24. The return of Victor Oladipo
In roughly a season and a half with the Indiana Pacers, Victor Oladipo has caught the attention of many who thought little when he first arrived in the summer of 2017. He’s made two All-Star teams while averaging 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists, but a ruptured quad tendon cut his 2018-19 season short in January.
Indiana powered through, enough to qualify for the postseason, but the absence of its leader was evident with few scoring options, leading to a swift opening-round exit.
The front office was busy this summer, upgrading the backcourt with Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb while supplementing their frontcourt losses by trading for T.J. Warren to surround their franchise talent with more capable offensive players.
Victor Oladipo:
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) September 27, 2019
"When I say I'm coming back better than ever, I'm not just saying that because it sounds good. I truly believe that." pic.twitter.com/oLMUuYrf3J
The Pacers might not be the favorites to emerge victorious from the Eastern Conference. They are, however, a hard-nosed bunch no opponent enjoys facing, a sentiment that only grows larger with the return of one of the games emerging stars.
Oladipo won’t return until December at the earliest and will require time to return to form. Independent of his stats or the finish to Indiana’s season, the league will simply be better when Oladipos’ continuous rise is taken off pause, a moment that can only come so quickly for Indiana and its fans.