College
2010-13 – Indiana
Career
2013-16 – Orlando Magic
2016-17 – Oklahoma City Thunder
2017-21 – Indiana Pacers
2021 – Houston Rockets
2021-23 – Miami Heat
Victor Oladipo who did not play in the 2023/24 NBA season due to knee injury is someone who we are beginning to forget how special of a player he was. Oladipo spent three years in college playing for Indiana where due to his size, physique, and defensive prowess, he drew comparisons to NBA legend Dwyane Wade. After a remarkable 2012-13 season at Indiana, this would lead Oladipo to be selected as the second overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. This would be the beginning of the rebuilding stage for the Magic, as they were looking for their next franchise cornerstone after losing Dwight Howard the season before to the Los Angeles Lakers.
After three seasons in Orlando where Oladipo managed to come second in rookie of the year, the Magic decided that they did not want to give Oladipo a rookie max extension. This meant he was traded in 2016 to the Oklahoma City Thunder who had just lost the 2014 MVP Kevin Durant in free agency to the Golden State Warriors. Oladipo would be a great complementary piece playing next to the MVP of the 2016/17 season Russell Westbrook in the backcourt. The Thunder finished sixth in the western conference that year meaning a playoff birth for Oladipo. However, the Thunder would lose in five games to the James Harden led Houston Rockets with Oladipo struggling throughout the series. Looking to gain more experience the Thunder sent Victor Oladipo to the Indiana Pacers for NBA all-star Paul George in a blockbuster trade.
The Pacers when acquiring Oladipo in 2017 were projected to win thirty regular season games with a three percent chance of them making the playoffs. Despite that, the Pacers would exceed league expectations with a new star born in Victor Oladipo. The Pacers would win forty-eight regular season games and finish as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Oladipo would claim the Most Improved Player award in the 2017/18 season as his points rose from 15.9 to 23.1 points per game. His efficiency improved too, as his field goal and three-point percentage both increased. This would result in Oladipo participating in his first all-star game as well as being picked to be on the All-NBA third team for that campaign. Throughout his career, Oladipo has shown his defensive ability but this year it was heightened as he led the league in steals accumulating 2.4 steals per game which meant he was inducted into the NBA’s all-defensive first team. The Pacers in the playoffs would take LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games but just falling short in the first round. The future looked bright in Indiana as Oladipo was beginning to skyrocket to superstardom but the following season a major injury would change the trajectory of Oladipo’s career.
January 23rd, 2019, the Pacers played the Toronto Raptors in Indiana where Victor Oladipo suffered a ruptured quad tendon. Oladipo would continue to start off to have a great 2018/19 season following his breakout year, however, the injury would mean that Oladipo would be out for the rest of the season and not return until January 2020. The injury harmed Oladipo’s game holistically as the explosiveness he once had seemed to be diminished. With his counting statistics and productivity going down, as well as his inability to stay on court due to constant injury, the Pacers traded Oladipo to the Houston Rockets in 2020. He would then be traded again later that same season to the Miami Heat on March 25th, 2021. Oladipo would continue to battle against injuries, so the Miami Heat did not re-sign him in 2023 which leaves Oladipo as a free agent to this day.
Victor Oladipo’s career will be unremembered by many due to his short-stinted prime and his inability to stay fit past 2019. Oladipo was a defensive pest as he could defend guards due to his lateral quickness as well as being able to defend forwards due to his athleticism and strength. He also excelled at finishing around the rim as he had fantastic body control and a great dunk package. For many, he becomes a ‘What if,’ as he could have been one of the best two-way guards of this NBA generation, but his prime is one that we shall never forget.
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