Exploring the big question with Heat’s Victor Oladipo and his revelation about his injury
In two games, Victor Oladipo has given the Heat another skilled, versatile defender, and as Erik Spoelstra said, an element of “speed and quickness with the ball, without the ball that adds a different element that’s really going to help.”
What the two-time All Star hasn’t yet given the Heat is efficient scoring, but Oladipo assured late Saturday night that will come in time.
“I’m not worried about it,” Oladipo said after shooting 3 for 13 and scoring eight points in Miami’s 115-101 win against Cleveland. “I’m not worried about it at all. My shot is going to fall. I’ll score.
“It’s a new experience, new environment, no practice time, no time to get used to the system, get used to guys. The offensive end will come. I’m not really concerned about that. I know the coaching staff and teammates aren’t concerned. They know it will come as well.”
Based on his career body of work, it’s inevitable that Oladipo, 28, will give the Heat high-volume scoring, at least in some games.
Oladipo, who has a 17.5 per game career scoring average, averaged 20 points for Indiana in nine games to start the season and 21.2 in 20 games for Houston after being dealt to the Rockets.
What remains to be seen is whether he can produce those points as efficiently as he did during his best NBA season.
In Oladipo’s last full healthy season before rupturing the quadriceps tendon in his right knee (2017-18), he shot 47.7 percent from the field and 37.1 percent on three-pointers (both career highs) in 75 games, while averaging 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a league-leading 2.4 steals. That production earned him a spot on the NBA’s All Defensive Team and the All NBA third-team.
His shooting dropped in 36 games to start the following season - to 42.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent on threes - as did his scoring (18.8) while his rebounds (5.6) and assists (5.2) rose. Then he ruptured the quad in January 2019 and went a full year (plus six days) before appearing in another NBA game.
Since returning from that injury, he has played in 54 games (including last season’s Pacers first-round playoff loss to the Heat) and has averaged 17.9 points while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 32.5 percent on threes.
He’s 5 for 21 - including 1 for 10 on threes - while scoring 14 points (with 10 assists) in his first 53 minutes with Miami, over two games.
“I’m not one to make excuses, so I don’t make any,” Oladipo said when asked how much his offensive efficiency continues to be impacted by the injury. “But if you look at it, I had a lower extremity injury, so I wasn’t able to use my lower extremity for a long period of time. One leg is stronger than the other. I have some hypertrophy in one leg than the other. Working my way back and finding my balance is something I’m still continuing to work at.
“And I haven’t played a lot of basketball in two years. Coming back from injury, I played [19] games and then COVID hit. I couldn’t even use the gym; I was working out in my garage, I played in the bubble for eight games and four playoff games and then the [2020-21] season started right away.
“It wasn’t an extensive period of time to get the rehab I needed. I could sit here and give you a long story about my rehab or whatever my journey. I’ve just got to keep working. Everything else will fall into place. I’m continuously getting stronger every day.”
Heat TV analyst John Crotty said Saturday that he would like to see Oladipo drive more to the basket and take fewer threes.
Oladipo was 1 for 6 on threes on Saturday and ranks 51st among 54 qualifying NBA shooting guards in three-point shooting percentage this season at 32.3, ahead of only Josh Richardson, Kelly Oubre and Josh Jackson.
But he’s attempting 7.5 three-pointers per game, which is tied with Paul George for 11th most among shooting guards.
Keep in mind that during Oladipo’s best season (when he third team All NBA), just 32.3 percent of his field-goal attempts were three-pointers. This season, 41.9 percent of his shot attempts are three-point attempts.
Because Oladipo has taken a lot of threes (232, with 75 makes), that has dragged down his overall shooting percentage this season to 40.4, which ranks 26th of 29 qualifying shooting guards, ahead of Dwayne Bacon, Buddy Hield and Fred Van Vleet.
But his 19.9 scoring average ranks 10th among shooting guards.
“The offensive end will come; the consistency will come,” he said. “I’ve been in three different environments in less than a year, so adjusting to that is different as well. But it’s nothing I can’t handle. I’m glad to be here, glad to be a part of this culture and this team.”
One big positive from his first two games:
“I think I’ve been really good defensively,” he said, having produced four steals and a block.
He will participate in a non-game-day practice for the first time with his new team on Monday, and that “will help,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”
In the meantime, he’s “just trying to get adjusted. Everything is new. The flow will come. The timing will come. I’ve just to keep playing hard.”
THIS AND THAT
The Heat (26-24) began Sunday fifth in the East, barely behind No. 4 Charlotte (25-23), with Memphis visiting AmericanAirlines Arena on Tuesday...
Even with Andre Iguodala sidelined with a sore right hip, Erik Spoelstra on Saturday opted not to use Kendrick Nunn, who hasn’t played in two consecutive games after missing two due to injury.
Nunn had scored 25 and 22 points - shooting 8 for 14 on threes - in his two full games before the injury, losses to Phoenix and Portland….
Cleveland rookie Isaac Okoro, who drew praise from Jimmy Butler afterward, said of Butler: “It’s nice to see how patient he is during the whole game. He never forces anything. He’s always going at his pace and he’s basically controlling the team.”
This story was originally published April 4, 2021 at 10:42 AM.
