Victor Oladipo, season in review – Polarizing, yet satisfying

Been there, done that:

Oladipo has had a commendable first season with the Thunder. Not outstanding, but nothing to snort at.

There is one thing to note, however. Victor Oladipo came into the team when it was at its cusp of franchise pandemonium. It must have been difficult for him too. He came in expecting to be part of the league’s most frightening switchy line-up, ready to contend for the title after a crumbling meltdown in the playoffs.

Instead, the Thunder had its franchise foundation yanked out. The team had to re calibrate its plans and rework a way to stay relevant.

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But, Oladipo’s experience is what I like about his situation. If he had come into the team after the Thunder lost Kevin Durant and maybe even after the team signed Westbrook, I think he would have had a completely different experience.

Oladipo came into the team just in time to witness the franchise-changing experience it went through. He can consider himself part of the rebuilding process – there when the rest of the locker room had to deal with the shock of Durant’s departure, there during the nerve-wrecking 30 days between Durant’s departure and Westbrook’s re-commitment, there throughout the season when Donovan and even Westbrook had to learn how much of the keys should be handed over to the Brodie.

Victor Oladipo the founding father:

This is why even if the Thunder want Oladipo to be a 3-and-D specialist, I think he is a better choice than other similar players like Khris Middleton.

During the recent Celtics reunion on Area 21, a TNT show hosted by Kevin Garnett, the players made one thing clear – teams are not just built on talent. Character and team spirit are integral parts of any franchise that want to succeed.

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Organizations call it institutional memory, countries call it national identity. Give it whatever name you want. The fact of the day is Oladipo has seen and gone through something so integral to not just the OKC Thunder identity, but the Oklahoman identity – learning to rebuild where others would walk away.

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By virtue of his new contract extension, Victor Oladipo is now a leader on the team. It does not matter he is as new to the team as anyone else. It does not matter that he is just a fifth-year player, or that he may not even have his player identity sorted out.

To quote the mercurial Rajon Rondo during the Celtics reunion, “Everybody go through stuff. No excuses.”

Oladipo must start to put the rest of the team on his back. He has had his first season of figuring the organization out. Oladipo must start to follow Westbrook’s lead and will the team forward.

All stats courtesy of Basketball Reference.