The Indiana Pacers have defied the odds this season and are looking forward to a return to the playoffs, something that nobody predicted would be possible before the start of the campaign.After trading Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the summer, the general consensus was that the Pacers would rebuild and be a lottery team this year.But the man who replaced George as part of that trade has had other ideas all season long.Victor Oladipo is having the best year of his career and has carried Indiana with his terrific form.He became an All-Star for the first time and is establishing himself as one of the best guards in the league.The 25-year-old is a real fans' favourite in Indianapolis and has rekindled his affinity with the city where he played his college basketball.He's allowed the fans in Nap Town to quickly forget about PG13 with great performances on the court almost every night.
Oladipo has rarely disappointed the crowd inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse and is always worth the price of admission thanks to his full repertoire of offensive skills.Against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night, he displayed the athletic kind with an eye-catching highlight play that got the Pacers fans off their seats.After Thaddeus Young blocked a shot attempt by Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic raced up the floor in transition and missed a tough layup attempt at the rim but Oladipo came out of nowhere to clean it up with a monster putback dunk.
It was almost midway through the third quarter and at a time when the Pacers had just taken the lead and control of the game.
The shooting guard has been showcasing his ridiculous athleticism all season but this is definitely among his best.
The former number two overall pick finished the game with 20 points, four rebounds, and three steals in a 110-100 win at home.
Indiana improves to 41-30 and is fourth in the east which keeps them firmly in contention to secure home-court advantage in the first round.
With Oladipo playing outstanding basketball, there's every chance they can even leapfrog the Cleveland Cavaliers as they're just a half-game behind the third spot.
The ex-Orlando Magic guard is averaging career-highs of 23.3 points, 4.2 assists, 5.2 rebounds and a league-leading 2.3 steals a night.
He is poised to win the Most Improved Player award and it should allow general manager Kevin Pritchard an opportunity to gloat as he was heavily criticised for making the trade. The last laugh certainly belongs to him.
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