Often times with blockbuster trades, most of the attention is funneled towards where the superstar wounds up. Meanwhile, little is said about the other pieces involved in the transaction and how well they adapt to their new situation.That has certainly been the case for Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo, who was acquired at the expense of Pacers fans who felt like they were not getting enough for superstar Paul George over the summer.
Despite the scathing criticism at the time, Oladipo says that did not change his approach coming into the 2017-18 NBA season, according to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports:
“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Obviously, the world felt like they didn’t get enough,” Oladipo said. “I guess that’s how they feel, that’s fine.”
In response, Oladipo has quietly enjoyed a career-year in his first season with the Pacers, averaging 23.2 points on 47 percent from the field. He has also shown remarkable improvement from the three-point line shooting 44 percent.
“That really was not going to change how hard I worked, or how I approached the season,” Oladipo said. “I was locked in before the trade, after the trade, and even now. You could say I’m using it as motivation, but I’m already motivated. I got a lot of goals for myself, for this team. There’s a lot I still want to accomplish in this league.”
More importantly, he has been a large part of the reason why the Pacers have managed to stay competitive so far this year at 7-8. Although it is understandable for fans to be reeling with the departure of an NBA superstar, they can at least relish in the fact that they got a solid return on the deal.
Follow Us
Subscribe