Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Victor Oladipo
The Good and the Bad
| Season | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 72 | 52 | 33.0 | .438 | .348 | .489 | .830 | 0.7 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 16.0 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/9/2016.
Victor Oladipo took a bit of a dip numbers wise in 2016. But that may be more of a statement of how inconsistent his season was more than a statement of his improvement or a statement of a setback.
Oladipo was pulled every which way this past year. He started off as the potential star, then went to super sixth man then back into the starting lineup. His role was somewhat ill defined and with so many other players in the lineup also demanding the ball, Oladipo got lost in the shuffle. He is not a great catch-and-shoot player despite an improved 3-point percentage — 33.9 percent to 34.8 percent.
Where Oladipo still had plenty of room to grow — and where he continued to struggle — was finishing at the rim and getting to the foul line. These are both key areas to his game as a slasher and penetrator.
Oladipo shot 53.9 percent on 345 field goal attempts this season in the restricted area. That is slightly below the league average for field goal percentage in the restricted area. In 2015, he shot 52.4 percent on 542 field goal attempts.
It was a slight improvement. But Oladipo’s efficiency took a tumble going from shooting 4.4 free throw attempts per game to 3.4 free throw attempts per game this year. That is a big decrease and eventually Oladipo stopped attacking the rim with the same fervor, settling for jumpers.
He was admittedly better at that. His mid-range jump shooting improved as did his 3-point shooting. There was hope for him there. But it felt like his offensive game was still off. It was not the same — whether it was because he was not seeing that uptick in makes or not getting to the foul line enough.
He was still often the best offensive creator on the floor for the Magic. He is still the player with the most “star qualities.”
And his defense was absolutely stellar all year. He was a hound on opposing players and it was hard to keep him out because of what he could do individually on defense.
Oladipo’s struggles this year might have been a product of the Magic’s mismatched roster and Scott Skiles’ search for some sort of consistency. But Oladipo also did not come to the forefront either.
And that was the big disappointment of his season.
Next: Best Game of 2016