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So an All-NBA player (top 15 in the league) is only ranked…20th in Sports Illustrated’s top 100 players?
That makes a lot of sense.
NBA training camp starts in two weeks, and the list came out yesterday.
Here’s what they had to say about Vic.
“Before last season, Oladipo (23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG) barely needed a trophy case: the 2013 No. 2 pick’s unspectacular career was highlighted by a second-place finish in the 2015 Slam Dunk Contest, an $84 million extension that many observers felt was too generous, and a front-row seat for Russell Westbrook shooting 34 times in an elimination-game defeat. Now? Oladipo has enough hardware to start a personal shrine after earning Most Improved Player, All-Star, All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team honors in one of the great mid-career breakouts in recent memory.”
Those are all the good things, but here is why they bumped him down to 20 after making 3rd team All-NBA:
“This ranking reflects a degree of skepticism that Oladipo’s sensational season—he ranked sixth in Real Plus-Minus, 11th in WARP and 19th in PER—is his new normal. However, his explosiveness, buy-in, and two-way impact should keep him in the All-Star conversation, even if he sustains natural regression or falters a bit under enhanced expectations.”
Perfect. The Pacers and Oladipo play better when there is doubt about them. Hope Victor puts a huge “20” up in his locker room this season.
In other positive news, three other Pacers made the top 100 list. Domas Sabonis came in at 79, Thad Young at 76, and Myles Turner at 67.
The Pacers get back into action on Tuesday, September 25 when training camp gets underway.
