Indiana Pacers: 3 expectations after Victor Oladipo’s injury

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo will miss the rest of the season after rupturing the quad tendon in his right knee. Here’s a look at how this recent development will affect the team looking ahead.

Last season, the Indiana Pacers finished with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference en route to 48 victories. This marked the team’s highest win total since 2013-14, when they posted a 56-26 mark.

Additionally, the Pacers were one game away from knocking off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Fresh off a season in which they exceeded expectations, the Pacers were hoping to take the next step in 2018-19 and they are certainly off to a good start.

They are the top defensive team in the league in points allowed, giving up 103.2 points per game. Indiana’s 105.1 defensive rating is the second-best mark in the NBA.

So, while this team may not be an offensive juggernaut (ranked 21st in scoring), this squad certainly knows a little something about playing defense.

At 32-15, the Pacers have the third-best record in the Eastern Conference behind the Toronto Raptors (36-15) and the Milwaukee Bucks (35-12). With that in mind, the Pacers were having a good season until … it happened.

Victor Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee during a game against the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 23 and will be forced to miss the remainder of the season.

This is a bitter pill to swallow, to say the least.

Will the Pacers be able to continue pressing forward in his absence? Which players can help fill the void for the rest of the season? Is this squad still a formidable playoff foe?

Here’s a look at how Oladipo’s injury will affect the Pacers moving forward.