Victor Oladipo, season in review – Polarizing, yet satisfying

Apr 12, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) warms up prior to the game against the Denver Nuggets at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) warms up prior to the game against the Denver Nuggets at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
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Victor Oladipo
Nov 13, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket in front of Orlando Magic forward Serge Ibaka (7) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Stat check:

Victor Oladipo’s statistics are perplexing.

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Since his Orlando days, his per game averages are up, but barely. His volume went up, predictably. After all, the Magic were considering moving him to the bench, whereas the Thunder entrust secondary ball-handling duties to him.

His free-throw percentage dipped, but overall, his shooting, particularly from long-range improved. Considering the uptick in volume, this upward movement is fairly impressive.

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Victor Oladipo’s advanced stats, however, paint a more depressing picture. His win shares and box dropped off quite significantly. Despite being on a better team, the metrics show Oladipo deteriorating as a player. Some metrics, like Value Over Replacement Player (VORP), even suggest this season was Oladipo’s worst season — worse than even his rookie season.

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So, what to make of these statistics? This is one of those moments where it might be wise to suggest taking these metrics with more than a pinch of salt. Oladipo spent extensive time with the second unit, which was notoriously porous particularly on the defensive end.

Meanwhile, during Oladipo’s time with the starters (with Taj Gibson), that line-up was flat out elite.

Gold digging:

If anything, there are two other stats worth exploring.

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Firstly, in Oladipo’s first go at the playoffs, his shooting almost fell off a cliff. His per game point average dropped by 5 points, a wild drop-off. This likely occurred as his efficiency imploded despite taking almost the same amount of shots.

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Secondly, his distribution stats show far less audacity and production. Oladipo barely had any bad passes picked off all season, and generated far fewer points off turnovers despite having better teammates. This backs up the eye test, that states  Oladipo seldom got players involved.

In all, the stats paint a sobering picture. Victor Oladipo’s first season has been marked by increased volume and steady efficiency, which is admirable. Advanced metrics clobber him, but the fault should lie in his time with the bench players instead of his faults as a player. However, his play-making and playoff shooting should be closely looked at for improvement.