Victor Oladipo used last season to establish himself as the new cornerstone player of the Indiana Pacers franchise. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old remains relentless in his pursuit to elevate his game, and is apparently looking to emulate some parts of the great Kobe Bryant's game.
Oladipo's trainer, Al Watson, gave J. Michael of IndyStar an insider look on the 6-foot-4 guard's training regime.
“Last year we started doing a lot of tightening up his ball-handling skills,” explained Watson. “This year we took it to another level because I watch a lot of film on him. In the fourth quarter, he’s like the point guard. Wanted to focus on a lot of combination moves, working on traps. It’s no secret now. They’re going to be double-teaming him.”
After being named as last season's Most Improved Player, Oladipo will unquestionably have a bigger target on his back this year. This is exactly why his team of trainers are looking to take a page out of Kobe Bryant's book in order to keep Oladipo up to speed.
“You look at the great players, Kobe, they had to do a little bit of everything,” added Watson. “His shot from the perimeter may be off so he’s got to learn, ‘Let me get myself going, get to the mid-post, get some fouls.' He’s got to be able to attack with all different facets of the game. We do a lot of sprinting, getting to your spots. Got to get open. I touch everything with in-game situation stuff.”
Entering his sixth season in the league, the Silver Spring, Maryland native is not yet on the level of Kobe. However, with the proper mindset and the right set of people around him, Oladipo could be bound for greatness.
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