4 Central Division players who could surpass LeBron James

2. Victor Oladipo

Oladipo must never play for a team outside the state of Indiana. While starring for Indiana University, he earned first team All-American honors and was eventually selected as the second overall pick in the draft by the Orlando Magic.

But he struggled in Orlando, as well as Oklahoma City before blossoming with the Indiana Pacers. The difference between his play in Indiana and elsewhere is simply remarkable. In his previous four seasons, Oladipo averaged 3.4 win shares per year. He’s at 3.9 win shares in 32 games as a Pacer.

Oladipo is releasing his incredible potential, finding his niche as a sharpshooting, new age combo guard that excels defensively. He has 24 20-point games before Christmas, more than Paul George, Reggie Miller or any other player in Pacers history.

Basketball people have taken notice of Oladipo’s transformation. Twitter went nuts over his performance against Cleveland a couple weeks ago. Dan Dakich even chided the Thunder for giving up on him.

It’s only been 32 games, but appears Oladipo is a rising star in the Central Division. With Jimmy Butler in Minnesota, he’s taken reins as the division’s best 2-guard.

If Oladipo continues to improve, he might take reins as the division’s best player in a couple of years.