When the NBA decided it would attempt to restart the season at a central location with stringent protocols after nearly five months away from the game, there were bound to be some reservations from players. Players have expressed concerns related to the coronavirus, social justice issues as well as risking injury for the sake of finishing the 2019-20 season. A handful of players have already opted out of the NBA's restart plan for various reasons, but Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo is still conflicted on if playing is the right move for his career.
During a virtual call with reporters on Wednesday, Oladipo said he's still undecided on if he'll be playing in Orlando with the Pacers.
"Nah, I haven't made a decision just yet. Just taking it one day at a time," Oladipo said. "I feel like when the day comes, I'll know. I appreciate my teammates and this organization for backing me and supporting me with whatever decision I make but at the same time, I'm focused on me getting as strong as possible and getting where I'm at. Like I said, I'm taking it one day at a time and hopefully I can make a decision soon. We'll see."
Indiana is reportedly trying to finalize its travel party to Orlando at some point on Wednesday, however, regardless of if Oladipo decides to play or not, he'll be joining the team when it heads to Disney World. The biggest concern that's been plaguing Oladipo in making his decision, is the risk of re-injuring himself. Before the pandemic hit, Oladipo played in just 13 games this season as he was coming off a ruptured quad tendon that he suffered during the 2018-19 season.
"At the end of the day, it takes time for your body to heal," Oladipo said. "They're sure I feel better, but at the same time we've had an extensive period of time off and to go back and ramp things up again, I'm susceptible to injury more so than anyone else seeing as how I was already injured beforehand and I wasn't 100 percent when I came back to begin with. A part of rehab is working your way back and getting yourself to 100 percent, so at the end of the day going back and turning things up as quickly as we're about to do, and pretty much going to playoff formation and playoff games after eight games, I'm more susceptible to injury than anyone else is. So, it's not about now, it's about longevity."
The Pacers have resumed mandatory individual workouts in Indianapolis, but Oladipo said that the team hasn't put pressure on him to decide soon, or given him any sort of deadline for when he needs to make his decision. In the 13 games he's played this season, Oladipo averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He wasn't on a minutes restriction in his return, but he did play a career-low 25.9 minutes per game.
Indiana currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, and has a slightly easier schedule than other teams heading to Orlando for the restart. The success of the Pacers for the rest of the season, though, hinges on if Oladipo decides to play, as well as what shape he'll be in when the season resumes.
