Larry Nance Jr on Victor Oladipo when he was with the Indiana Pacers: 'One of the hardest players I’ve ever had to guard in my time in the league'
New Orleans Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week to share his thoughts on Victor Oladipo and his skill level when he was with the Indiana Pacers.
For most of Oladipo's stint with Indiana, Nance Jr was in Cleveland, meaning the two teams faced off four times every season. The two players got plenty of reps against each other, and Nance Jr struggled to contain Oladipo.
"Random thought: 2018 Vic Oladipo was one of the hardest players I've ever had to guard in my time in the league," Nance Jr tweeted on Monday. "Man would sprint full speed at you and pull up for three like nothing, or could blow by anytime he wanted as well."
The pull-up three ball that Oladipo developed with the Pacers was a huge part of his growth as a player. Outside of a short 20 game stint with the Houston Rockets, Indiana is still the only franchise that Oladipo averaged more than two three-pointers per game with. His ability to decelerate into long-range shots opened up his game.
He was always athletic, but those skills paired together made him difficult to stop. Staying in front of him was almost impossible, and he shot 37.1% from deep and 69.0% at the rim during his first season with the Pacers. Both of those numbers were career highs at the time.
That year, Oladipo was named an All-Star for the first time and was named to the All-NBA Third-Team. He had a wonderful season and put himself on the map as one of the best talents in the league.The Pacers pushed Nance, LeBron James, and the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the 2017 postseason.
"Nightmare," Nance Jr said.
Oladpio was named an All-Star in the following season as well, but a devastating quad injury set him back. He has never been the same player since and has dealt with numerous injuries along the way.
He finally returned to Indiana this past season and played in front of Pacers fans. "It definitely brings some nostalgia walking into the building," Oladipo said of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He is now on the Oklahoma City Thunder's roster.
Nance Jr and Oladipo were the subject of a controversial rebound that led to a Cleveland win in Indianapolis back in 2018. It was a moment where Nance Jr got the better of the Pacers star.
Oladipo averaged 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game for the Pacers in 139 outings. He was an excellent defender as well and was the two-way star that many teams hope to acquire on the perimeter. Prior to his injury, the now 31-year old was a premier talent in the association.
He isn't that any more, but as Nance Jr rightly points out, Oladipo was among the toughest players to defend in the entire NBA as recently as five years ago.
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