Victor Oladipo was the one player on the Orlando Magic many pegged to take the big star turn. He did not step forward, but he was still a very good player.
Victor Oladipo was the prized possession. The player hopes were pinned on with the belief that progress and leadership would come from this guy. That is the pressure of being the No. 2 overall pick entering his third year. That is the pressure of showing promise to end a season that was otherwise lost.
There were big expectations for Victor Oladipo for the 2016 season. His closing kick to 2015 — 20.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game after the All-Star Break last year — created those expectations. There was a firm belief Oladipo was set to turn the corner and become the star.
He has all the tools. Blinding speed. Strong defense. A willingness to improve.
Oladipo was building on all that promise and ready to take a step forward. The Magic needed him to take that step forward both on the court with consistency and as a leader to accomplish all the goals they wanted. He was the player with all the talent and the closest to reaching it.
His 2016 season then was something of a disappointment. He never reached those heights, only scratching the surface.
An early-season injury did not help. For the second straight year, Oladipo was forced out of rhythm and out of the lineup in the early stages.
A bad-luck concussion early in the season knocked him off rhythm. Then he was sent to the bench in a move largely based on statistics and lineup data as the Magic were struggling to find the best lineups. Then he returned. He had his good games and his bad games.
Then he had that finishing kick again — 19.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 3.7 assists per game after the All-Star Break.
These are All-Star quality numbers. It feels like Oladipo has that in him. It just does not come out every game.
His defense is there. Scott Skiles said numerous times throughout the season, Oladipo was playing at an all-defense level for good chunks of the season. That potential is in him too and that came out more often. This is the truly definable NBA skill Oladipo has.
Where Oladipo needed to make improvements and become consistent was with his offense. His jumper needed to improve (it largely did), but he also needed to become a better, more efficient scorer. He needed to finish at the rim and get to the foul line.
The potential is all there for Oladipo. But in his third year, potential needed to become results. Especially considering Oladipo was entering his last season before he became extension eligible. The Magic will have to make a decision on his role and what he is to this team.
Like with everything else, there was no clarity with Oladipo or his future. And that might be the biggest frustration of them all.
Next: The Good and the Bad