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HoopsHype: Pacers' Victor Oladipo is NBA's Biggest Breakout Star So Far This Year

A snippet:

Bryan Kalbrosky / Hoops Hype wrote:So far, his transition to the face of the franchise in Indiana has gone surprisingly well. During his most recent outing, he had 28 points (11-for-16) in 28 minutes. He averages 23.8 PPG with 4.5 RPG and 3.5 APG.

Through four games, Oladipo ranks Top 5 in the Eastern Conference based on ESPN’s Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) and is also Top 10 in NBA Math’s Total Points Added (TPA).

Five games into the season, Oladipo is averaging 26 points per game, on 50% from the field, 45% from downtown, and 89% from the line. His shooting and his free throw attempts are both way up, allowing him to make the leap as a scorer.

Oladipo has been pretty great, but Turner is the face of the franchise.

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:Oladipo has been pretty great, but Turner is the face of the franchise.

The fans are the face of the franchise.

I knew Victor would be good this year. His three point shot is great. He is coming off of screens with confidence and rising up with both legs under him. He is more fluid and aggressive.

We have big potential in Oladipo, Turner, GRIII and Sabonis... Lance and Joseph are still young and usefull from the bench...

Next year total salaries will be around 73 milions $, probably we will opt out Big Al and spend that money on GRIII, so we will have around 35 milions to spend... what we need? PG and SF... Unrestricted free agents next year on that positions: Kyrie Irving, Isaiah Thomas, Zach LaVine, Paul George, Robert Covington... What do we have to do? Try to ask Paul to come back? I dont Know. We will have money and good players, but we desperatly need superstar.

I think we have a shot at Robert Covington and he would be good next to Vic. Trevor Booker is also a UFA and he would fit the high energy of the team. Noel has been a suggestion for awhile but I don't know about how his positives can mitigate our weaknesses. Kylr O'Quin would be a good bench big. I don't think the Thunder will be able to keep Grant. These are the type of players we will go for. There is more promise in developing youth and drafting competitive players than signing them outright.

Vorda wrote:Try to ask Paul to come back?

wouldn't that be funny. I wrote last night that he'd have a better chance at a ring here than with the Lakers. Collison, Dipo, PG, Turner, and Sabonis would be quite a starting lineup next year. We'd be a lot younger than OKC too,

Vorda wrote:What do we have to do? Try to ask Paul to come back? I dont Know.

You know, for some strange reason, I've got my doubts about that.

Wizop wrote:

Vorda wrote:Try to ask Paul to come back?

wouldn't that be funny. I wrote last night that he'd have a better chance at a ring here than with the Lakers. Collison, Dipo, PG, Turner, and Sabonis would be quite a starting lineup next year. We'd be a lot younger than OKC too,

Paul would screw up all the chemistry this team is building. The ball movement and pace would evaporate, as would the feeling of TEAM play. Did anyone else notice it took him a whole 2:30 into the game to have his first complaint to the refs?

No thanks.

How can this be?

I though we got totally screwed on the Paul George trade. We got virtually nothing for him...at least that's what I kept hearing all summer.

Wizop wrote:

Vorda wrote:Try to ask Paul to come back?

wouldn't that be funny. I wrote last night that he'd have a better chance at a ring here than with the Lakers. Collison, Dipo, PG, Turner, and Sabonis would be quite a starting lineup next year. We'd be a lot younger than OKC too,

Larry Bird and Paul George are actually best friends and this was their masterplan to give Paul help and give the leadership role to other players

Kevin should at least make him an offer, just to see his reaction

Tom White wrote:

Wizop wrote:

Vorda wrote:Try to ask Paul to come back?

wouldn't that be funny. I wrote last night that he'd have a better chance at a ring here than with the Lakers. Collison, Dipo, PG, Turner, and Sabonis would be quite a starting lineup next year. We'd be a lot younger than OKC too,

Paul would screw up all the chemistry this team is building. The ball movement and pace would evaporate, as would the feeling of TEAM play. Did anyone else notice it took him a whole 2:30 into the game to have his first complaint to the refs?

No thanks.

But... we need a superstar... a first option player... and only available stars are I.Thomas and PG... of course I dont count LBJ and Durant... we could take Convington, Noel or Favours... but with them we will never be contenders... and on the east next year will be very easy to become contender... especially if LBJ dont resign and go west...

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:Oladipo has been pretty great, but Turner is the face of the franchise.

Well that remains to be seen. Vic has shown he's much better than anyone thought. He plays D, and he runs the floor really well, he can be a scorer and a defender. Currently 26 points per game and shooting 44% from 3pt range if he keeps that up he's gonna make people forget about that PG guy.

basketballwacko2 wrote:Currently 26 points per game and shooting 44% from 3pt range if he keeps that up he's gonna make people forget about that PG guy.

I will eat a sock if those are his numbers at the end of the season.

Tom White wrote:Paul would screw up all the chemistry this team is building. The ball movement and pace would evaporate, as would the feeling of TEAM play. Did anyone else notice it took him a whole 2:30 into the game to have his first complaint to the refs?

No thanks.

I kind of agree with this. I would loooooooove to have "2013 on the verge of breaking out, defend, and do all the little things Paul George", but I'm not so sure about the "whine at the refs all the time, I've got to get the last shot Paul George" that we had at the end there. That young Paul George that was hungry and out to do whatever it took to compete with the Lebrons of the league would fit this team like a glove. Nowadays, I just don't know.

Likely, that relationship is kind of busted anyways.

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:

basketballwacko2 wrote:Currently 26 points per game and shooting 44% from 3pt range if he keeps that up he's gonna make people forget about that PG guy.

I will eat a sock if those are his numbers at the end of the season.

What do you want on that sock? BBQ or Buffalo sause?

I'm not saying he will have those numbers but I think he's gonna do quite well, who else is gonna score?

basketballwacko2 wrote:

xxSnEaKyPxx wrote:Oladipo has been pretty great, but Turner is the face of the franchise.

Well that remains to be seen. Vic has shown he's much better than anyone thought. He plays D, and he runs the floor really well, he can be a scorer and a defender. Currently 26 points per game and shooting 44% from 3pt range if he keeps that up he's gonna make people forget about that PG guy.

What PG guy. I seem to have forgotten already. Senior moment???

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I love what OlaC-3PO has done thus far, but it definitely is like a hair-pulling moment when I'm like, "IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT CONCUSSION" because Myles Turner could've been **** amazing, too.

Yeah he is ballin. Imagine what Orlando would look like had they been patient. Payton is playing better this year. Gordon is a superstar talent on the rise. Frank has seemingly gotten Orlando to finally start the blossoming process. Only if they had just kept Oladipo.

SmashMouthRod wrote:Yeah he is ballin. Imagine what Orlando would look like had they been patient. Payton is playing better this year. Gordon is a superstar talent on the rise. Frank has seemingly gotten Orlando to finally start the blossoming process. Only if they had just kept Oladipo.

I agree the trade was bad for Orlando. One of Orlando's problems though was both Oladipo and Fournier are best suited to playing the 2. Oladipo is small for a 2 and playing Fournier at the 3 made them extremely small. It also created issues of who handles the ball in the back court. Fournier fits better with Payton in the starting lineup. Oladipo off the bench, which they tried, might not have given him enough of a role to develop the way he has here. A good coach might have made it work, but the coaching while Oladipo was in Orlando was bad bad bad.

It's still a pretty interesting what-if. If they had kept Sabonis and used him at center the way we are they probably wouldn't have needed to give Biyombo that crazy contract.