OKC Thunder: Victor Oladipo injury showcases how quickly tides can change

When former OKC Thunder guard Victor Oladipo fell to the court injured it gutted fans all over the NBA. His season ending injury forces the Pacers into making tough decisions now.

When the OKC Thunder traded Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to obtain Paul George the initial reaction suggested OKC had easily won the trade. But, quickly Victor Oladipo seized the opportunity to become an alpha retooling his body in the offseason and skyrocketed onto the court to easily claim the Most Improved Player award a season ago.

More importantly, he led his Pacers team to a seven game series almost knocking off LeBron James and his Cavaliers. In fact, the Pacers arguably were the Cavaliers toughest playoff opponent until they ran into the West juggernaut Warriors.

This season I picked the Pacers to be one of the top four Eastern Conference seeds without hesitation. Oladipo was at the heart of this decision because much like the Thunder embody Russell Westbrook‘s personality the same is true of the Pacers. Nate McMillan balances Indy’s efforts with priority emphasis on defense. That mindset had them juggling weekly with the Thunder as the leagues top ranked defense.

Oladipo gave Westbrook credit for teaching him how to lead and how to get in shape. This resonated in Indiana where one season after Dipo posted his retooled body his frontcourt big man Myles Turner followed the same path and method arriving in camp in the best shape of his career. That focus is lending credence to Turner being considered as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

In a league where all trades are analyzed to determine who won the trade, this was one example where it was fair to say both sides won. George happily transitioned alongside Westbrook and fell in love with OKC. Sabonis has improved and continues to grow. Yet the real win for Indiana was how Oladipo embraced being the leader and how his positive demeanor resonated throughout his squad.