Indiana Pacers: What Happens if Oladipo Misses Significant Time?

Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo had a setback to his surgically repaired knee. What happens if he misses significant time? Do the Pacers make a move?

After coming off his best performance of the season in Saturday’s 113-104 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers superstar Victor Oladipo was ruled out of Monday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs due to swelling in his surgically repaired right knee.

The swelling occurred after Monday morning’s shootaround. The severity of the injury and the length of time Oladipo will be out is currently unknown.

Here is where the speculation begins. What if the pain and swelling is significant enough to consider shutting Oladipo down for the season? With him being under contract through 2020-21, do you rest him and make sure he is 100 percent healthy for next season?

With the potential of losing Oladipo and the realization that Jeremy Lamb is out for the season, the Pacers are getting thin in the backcourt.

Shutting Oladipo down puts extra pressure on second-year guard Aaron Holiday. Holiday has had his ups and downs this year but has produced well in his 22 starts. He is averaging 12.8 points per game as a starter compared to his season average of 9.6 points per game, and he has scored in double figures 16 times. Aaron is prone to making bad decisions when facing ball pressure. The turnovers start piling up when the guard is indecisive on the court.

Possessions are even more important in the playoffs when the game slows down. Can the Pacers trust Aaron Holiday under the bright lights of the NBA playoffs?

The Pacers may want to look to a familiar face to bolster the backcourt. With Oladipo out, should Indiana sign fan favorite Lance Stephenson? The Pacers would have to open a roster spot by cutting a current player. The most likely candidate would be Alize Johnson as his contract expires after this season, and he doesn’t look to be a part of Indiana’s future plans.

A Stephenson return would bring energy, rebounding, and fanfare back to Indianapolis. This signing would help offset the news of Victor missing more time.

Lance has played the best basketball of his NBA career in Indiana. He started 78 games in 2013-14 on a Pacers team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Stephenson also had 5 triple-doubles and narrowly missed being named an All-Star in 2013-14.

Stephenson also has great chemistry with Domantas Sabonis. The two players had many highlights during the 2017-18  season. We would be able to see this chemistry again as Coach McMillan usually plays Sabonis with four bench players nearly every game.

When Stephenson returned in 2017, he ignited a team that was dead in the water and carried them into the playoffs. Without Stephenson, Indiana would have been a lottery team.

Hopefully, Victor’s latest setback is minor, and he will be cleared to return to game action very soon. If not, the Pacers should consider making a move to bring Lance Stephenson back home.