Victor Oladipo had a strong rookie season, but the improvements he made in his sophomore campaign illustrated he’s capable of taking over games and being a star.
Victor Oladipo showed a lot of improvement in 2014-15 and is now beginning to look like a player who could not just be a staple in a good team, but a perennial All-Star.
He took the stage on All-Star Weekend to put the world on notice in the dunk contest, even in finishing second. He proved in the games after the All-Star Break he has arrived as a star. The Jordan brand is licking its chops at having a young explosive talent to don its brand.
Oladipo came into the 2013 draft hailed as a strong defensive player who may not be quite as stellar offensively. But that has not looked to be the case. Oladipo not only can score, but he can do so in bunches and with great diversity in his looks.
Flashing back to a 124-112 loss to Detroit on Jan. 21, Oladipo took his first shot in mid-range while drawing a foul, which set up the next possession for him to kick a short pass to Elfrid Payton to pick up an assist. He then snatched a rebound and ignited a fast break before taking a long two to hit his first field goal. In the first two minutes, he had begun to break down the Pistons’ defense.
The Magic lost that game because of poor perimeter defense of their own, but Oladipo’s offensive evolution is worth charting. He is finding different ways to exploit defenses early on, and it is showing in the way teams are responding to him.
He started to draw doubles and put wing players on notice when he had the ball. He is a disruptive defensive player, but his offense was where he improved most dramatically this season.
A fuller illustration of what Oladipo can do was seen in the 120-113 victory over the Houston Rockets (above) on Jan. 14.
The Magic had stopped slowing it down at that point and were starting to look as though they could turn the corner and play competitive ball with a break-neck pace. Orlando knocked off the Chicago Bulls in the previous contest and had good momentum.
Oladipo followed by scoring 32 points in the win over Houston.
He started by hitting a short floater, then tipping in his second bucket to put the Magic up 11-2 early in the game to force a Rockets timeout. He worked the pick and roll with Nikola Vucevic on a couple possessions, then forced the issue by taking a long James Harden miss to the other end for a score to give the Magic an early 18-8 lead.
There were glimpses of how good Oladipo and the Magic could be, and teams were starting to show respect to Oladipo’s range and his three, which hovers right at the mark that is acceptable to be taking them, 33 percent.
At the half of the Rockets game, Oladipo already had 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting with all but three shots (all threes) coming in the paint. He knocked down two of those three triples, and was outplaying James Harden thoroughly.
Oladipo came back in the third quarter and continued to dominate, even doing a little shimmy shake that led to Harden quickly scoring on the other end as punishment.
The swagger was there, good or bad, and that attitude is what needs to come from a star player. Oladipo was coming to his own.
Oladipo finished the game off with more showboating as he did a 360-dunk to put the Magic up 116-109, putting an impressive exclamation mark on a statement game.
That is what Magic fans want to see. That is what NBA fans want to see. Oladipo is embracing the role of being a star, and he is still humble about matters too. He is having fun, and he is getting better.
He is maturing.
All the signs for Oladipo are positive, and though the Magic won just 25 games, in that contest against Houston the Magic had a bright glimpse of what the team can be. Victor is embracing the NBA way: shooting mostly threes or attacking the rim, not often settling for the mid-range shots that proliferated his game as a rookie.
In the NCAA game, the mid-range can be exploited, even more so with zone defense. Oladipo’s explosive athleticism render him a great finisher, and having Vucevic there to draw attention away from him on finishes help all the more.
He is in a great situation to maximize his immense talents.
Oladipo has adapted to NBA defenses well and is just starting to come into his own. He has improved his decision making and decreased his turnovers from 3.2 to 2.8 per game, while maintaining 4.1 assists per game.
His comparisons to Dwyane Wade are appropriate, given their friendly rivalry. And the hard work and tough play is exemplary.
Even if he does not ascend to Wade’s heights superstardom, Oladipo’s style and effect on the Magic is very similar and he may eventually help the team win a title as Wade did once Shaquille O’Neal arrived.
It was easy to proclaim Victor the No. 1 option that the team needs. It is debatable as to whether he fulfills that, but he is a guy capable of putting up 20 a game.
And for what it is worth, that is still higher than most had the bar set for Oladipo. He was not expected to average 18 points per game in his second NBA season nor have a 25.2 percent usage rate. He has embraced the big role and improved his shooting to become a shooting guard. He has done what his team has asked for him in a really tough situation for any player trying to find his way in the league.
Initially, there were thoughts Oladipo may be either a point guard or a hybrid, but other than spot duty at the 1 this year to give Elfrid Payton a rest (while keeping a premier guard on the court), it became clear Oladipo is a 2-guard. He is going to have a long career at the position, and it would be altogether unsurprising to see him make his first All-Star appearance next year.
It just seems like fate, even.