The Indiana Pacers are without questions one of the most intriguing team to keep an eye on heading into the 2019-20 NBA season. After being swept out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs last season, the Pacers made a lot of changes this offseason with Victor Oladipo one of the main constant variables.
Among those changes were allowing Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, and Cory Joseph walk away. To replace them, the Pacers went out and brought in names like Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, and T.J. Warren. Many think that the team improved with their moves.
Two-time All-Star Oladipo will be back for another season with the Pacers this year, albeit at a later time. He suffered a brutal ruptured quad in the middle of the year last season and the team is hoping to see him return to the court at some point in December or January.
Oladipo ended up averaging 18.8 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists last season in 36 games. It was a tough way to end the year, but the Pacers are confident that the star shooting guard will come back strong.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at some last-second predictions for Oladipo this year with the Pacers.
4. He Comes Back In Early December
At this point in time, the Pacers are expecting Oladipo to come back in December or January. Oladipo has always been one of the hardest workers on the court and that has been the case throughout his rehab process.
Due to his attitude, attacking his rehab, and hard work, Oladipo is going to come back in early December. He will likely be on a minute restriction, but the Pacers having him back on the court in any role will be a huge upgrade. Indiana cannot wait to see him play ball once again.
3. Oladipo Averages Over 20 Points Per Game
There are some who are worried about what version of Oladipo they should be expecting when he does return from the injury. A ruptured quad is an injury that not many NBA players have had to deal with. Despite the questions, the Pacers are going to get their star back playing at a high level.
It may seem a bit crazy, but the Pacers are going to see Oladipo average over 20 points per game. That's right, not only will he come back early, but he will get back to putting up star-caliber numbers.
2. His Three-Point Percentage Rises To 40 Percent
Oladipo has openly talked about how this injury will actually impact him in a positive way. Sitting on the sidelines and being unable to jump and run has made him focus on shooting, which will translate to a much more dangerous three-point shot.
Indiana has seen players come back from a serious injury with a much better shooting ability. Oladipo will show that off immediately and will finish the season with a 40 percent three-point shot. That development is going to make him almost impossible to stop.
1. Indiana Earns the No. 4 Seed Under His Leadership
Finally, the Pacers are going to live up to the hype and will end up as the Eastern Conference's No. 4 seed. Oladipo is the leader of this basketball team and his return is going to help them make a late-season push.
There is no doubt that the Pacers have some questions on their roster, with Oladipo's health being one of them. He is going to end those questions immediately upon returning and will have a big comeback season.
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