The slow rebirth of Victor Oladipo

If Miami was humiliated at Dallas on Friday night, a player has little to be ashamed of: Victor Oladipo. The former Pacers point guard was the only one to float against a non-playing Dallas team. He scored 20 points on 9/12 shooting off the bench, including 2/3 from 3-point range. Oladipo has been playing at a high level for several weeks, averaging 15.5 points over the last 11 games.

“I do a lot” He explains the secrets behind Oladipo’s resurgence. “I invest a lot in my physique and I have to. Obviously I went through a lot physically and my journey took a different path. But if I want to get back to where I was or better, I have to invest in myself and my body. So I did it.”.

Four years ago, then-Pacers guard Victor Oladipo was named Most Improved Player, honoring his second consecutive All-Star appearance. Unfortunately, his progress was halted by a serious knee injury, followed by numerous relapses. Oladipo, who saw his dominance last playoff run, has found his balance as the 6th man, and it’s working well.

“It’s really encouraging” Erik Spoelstra notes that on Oladipo’s recent form. “This is the main X-factor for our team. This is what we hoped for, what we planned. … He had the mental and emotional stability to allow things to happen at the right pace and naturally.”.

Above all, the defensive effect

While Victor Oladipo’s offensive output has increased of late, his main asset remains on defense. After missing the first 24 games of the season, he has already thrown 33 interceptions in his first 19 games, which puts him second on the team behind a certain Jimmy Butler.

“Obviously, his defensive effect is unrealistic at the moment” Bam Adebayo noted. “He’s one of the people we trust when the dirty work is done. On the offensive level, he finds his rhythm. Watching him sometimes reminds me of when he was the Victor All-Star version. He is the star of his role on our team.”.

The good news is that Oladipo’s playing time continues to increase. As proof, he never played less than 25 minutes in ten matches in 2023.

“Just a little, I won’t lie” Oladipo admits when asked if he’s surprised he’s feeling so good. “But if we step back, we see all the work done and all the physical investments. So it’s no surprise that I still feel great and will continue to feel better as the year progresses.”.

Victor Oladipo finally looks healthy today as he provides a spark off the bench for Miami. Even if the Heat struggle to regain consistency, that’s good news for him and his teammates.