Former Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo has begun a stint in the G League, and it’s not going as well as some people may have expected. At the peak of his powers, Oladipo was a top-15 player in the NBA, earning All-NBA nods for the Pacers. But now, it looks like his professional basketball career could be coming to a close.
At just 33 years old, Oladipo is still young enough to make a return to the NBA, but based on the way things have been going in the G League, that may not be in the cards. Oladipo has not been playing as well as a former NBA superstar would likely be expected to at that level.
And he may not get another shot at NBA life.
How is Victor Oladipo playing?
Oladipo signed a contract to join the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate, at the beginning of November.
Since then, he has appeared in four games for the club, playing 24.7 minutes. He has averaged 12.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. However, his efficiency hasn’t been ideal.
Oladipo has shot just 38.9% from the field on 13.5 field goal attempts and 30.4% from deep range on 5.8 three-point attempts.
It’s been a less-than-ideal start to the year for a guy who likely has dreams of making it back to the NBA level.
What were the Victor Oladipo years like in Indy?
The Oladipo years were some of the most entertaining seasons of Indiana basketball in recent memory. Outside of the NBA Finals run that just took place, Oladipo’s Pacers may be the most fun version of the team to exist in the last decade.
When he was at his best, Oladipo was one of, if not the best, two-way guard in the NBA. He would score 30 points and lock up the opposing team’s best player on a night-to-night basis. It was incredibly fun to watch.
Oladipo even led the Pacers to a shocking seven-game series against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018. Indiana lost Game 7 by four points, and had they won, they would have been the first team to ever take down James in a first-round playoff series.
Eventually, the Oladipo years came to an end due to some poor injury luck, and he was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets in a deal that brought Caris LeVert back to the Pacers.
Still, when he was in his prime, Pacers Oladipo sure was fun to watch.