The Miami Heat officially disposed of the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, eliminating Trae Young and company in five games.
The Heat were undermanned in Game 5, but they found a way to come out on top. The contributions of Victor Oladipo had a lot to do with that.
The 29-year-old had one of his best games in a Heat uniform on Tuesday, posting 23 points, three assists and three steals while shooting 8-for-16 from the field and 3-for-6 from deep.
After the game, he issued an epic message.
Victor Oladipo: “Again I’m still improving. I haven’t played enough basketball to be super comfortable yet but I’m getting there.”
“I have no doubt I can surpass that level I was at.”
“Even better days than that to come. This is part of the journey of getting there.” pic.twitter.com/1cUiRoYEbi
— alex toledo (@tropicalblanket) April 27, 2022
If Oladipo really believes that his best is yet to come, that’s a great sign for his future.
After all, the former first-round pick was an All-Star not too long ago. He earned All-Star honors in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
Over those two seasons, he averaged 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 percent shooting from deep.
Oladipo’s recent years have been rocky, as injuries have limited his availability. He’s certainly hoping to steer clear of injury woes for the remainder of his career and prove that he’s capable of playing like an All-Star again.
His top priority right now, however, is to try to help the Heat win the 2022 NBA title. Miami seems like a legitimate threat to emerge from the Eastern Conference, and Oladipo would surely love nothing more than to help the squad reach the NBA Finals.
After the season ends, the guard will likely start looking at what his future holds. He’s set to become a free agent this offseason.
