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More minutes coming for Pacers guard Victor Oladipo

You’re about to start seeing more of Victor Oladipo.

Well, that’s assuming you watch Pacers games. Which you should, because they’re good.

Okay, lately they haven’t been good, winning just three of their last 10 games. Still, overall this season, they’re a solid squad.

Here’s the Indianapolis Star:

Indiana Pacers coach Nate McMillan said Wednesday that Victor Oladipo is no longer on a minutes restriction. The guard will continue to skip the second game of back-to-backs, however, as he continues his recovery from the knee injury that caused him to miss the first 47 games this season.

“The doctors have cleared him,” McMillan said. “No restrictions as far as minutes, but we’re going to be smart about it. I can play him as many minutes as I want, but we’ll look at how he comes out of those games with increased minutes and adjust accordingly.

The Pacers are 32-23 this seaso, good for 6th in the Eastern conference.

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo plans to return on January 29

Indiana Pacers star shooting guard Victor Oladipo plans to return to action on Wednesday, January 29 for the team’s home game against the Chicago Bulls.

The news came in the form of a video from Oladipo himself that the team shared on social media.

Oladipo’s hasn’t played since January 23, 2019, in a Pacers win against the Raptors. He played 10 minutes, scoring four points, before leaving with injury. Just over a year later, he’ll be making his return from an injury that was reportedly a ruptured quadriceps tendon in his right knee.

The Pacers are already having a very good season. They have a 23-14 record, and have gotten terrific play from offseason addition Malcolm Brogdon. Power forward Domantas Sabonis has emerged as a serious force. And T.J. Warren is scoring in very efficient fashion. It’ll be worth seeing how the Pacers play through early to mid February as they adjust to having Oladipo back in the mix.

Heat beat Pacers, improve record to 23-8

Despite the Pacers missing point guard Malcolm Brogdon, while awaiting the eventual return of shooting guard Victor Oladipo, Friday’s matchup between the Pacers and Heat was still an anticipated battle worth watching. The game proved worthy of attention. Here’s the Miami Herald reporting:

In a game that included 20 lead changes and eight ties, the Heat (23-8) survived to defeat the Indiana Pacers 113-112 on Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Miami improved to 14-1 at home this season, and 23-8 marks its best 31-game start to a season since starting 24-7 in 2013-14.

With the Heat trailing by one with less than a minute to play, guard Goran Dragic made a 9-foot game-winning floater with 6.8 seconds remaining. Offensive rebounds from Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler kept Miami’s final offensive possession alive before Dragic hit the shot.

In the win, the Heat had six players put up double-digit points. They were led by Jimmy Butler’s 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Bam Adebayo’s 18 points, 15 rebounds and six assists, Duncan Robinson’s 18 points, and Kendrick Nunn’s 17 points.

The Pacers had seven players score double-digits, and put up a respectable effort.

Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon okay to play Sunday vs Bucks

Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, the Indiana Pacers hit the road for a trip to Milwaukee. It’s an especially big game for Pacers point guard Malcolm Brogdon, whose first three NBA seasons were with the Bucks. But this summer came big money and a nice role with the Pacers, so Brogdon got himself a new squad, and it’s actually worked out well for both teams.

As for Brogdon’s health status, here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting:

Malcolm Brogdon will take the taped-up fingers on his right hand if it means he can be on the court for his Milwaukee homecoming on Sunday.

After the Pacers starting point guard dislocated his right pinkie and tore a ligament in it earlier this month, he’s been forced to wear surgical tape stabilizing it with his right ring finger, and the traditionally laser-focused Brogdon said it’s been giving him fits on the court the past two weeks.

“It’s definitely something I notice when I’m on the court, but I feel like I’ve been able to do the best I can with it,” he said. “People here have been playing with all types of injuries that the media or other people don’t know about. It’s just something minor.”

The game is worth watching. Even as the Pacers continue to await the eventual return of start shooting guard Victor Oladipo.

 

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Myles Turner adjusting to changing role with Pacers

The Pacers have been a success story this season, which is impressive considering they are still awaiting the return to action of shooting guard Victor Oladipo. A key development this year has been a change in the squad’s frontcourt, and one that definitely affects Myles Turner. Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting:

Being defended by smaller players because he’s now sharing the starting lineup with Domantas Sabonis, he’s not just posting and having his number called. It’s how he’s posting up.

No longer do most of his looks in the offense come via the pick-and-roll (or pop). That’s for Sabonis, who is being defended by the slower players at his position on offense at the 5. Turner, listed as the center, is being defended by 4s and offensively faces up better. His defenders are now mostly quicker, smaller and more laterally capable.

When Malcolm Brogdon or T.J. McConnell call for a ball screen, they want slow-footed Alex Len (Hawks) who’d be defending Sabonis or Daniel Theis (Celtics) or Nik Vucevic (Magic). They wouldn’t call for Turner, who’d be defended by John Collins (when he returns from suspension for the Hawks) in that scenario, or Jaylen Brown (Celtics) or Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac (Magic).

The Pacers haven’t gotten much attention this season but they’ve played as well as many of the East’s best squads. Especially on the defensive side of the floor – and Turner is a big part of that.

Malcolm Brogdon back quickly for Pacers

The Pacers have a big game tonight, and they reportedly will have point guard Malcolm Brodgon active for the event. Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting:

Malcolm Brogdon is set to return to the Pacers just in time for the team’s toughest two-game stretch to this point in the season.

Brogdon sat out the Pacers’ 104-103 victory over the Knicks due to an injury to his right pinkie finger. The Pacers’ point guard said he dislocated the finger and tore a ligament in it after hitting it off the shoe of Pistons guard Langston Galloway. Brogdon finished that game with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists.

However, Brogdon said he is confident that he will be able to play Monday night against the Clippers. His time off in New York was a product of “pain balance.”

Brogdon has been a big part of the Pacers (15-8) success this season. He leads the team in scoring at 19.0 points per game and in assists at 7.7 per game.

Pacers awaiting the return of Victor Oladipo

 

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The Pacers these days always do better than many people predict. Right now they are 13-7, good for sixth best in the Eastern conference standings and are enjoying big-time seasons from Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis and T.J. Warren, plus Jeremy Lamb – though injury put a stop to that.

All while waiting for the eventual return of star shooting guard Victor Oladipo.

Here’s the Indianapolis Star with more:

Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo doesn’t stand out in his gray Fort Wayne Mad Ants practice jersey.

It’s his third practice in five days with the Pacers’ G League affiliate, and the All-Star guard looks like just another guy. He’s not displaying his elite start-stop ability, lateral quickness and athleticism during Wednesday’s 5-on-5 portion of practice, but that’s by design.

The former Most Improved Player is working to regain his feel for the game. He’s been playing 5-on-5 since early November, and getting up and down the court in a scrimmage situation is an encouraging sign of progress more than 10 months removed from rupturing his right quad tendon.

Brogdon has been a fantastic addition to the team. He’s having an excellent season and we look forward to seeing him play alongside Oladipo. Hopefully that happens in the very near future.

Myles Turner fined for gesture towards spectator stands

Indiana Pacers center/forward Myles Turner has been fined $15,000 for making an inappropriate gesture toward the spectator stands, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 3:21 remaining in the second quarter of the Pacers’ 113-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 14 at Wells Fargo Center.

After the game, Myles tweeted an apology towards Philly fans.

Victor Oladipo set to return for Pacers

Good news for the Pacers, per the Indianapolis Star:

Indianapolis Pacers coach Nate McMillan said Victor Oladipo will start against the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Oladipo had missed the past 11 games, the Pacers going 7-4 in his absence. Oladipo will be on a minutes restriction but McMillan wouldn’t say what the number is. Oladipo will likely be substituted early so he’ll have minutes available for the second half.

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For now, Tyreke Evans will remain in Pacers starting lineup

Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting on Tyreke Evans, who despite averaging 10.6 points on 37% shooting so far this season will apparently remain in the Indiana Pacers starting lineup for the time being. Evans has started all 24 games he’s played in so far:

Bojan Bogdanovic speaks about Evans the way the rest of his teammates do: with patience.

He’s a professional they all say. There’s a reason he’s been around the league for a decade. He knows what’s he doing. It will click for him soon. Have patience.

Patience is what coach Nate McMillan is preaching as well — especially in regards to Evans’ place in the Pacers starting lineup, which isn’t going to change.

“He’s had some turnovers, some missed shots lately, (but) we’re not going to go away from him,” McMillan said. “Off the bench, he was doing some good things for us. Hopefully he’ll find his rhythm and start knocking down some of those shots.”

While McMillan isn’t wrong that Evans was doing some good things off the bench, he wasn’t doing them consistently — or to the level the Pacers likely expected when they brought him to the team this offseason.

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