Indiana Pacers: The good and bad of Victor Oladipo’s return

Indiana Pacers fans finally got the good news that Victor Oladipo will be returning to the floor later this month. As Oladipo’s season debut on January 29th approaches, it’s important to consider the good and bad of his return.

The Indiana Pacers will have one of the NBA’s best in Victor Oladipo back on its roster for the second half of the season.

Victor Oladipo will be making his long-awaited season debut on January 29th against the Chicago Bulls in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

As the Pacers continue to progress as a team, adding Oladipo to the mix will have its pros and cons. The Pacers have been battling injury all season and the team’s overall health is improving.

However, it is important to look at the good and bad of Oladipo’s integration into the current rotation.

Everything good about Victor Oladipo’s return

1. The Pacers get their best player and leader back in the mix.
2. More involvement of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner on offense.
3. The Pacers potentially having one of the best back-courts in the NBA.
4. The second unit immediately improves.

Pacers’ best player is back on the floor

Since the announcement of Oladipo’s return, fans are anxiously awaiting the January 29th showdown between the Pacers and Chicago Bulls.

Indiana has started its season better than expected, even after three straight losses to open the season.

The Pacers currently stand at 24-15 and are sixth in the Eastern Conference after their 116-105 win against the Bulls on Friday night.

With Oladipo returning, it brings back a player that the Pacers can rely upon in crunch time, something that has been lacking during this first half of the season.

Since Oladipo was traded to Indiana, he has made multiple game-winning shots and has been a key piece down the stretch. Expect that to continue with the guard back in the rotation.

More involvement of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner

By having Oladipo back, it allows for better pick-and-roll opportunities for Sabonis and Turner.

Oladipo’s presence on the court makes opposing teams focus more on him than others. If defenders decide to double-team Oladipo after a screen, he has the playmaking ability to pass it to the rolling or popping big man.

More fluidity between the back and frontcourts is expected with Oladipo back in the lineup. Sabonis and Turner should flourish with Oladpio back in the rotation for the Pacers.

A Scary Backcourt

Once the Pacers become healthy again, the tandem of Malcolm Brogdon and Oladipo should tear up the league.

This backcourt could potentially become a top-five backcourt in the NBA.

Jeremy Lamb with the Bench Unit

Jeremy Lamb will eventually move to the bench once Oladipo is back in the starting lineup. By him moving to the bench, this gives Indiana more firepower with the second unit.

With a bench lineup that includes Aaron Holiday, T.J. McConnell, Doug McDermott, Justin Holiday, Goga Bitadze,  and Lamb, opponents will have a tough time defending the Pacers for four quarters.

Some bad things about Oladipo’s return

1. Less T.J. Warren shooting opportunities.
2. Less Brogdon ball-handling.
3. A lesser role for Aaron Holiday or McConnell.

No more T.J. Warren Takeovers?

Warren has had a great season so far in his first stint with the Pacers.

The small forward has become the main scorer for the Pacers, basically replacing Bojan Bogdanovic.

Once Oladipo returns to full power, he will be shooting more than ten shots per night, which will lower the opportunities for others on the team.

However, this could be positive. As fans have seen this season, when Warren is having a bad scoring night, he tries to shoot his way out of it. Oladipo’s inclusion will take some of the pressure and responsibility off of Warren and allow him to flourish within the flow of the offense.

Less of Malcolm Brogdon ball-handling

Brogdon has been a key part of Indiana’s success in the early part of the season when he has been healthy.

Once Oladipo is in the starting lineup, Brogdon will be moved from point to shooting guard.

This will take the ball out of Brogdon’s hands. This a different role for Brogdon with the Pacers as he has served as the team’s starting point guard up to this point, when in the lineup.

Luckily, Brogdon has had the experience of shifting positions due to injuries this season and also in his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

This may make the Pacers even better with Oladipo controlling the ball because it could allow Brogdon to move around more on the offensive side of the court to either score or set up teammates.

Only time will tell.

Less Aaron Holiday and T.J. McConnell

This is a big possibility, especially with Lamb moving to the bench.

Lamb will consume more of the bench minutes since he has shown that he can find his own shot and score consistently.

During a game, if Brogdon or Oladipo goes to the bench for rest, Lamb will more than likely be the first one off the bench, not McConnell or Holiday like what we’ve seen so far this season.

Despite Holiday having a great start to the season and showing the Pacers’ front office what is capable of, his minutes may dwindle with the change in rotation.

McConnell has played well too so far this season and his time on the floor may be impacted as more guards are added to the mix.

Conclusion

Oladipo’s return will bring many fans back into Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but it will change the team’s rotation. Once healthy, Oladipo should help the Pacers climb the Eastern Conference ladder.

The Pacers will be a very scary team to face in the playoffs if they remain healthy.