trade target last summer because he has a great deal of talent, but isn’t yet a finished product as an NBA player.
Indiana hoped that Oladipo would respond well to the opportunity to become a go-to guy, and the early returns have been spectacular (although five games is a small sample size).
The return of Myles Turner will change the dynamic a bit, but Oladipo did have an impressive stat line on opening night (22 points, five rebounds and four assists) while Turner was in the lineup.
Victor Oladipo is known as a hard worker who continually tries to improve his game, and it’s evident that he’s put in time during the offseason honing his skills.
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However, the biggest change in Oladipo appears to be his mindset. He is playing aggressively and with a great deal of confidence; he looks the part of a player who is ready to take the next step in his career and become more than just a good complementary piece.
After Victor Oladipo was dealt to the Pacers, he didn’t mince words when it came to his potential as a franchise cornerstone.
He stated that he now sees himself as an “alpha dog” and he is prepared to act like one. Oladipo added that he is ready to lead and to dominate.
Talk like that from a professional athlete has become cliche and typically doesn’t mean much, but Oladipo is backing up those words with his body language and stellar play on the court.
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As a word of caution, no one should anoint Victor Oladipo as a superstar due to a hot five-game start in Indiana. However, Oladipo is showing in the early going why the Pacers feel he has star potential. Consistency will now be the key word for Victor Oladipo moving forward.