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Victor Oladipo ranked 77th on The Crossover’s Top 100 NBA Players of 2018

By Ben Gibson

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 5: Victor Oladipo #5 of Team Africa passes the ball against Team World in the 2017 Africa Game as part of the Basketball Without Borders Africa at the Ticketpro Dome on August 5, 2017 in Gauteng province of Johannesburg, South Africa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 5: Victor Oladipo #5 of Team Africa passes the ball against Team World in the 2017 Africa Game as part of the Basketball Without Borders Africa at the Ticketpro Dome on August 5, 2017 in Gauteng province of Johannesburg, South Africa. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Sports Illustrated’s The Crossover released the first batch of players in their Top 100 NBA Players of 2018 rankings, placing Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo in the 77th spot.

The Paul George trade for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis continues to be criticized, but at least the Indiana Pacers got a player in the top 100, right?

Oladipo is the 77th best player in the NBA according to The Crossover’s Top 100 NBA Players of 2018. He is one of only two Indiana Pacers in the top 100, with the other being Myles Turner ranked as the 68th best.

SI’s Ben Golliver echoed many of the criticisms of Oladipo, questioning if he can carry the added responsibilities now that he is one of the lead dogs with the Pacers.

"Instead of emerging as a true co-pilot on Russell Westbrook’s magical ride, Oladipo (15.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.6 APG) joined the rest of the Thunder in the backseat. Upon arriving in Oklahoma City by trade last summer, the 25-year-old guard seemed poised to play the Robin role and step forward as a lead playmaker when the 2017 MVP went to the bench. But the anticipated breakthrough never materialized, as Oladipo’s game mirrored his good-but-not-great showing during his first three years in Orlando. Then, in his first trip to the playoffs, Oladipo’s shot abandoned him and he proved to be only a bit player.There’s some fool’s gold to Oladipo. He’s quick and leaps well, but doesn’t translate those tools into consistent, efficient isolation offense. He can get by as a spot-up shooter, but isn’t a knockdown threat. He can generate offense in pick-and-rolls, but doesn’t light up the highlight tapes with his vision. He’s got a strong frame, but hasn’t yet delivered on pre-draft prognostications that viewed him as an elite defender. While his offseason trade to Indiana should offer him more shots, touches, and opportunities to initiate the offense, he will likely struggle with the burdens of being a lead backcourt scorer."

For those cheering for an Indiana Pacers tank job, these are reassuring words.

For those cheering for a better than expected return in PG-VO/DS trade, these words are more of the same.

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Good, but not great is the story of Victor Oladipo in the NBA through four seasons in the NBA. Dipo hasn’t found a fifth gear to elevate his game to a near-All-Star level, or at least something more than just “good”.

Until Oladipo takes the floor as a Pacer — no, the Africa game doesn’t count — he can’t fight this narrative. Hope can abound but the four years’ worth of NBA statistics tell us a breakthrough is unlikely.

The best-case scenario for Oladipo is his return to the state where he made his name with the Indiana Hoosiers sparks an evolution in his game. Unlikely, but hey, Lance Stephenson appeared to find himself again back when he came home.

The Victor Oladipo we see in a Pacers uniform won’t be the one playing passively as he did with the Oklahoma City Thunder, nor will he be the young and raw version of himself we saw with the Orlando Magic.

What he is for Indiana is yet to be seen, but expecting a major breakthrough is overly optimistic.

Next: Locked On Pacers: Pacers/Colts Combined Win Totals

Oladipo was ranked 78th in ESPN’s top 100 players.

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