The Indiana Pacers have suddenly become one of the most competitive teams in the Eastern Conference, thanks in large part to the emergence of All-Star guard Victor Oladipo. However, it is pretty obvious that they still need some more firepower in order for the franchise to go deeper in the playoffs.

But luring a star in a small market team such as the Pacers could be a tall task given the fact that the brightest names in the NBA prefer to play in a city like Los Angeles or Brooklyn.

Still, that should not be an excuse for the Pacers, particularly for Oladipo to not convince players to play in Indiana, according to former NBA player Kendrick Perkins.

In an interview with J. Michael of IndyStar, Perkins said that Dipo should be more aggressive in recruiting other All-Stars to join him, adding that there's really not much of a difference between big and small market teams among players.

“It’s almost a copy cat league. There’s people listening to outsiders instead of doing what’s best for themselves. Guys listen to people. ‘You've got to get to a bigger market.’ That’s not the case at all.”

“LeBron reaches out to people. Vic needs to start doing that. He's the franchise. You can't just expect guys to come. You got to put forth the conscious effort to make sure you reach out to people to initiate. ‘Just give us a chance. Give us a look.’ That helps, too.”

Oladipo has always been known to be one of the silent stars of the NBA. He doesn't make too much noise off the court because he often lets his game do the talking. After all, the reason why he's been recognized is because of his superb basketball skills.

However, it may be time for Dipo to build connections around the league. Start befriending more players if he hasn't done that already. It may help him bring another top-tier talent to Indiana, which could lead to the Pacers turning from a playoff team to a legitimate championship contender in the near future.

Dipo is still recovering from his injury at the moment, and once he proves next season that he's 100 percent healthy, then that's the time for him to start the recruitment process.