Pacers guard Victor Oladipo was named the league’s Most Improved Player award, it was announced during the NBA’s annual awards broadcast.
He beat out Rockets center Clint Capela and Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie, as expected. Oladipo blossomed into a star after getting dealt by the Thunder in the Paul George blockbuster.
Oladipo averaged 23.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 5.2 APG while leading the Pacers to the playoffs, where they pushed the Cavaliers to the brink before succumbing in seven games. He also shot a career-best 47.7% from the field and 37.1% from 3-point range.
Oladipo had never averaged more than 17.9 PPG in his previous four seasons.
Well deserved, but I thought capella had an amazing year and improved greatly.
It wasn’t so much the points that made him improved. That can be easily explained by just being the #1 option instead of the #2 behind Westbrook. What made him so improved was his shooting percentage. Not to mention, doubling the amount of steals. He just had an outstanding season.
Yeah….he stays on okc and he is the same 2016-7 player. He went to a team that had crap so he was the stud.
Everybody that plays with Westbrook is crap. Oladipo is a great player, and a better person. He’s right at home in Indiana!!
Keep in mind he wasn’t exactly tearing it up in Orlando, either. Indy is his first taste of stardom in the NBA.
Yes that’s true but I think teams saw he had potential. He’s always the headliner the team’s want back in those trades.
Jalen Rose, Jermaine O’Neal, Danny Granger, and Paul George were other Pacers to win award. Victor is in good company.
Indianapolis let him drive the pace car in this years Indy 500. He wants a car for himself.
Pritchard is doing the Pacers what Cleveland is doing for LeBron by asking Oladipo before making any moves. But Oladipo isn’t calling to recruit players and isn’t telling the Pacers who he wants to play with. The Pacers have team players and Oladipo is one of them!
Oh ya! Oladipo was the 150th best player in his class coming out of high school. Three years later he was NCAA Player of the Year. It takes him a little time, but he gets there!
Actually his first taste of stardom was at Indiana University. He was National Player of the Year after his junior year. He was third team all NBA this year. All that matters is Indiana loves him and he loves Indiana. Nobody cares what he did anywhere else. The Pacers were the surprise team of the 2017-18 season and Oladipo was the surprise player.
Kevin Pritchard said the kind of players he wants are the ones that have talent, but don’t fit in with other teams Oladipo is the perfect example.
Great season, became a star this year, but I am not sure he is all that, with the hype and all, but he won it fair & square, not much competition this year.
They got that one right.
Kevin Pritchard has said he’ll talk to Oladipo before making any moves. Indiana is treating Oladipo just like Cleveland did LeBron. For some it’s a matter of being in the right place at the right time. He is now.