Victor Oladipo was one of the top rising stars in the NBA just a few short years ago with the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, a gruesome ruptured quad injury derailed the massive success he was having. Last year, the Pacers traded Oladipo to the Houston Rockets, who proceeded to flip him to the Miami Heat ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Once again, Oladipo suffered an injury to the same quad he injured before. He missed the rest of the season after playing in just four games with the Heat.
It had been reported that Oladipo would likely miss a good chunk of the 2021-22 NBA season. Some reports suggested that he might not return until after December. However, things seem to be progressing very well for Oladipo.
According to a report from Greg Sylvander of Five Reasons Sports Network, Oladipo is ahead of schedule in his recovery.
“Sources close to Oladipo’s process throughout summer have maintained that he’s ahead of schedule and that there is an expectation surrounding him that he could be hooping by December,” said Sylvander. “That’s a completely different timeline than I had been conceptualizing as somebody following this team. I was looking at more like the All-Star break.”
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Needless to say, this is huge news for Oladipo and the Heat. Miami was able to keep him around for another season on a one-year deal worth just under $2.4 million. Oladipo will focus on recovering fully and playing his way into a much bigger contract next offseason in free agency.
In the four games Oladipo played with the Heat last season, he showed a potentially great fit. He averaged 12 points per game to go along with 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals. Oladipo’s defensive ability alongside Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo was something that was turning heads.
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Oladipo was a much more dangerous offensive player in the 20 games he played with the Rockets before his trade to Miami. He had averaged 21.2 points per game in those appearances.
Hopefully, we will see Victor Oladipo get back to full health this season. He’s a great guy on and off the court and there was no denying his rising stardom. The Heat and Oladipo seem to be getting news, so there is reason for optimism surrounding his status for the upcoming season.
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