The Indiana Pacers were always the biggest wild card in the Eastern Conference entering the 2019-20 NBA campaign.
Overlooked because of a small market and unrecognizable star power, the Pacers were never really mentioned among the contenders in the conference going into the year, even though it was clear they would have a legitimate chance to make some noise if healthy.
Of course, the Victor Oladipo injury was casting a dark cloud over Bankers Life Fieldhouse, as the star shooting guard suffered a ruptured quad tendon last January and has been on the road to recovery ever since.
Initially, there appeared to be some optimism that Oladipo could return in early December, which would have given him plenty of time to get into game shape and get his legs underneath him for a potential playoff run.
Instead, Oladipo did not get back on the floor until late January, and the results have not been good since his return.
In 10 games, the 27-year-old is averaging 12.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists over 25.5 minutes per game while shooting just 36.8 percent from the floor. Now, Oladipo has been sidelined due to knee soreness in the same knee in which the rupture occurred.
The former All-Star has missed the last couple of games, and his status right now appears to be in question.
On top of that, Jeremy Lamb is out for the season after suffering a devastating knee injury, and Malcolm Brogdon is dealing with a hip issue.
The Pacers are coming apart at the seams, and at this point, we seriously have to worry about Oladipo's ability to be effective this season.
Let's face it: Indiana's success this season was always going to be tied to Oladipo's return. If Oladipo isn't healthy, the Pacers aren't going anywhere. And it seems pretty clear that Oladipo is not healthy.
It makes you wonder if Indy should seriously consider sitting Oladipo for the rest of the season in order to preserve him for the long haul.
The prized possession of the Paul George trade, Oladipo has already shown his star potential, pushing LeBron James to seven games in the first round of the playoffs a couple of years ago.
When he is right, there is no doubt that Oladipo is one of the league's best two-way players, and he is right up there with the best shooting guards in basketball.
That's why the Pacers probably shouldn't take any risks with him from here on out. He isn't going to be in top form by the time the playoffs roll around in just over a month, so Indiana may very well be better off shutting him down.
It would be a painful end to a season that appeared to have some special potential, but it's probably the best course of action for the Pacers moving forward.
This team is still very young, and it will be back in contention next season if Oladipo gets back to normal over the summer. But right now, Indy seems to be risking Oladipo suffering further injury, and that is just not worth it.
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