Indiana Pacers Hype Man Will Return Soon Enough
By Evan Graham
The Indiana Pacers began their season with ups and downs. After losing their first three games of the season, they have been 7-2 since without their star Victor Oladipo. However, the return of the all-star is imminent.
What’s Going on With Victor Oladipo?
Earlier this week, the Indiana Pacers assigned Victor Oladipo to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for practice.
The reason that Oladipo was assigned to the G-League affiliate was to have the chance to get out and participate in 5-on-5 with to work through his rehab. A promising sign of its progression.
Oladipo has been recovering from a ruptured right quadricep injury suffered in the middle of last season.
It was speculated that Oladipo could be out for the whole 2019-2020 season, but that timeline has significantly been reduced.
Even though there is still no exact timetable for his return, there are chances that he could play in December or January.
Once the Pacers activate Victor for the season, the Pacers become a strong team if able to stay healthy.
The Pacers have caught the injury bug the last couple of weeks with Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, Goga Bitadze, and Edmond Sumner out of the lineup.
Then, against the Houston Rockets, point guard Malcolm Brogdon left the game and did not return with a sore lower back injury.
Once the Pacers are all healthy, they will be a strong contender for the conference championship.
What Has Oladipo Been Doing During His Rehab?
The Pacers bench has had one standout individual that helps boost the team’s confidence. That is Oladipo.
Here is his reaction in a video after a T.J. Leaf dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this season.
Victor has expressed in the past that he is ready to return to the court with his teammates, but the Pacers training staff don’t want to rush him back.
Oladipo has been diligent with his rehab which is encouraging for the long-term outlook of his career. With the Pacers currently trending in the right direction, the addition of Oladipio will take the team to new heights.
However, the current rotation has proved to the coaching staff and fans that they can get the job done even without one of the league’s best on the floor.