In January 2019, Indiana Pacers All-Star Victor Oladipo suffered a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for over a year. He returned early in 2020, but barely managed 13 games, averaging at 26 minutes per game. He was trying to get back his groove without aggravating the injury.

When the NBA return was announced, initially he said he wouldn’t play. Surprisingly, not only has he traveled with the team to Orlando but has also taken part in the first scrimmage.

Recently, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson appeared on ESPN’s The Jump and stated that there is something suspicious going on and there’s more to the situation than what meets the eye.

“This reminds me of Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs. There’s something more going on here. You don’t have a player play before the quarantine and then come back and play in the bubble but then say I (am unsure). He could have said he’s going to stay home or whatever reason and still would have gotten hate. But he’s showed up, he’s playing but hasn’t decided if he’s going to play. There’s either going to be a change or either some movement.”

During the 2017-18 season, Leonard asked to sit out despite being medically cleared after a right quad injury. He played just nine games and was eventually traded away in the off-season.

Is Victor Oladipo planning to leave the Indiana Pacers?

After the scrimmage game, Oladipo said that nobody else would understand his situation better than himself. “This is obviously a unique situation, it’s a unique injury for myself. I don’t think it’s me not thinking I can do it; I know my body better than anyone else. No one else knows what I’m feeling.

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“Even though it might look good to you, or to whoever that’s looking at me, I hold myself to a different standard, so the abilities that I’m used doing, you’ve never done it before,” he said. “So for me, I’m trying to get back to that, trying to get back to that feeling, trying to get back to make sure my knee, myself is 100 percent so I can go and perform at the highest level that you guys are used to seeing me at.”

Jefferson could be right, but it just looks like Oladipo is trying to stay safe. After having to sit out for over a year, he hasn’t been able to return to his best. If he feels taking it slow will help him, then he should be allowed to do so. There have been plenty of rumors linking him to a move to the Miami Heat, and we will have to wait till the 2021 Free Agency hits to see what unfolds.

Sources: 
Something isn’t right with this Victor Oladipo-Pacers situation – Richard Jefferson | The Jump

Victor Oladipo on Basketball Reference

Kawhi Leonard on Basketball Reference

Victor Oladipo starts Pacers’ first scrimmage, but no decision on seeding games