Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo admittedly felt that he is already taking steps in the right direction with regards to his recovery from a ruptured quad tendon injury, per Scott Agness. The injury was sustained back in late January of 2019 and the severity has previously caused him to miss the majority of the 2019-2020 season.

Oladipo managed to make it back on the court again over a year since he suffered his injury. After the Pacers snagged the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44-28 record, the Maryland native initially wanted to sit out the 2020 NBA Playoffs to focus on his recovery. However, he changed his mind later on and eventually joined the team in the Orlando Bubble.

As the two-time All-Star took on a lesser role in the team's offense, his Pacers squad found an unlikely leader in T.J. Warren who came out with high-scoring performances in the seeding games. However, his success failed to translate in the playoffs where the Indy-based squad was swept after losing in an opening-round tussle against the fifth-seeded Miami Heat.

In the preseason proceedings prior to the 2020-2021 season, Oladipo is still slow to regain his momentum as he only tallied six points, four rebounds, and an assist through 21 minutes of action in their first game against the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a 107-104 loss.

The Pacers' second encounter against the same opponent turned out to be the same story as Oladipo came out with a meager output of nine points, two rebounds, and two assists in 24 minutes played. His production was greatly missed by the team as the Pacers suffered their second consecutive loss on a 116-106 outcome.

He will have one more trial run against the Philadelphia 76ers before opening their regular season against the New York Knicks where he is expected to contribute to his team.

After suffering a gruesome injury, the expectations haven't changed for Victor Oladipo as he is still poised to be a vital piece in the Pacers' upcoming campaign moving forward.