Oladipo after (very) positive Heat playoff debut: ‘I really feel like I can help the team’
Victor Oladipo has had to deal with a lot in the past three-plus years.
Two surgeries on the quadriceps tendon in his right knee. Two trades. And inconsistent playing time, as he continues to work his way back from those knee issues in hopes of returning to pre-injury form when he was voted to the All-Star Game, NBA All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Third Team in the 2017-18 season.
Not much bothers the Miami Heat guard at this point. So when a report from Fox Sports 1’s Skip Bayless surfaced last week that the reason Oladipo found himself out of the Heat’s rotation was because star Jimmy Butler didn’t want to play with him, Oladipo just shrugged it off.
“Tell them how much I hate you,” Butler said as Oladipo closed his postgame press conference following the Heat’s 110-86 blowout win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night at State Farm Arena to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.
Oladipo played along.
“Jimmy hates me, guys,” Oladipo said, leaning into the microphone before rolling his eyes and smiling. “That was a cute one.”
It turns out Butler does not hate Oladipo. It also turns out that Oladipo will have an opportunity to play important playoff minutes for the Heat after all with starting point guard Kyle Lowry battling a strained left hamstring.
Following three straight DNP-CDs (did not play, coach’s decision) to open the postseason, Oladipo made his Heat playoff debut in Sunday’s Game 4 win with Lowry unavailable.
Oladipo, 29, totaled just six points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-5 shooting on threes, but still made a positive impact with eight rebounds, four assists and solid defense in 23 minutes off the bench. The Heat outscored the Hawks by 28 points with Oladipo on the court Sunday.
According to NBA tracking data, Hawks players shot a combined 2 of 7 from the field in Game 4 with Oladipo as their primary defender.
“Everything always just gets evaluated by how many points you score or how many shots you shoot,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat looking to eliminate the Hawks and advance to the second round with a win on Tuesday in Game 5 at FTX Arena (7 p.m., NBA TV and Bally Sports Sun). “He was a plus-28 and did some great things defensively. Got us some extra possessions offensively. Put the ball on the floor, broke down the defense. He’s a former All-Star that’s just made himself vulnerable and available. He gave us some great important minutes, inspiring minutes tonight.”
Spoelstra said he didn’t have to tell Oladipo he would play Sunday because “it was pretty much understood” after he worked with the second unit in Saturday’s practice. Oladipo’s Game 4 action marked his game appearance since the Heat’s regular-season finale on April 10, his first playoff appearance since August 2020 and just the ninth game he has played in over the last year.
“Nobody had to really tell me anything. Just stay ready,” Oladipo said. “It’s been a while since I’ve played in a playoff game — honestly it’s been a while since I’ve played basketball in general. It’s been like two weeks. This is, what, my ninth game in 333 days. I’m still finding my rhythm.
“This still a rehab process. I’m still getting better and stronger every day. I’m still trying to find myself and find my way, but I’ve played basketball all my life. You throw me out there, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. I’ve always been like that.”
Oladipo, who will be a free agent this upcoming offseason, had been out of the Heat’s rotation for weeks. He only appeared in eight regular-season games after making his season debut on March 7, following an 11-month recovery from a second surgery on his right knee.
In addition to three straight DNP-CDs to begin the playoffs, Oladipo did not play in five of the Heat’s final seven regular-season games despite being available. The Heat opted to emphasize offensive spacing around its leading duo of Bam Adebayo and Butler by playing its best outside shooters ahead of Oladipo.
“I just really admire Vic for his fortitude,” Spoelstra said. “I’ve said this many times, a lot of players would have just written this season off. It’s the safer play and particularly when we’ve had success and there’s an unknown for a player, a veteran player, a proven All-Star. Sometimes you can just say, ‘You know what, I don’t see an opportunity. I’m going to kick this down the road and just try to work on my health.’ But he’s really worked diligently, he’s made himself available, he has an amazing attitude of just coming in every day with a positive frame of mind, giving to the team.”
What did Oladipo take away from his performance in Game 4?
“You have to stay in the moment. You can’t really control anything else,” he said. “You can control what’s right in front of you and you can control your mind set and your approach. At the end of the day, I’m going to go out there and do whatever I can to help the team win. I’m confident in myself and my game. I really feel like I can help the team.”
Oladipo’s Heat teammates have confidence in him, too. That includes Butler, who said Oladipo “deserves to play.”
“But that’s not my call,” Butler continued. “I don’t talk to anyone about it. I just always tell him, ‘You be who you are. You be aggressive because when your number’s called — and it was — you see what happens.’”
With Lowry’s status for Game 5 and beyond up in the air, more significant playoff minutes could be in Oladipo’s immediate future. And if Oladipo plays well enough, there’s always a chance he could stick in the Heat’s rotation even when Lowry returns.
“In the playoffs, things happen and you just have to prepare and be ready,” Spoelstra said. “That’s what Vic has done marvelously well. He stayed ready. He makes it a lot easier than it is for a veteran highly decorated player to take the DNPs and do it with grace and class and just continue to prepare and be ready. He gave us winning minutes and everybody was just really inspired by his journey of this last year. It hasn’t been fun, it hasn’t been easy. But I just love his spirit.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 10:28 AM.
