8 points, 9 seconds
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The Victoregression is real for Victor Oladipo

By William Furr

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 09: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket against Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 9, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 09: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket against Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 9, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /
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Victor Oladipo’s 3-point shooting is in a slow decline since the start of the season, but should the Indiana Pacers be concerned?

Victor Oladipo’s regression from 3-point range has been feared since he came out of the gates hot. It started out slowly but has really hit hard since the new year.

If we look at his shooting month by month, it’s impossible to miss the issue Oladipo and the Pacers will be facing come playoff time. He hit 46% in October, 43% in November, 41% in December, 31% in January, and 23% in February. Yikes.

It’s not all doom and gloom. Dipo has remained effective overall from the field, dipping just slightly below his pre-2018 numbers. He’s still been a big net positive overall and continues to hit the glass while upping his assist numbers.

To pump the brakes — this here is NOT saying that Dipo isn’t a star, isn’t capable of leading the time, anything of the sort. Let those angry fingers rest.

Victor Oladipo has been great this season, without a doubt. The return to the mean in 3 point shooting is real, but that goes both ways. It was unlikely he’d sustain a season shooting 43%+ from deep. It’s also unlikely he’ll continue to shoot a ghastly 23% as well.

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What happens now is the next evolution. He’ll keep putting up 3’s (as he should), but now he has to recognize when defenders honor his shooting to a fault.

If you look at the tracking numbers from NBA.com, Oladipo’s catch and shoot opportunities declined slowly since the start of the season. Defenders aren’t giving him the ball in space like the used to.

Teams have to respect his ability to shoot off the bounce; that means additional openings to attack in the defense. The improvements he’s seen shown year by year say he’ll be able to figure that out and take advantage of it. Time will tell, but this is almost certainly a speed bump, rather than anything bigger.

With 21 games left in the season, there’s plenty of time for Victor Oladipo to find his way out of this shooting slump. When he does, this Pacers team will become even more dangerous. Until then, especially without the services of Darren Collison, they remain vulnerable.

Next: Sabonis stands in no one's shadow

The Pacers, currently in 5th place in the East, could finish anywhere from hosting a playoff series to watching round 1 from home. Where they finish — and how they potentially do in the playoffs — has a variance as wide as the 20% gap in Oladipo’s 3 point shooting.

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