Former Hoosier Victor Oladipo Carves Out Significant Role for Miami Heat Despite Losing in Game Seven of Eastern Conference Finals
After missing the better part of three seasons with injuries, current Miami Heat guard and former Indiana All-American Victor Oladipo proved he can still play at a high level during the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
Oladipo scored 23 points in Miami's series-clinching win over the Atlanta Hawks on April 26, and averaged 24.5 minutes per game during the playoffs. After this win over the Hawks, Oladipo opened up about the struggles he went through during his injury rehab.
"Around this time last year, I was sitting in a dark room by myself and just broke down," Oladipo said after defeating the Hawks. "Not because I quit, but because I was at the lowest point I could be at. And now God has put me in this position today, so I just made the most of it."
Oladipo worked his way into a key role off the bench for the Heat, including two 23-point games and six games with double-digit points in the playoffs. He played over 23 minutes per game for the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, averaging 9.7 points, three rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
While Oladipo and the Heat lost on their home court 100-96 in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, Oladipo showed flashes of the player that was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He posted a team-high +16 plus/minus in game seven, scoring nine points with five rebounds and three assists. Oladipo, the 2013 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, was also an integral part of Miami's defense, which ranked among the NBA's best all season.
Oladipo turned 30 years old during Miami's 16-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers in game two of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Oladipo will enter his 10th year in the NBA next season, and when healthy, he has shown the ability to be a key contributor on a playoff team.
Over his nine-year professional career, Oladipo has averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He is a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the 2013-2014 All-Rookie team. During the 2017-2018 season on the Indiana Pacers, Oladipo won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award after raising his scoring average from 15.9 to 23.1 points per game. In the same season, he was also named to the All-NBA third team and the All-Defensive first team, leading the NBA with 2.4 steals per game.
Oladipo signed a one-year, $2,389,641 deal with the Miami Heat, meaning he is now an unrestricted free agent. He began his career with the Orlando Magic and has also played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets.
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