Victor Oladipo out ‘indefinitely’ according to the Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers announced Victor Oladipo is out “indefinitely” as his sore right knee continues to heal. What’s this mean for the team going forward?

Bad news: The Indiana Pacers released a statement on Friday saying Victor Oladipo was out indefinitely with his sore right knee injury

In the statement, the team said “The Indiana Pacers announced Friday that Victor Oladipo will be out indefinitely as he continues to deal with a sore right knee. Further updates will be provided when warranted.”

How bad is this news? Maybe not as bad as it sounds.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Oladipo is still working himself back into game condition and should return in the near future. He said there was no structural damage to the knee.

So, the Pacers saying he is out indefinitely might be more to avoid setting a timetable, but not having a date set isn’t a good thing, either. However, if Woj’s reporting is right, then this might be more precautionary than anything else.

The Pacers posted a 3-3 record so far in his absence as their weaknesses are more exposed. However, if turning Aaron Holiday into an NBA player and restarting Doug McDermott’s shooting are the results of Oladipo’s missed time, then there is a silver lining.

What Victor Oladipo’s sore knee means for the Indiana Pacers

The good news is the Pacers schedule is favorable for the next 10 days. The Pacers don’t face any playoff teams as they’ll face the Sacramento Kings twice, the Chicago Bulls, and the Washington Wizards.

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However, if Oladipo is out beyond Dec. 10th, then games against the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers present a daunting task for the rest of the lineup.

After games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks, Indiana would face another playoff team in the Toronto Raptors.

Keeping Oladipo healthy, however, matters more than wins in December. As die-hard as some fans are, we know that the season doesn’t really start in earnest until nearly Christmas. Or at least it isn’t until then that we can start to believe what we’ve seen on the court.

Indiana’s playing so-so without Oladipo, but they’re still beating the cellar-dwellers of the league. They’ll need Oladipo if they want to do more than hover around a .500 record.

If Oladipo doesn’t come back until the 10th, then Indiana should be fine. If they have to play without him until the middle of December, then Indiana’s record could be in trouble as the new year approaches.