Indiana Pacers fans were reeling at the prospect of losing superstar Paul George after he had been traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason. Not only were they losing their best player since NBA legend Reggie Miller, but they felt they had gotten the short end of the stick following the trade.

Now those same fans are rooting for the long-term future of shooting guard Victor Oladipo, who is in the midst of the best season of his young career. According to Chris Barnewall of CBS Sports, Oladipo credits his progression with his overall mindset change:

“I think I've improved a little bit everywhere,” Oladipo said. “My mindset especially I think has improved a lot. Getting comfortable with my teammates. Getting comfortable with the system we're running here. Just taking it one day at a time.”

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The former No. 2 overall pick quickly established himself as a decent scorer to begin his career. However, he was seemingly never able to carve out a true role within the Orlando Magic's offense. As a result, he was mainly used as a valuable trade piece in his move to the Thunder.

It is easy to see why the explosive guard had still been struggling to find his footing in the NBA prior to being traded to his second team in as many years. However, he has fit in seamlessly in his new home, averaging career-highs in nearly every major category such as points, rebounds, and field goal percentage.