Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo is ready to prove his doubters wrong when the regular season starts. He even said recently that people who have counted him out can “hold that L.”
However, when he was recently asked what his goals are this season, he responded that he does not have any.
“The few weeks prior to this,” Oladipo told the Sun Sentinel, “I was thinking about, like, ‘What are my goals, my expectations for the year?’ And I think this year I don’t have any. I know that sounds crazy. But for me, I think it’s about just living in the moment.
“I think the last four years, I’ve had expectations, I’ve had goals, I’ve had aspirations to do a certain thing. It’s out of my control. So I think right now I’m just focused on staying in the moment and living in the moment.”
Without a doubt, it’s fascinating to learn about Oladipo’s mindset.
Staying in the Moment
Considering that Oladipo has gone through some difficult seasons in recent years, it seems he has learned to “stay in the moment” and not look too far ahead or behind.
“I really don’t have any goals or expectations for myself,” he said. “For this team, it’s to win a championship, obviously. But for me, it’s to contribute. Right now, I’m just focused on doing that.
“I think that sometimes, if we get too far ahead, or look too far back, that sometimes we can be disappointed, and sometimes you can lose sight of what is in front of you. For me, I’m just trying to stay in the moment.”
Oladipo has not played a significant number of games in a season since the 2017-18 campaign, when he played 75 matches and earned his first All-Star selection. He was a member then of the Indiana Pacers.
The following season, he suited up in just 36 contests. He sustained a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee during the middle of the campaign, which proved to be a season-ending injury. Even so, he was named an All-Star for the second consecutive year.
Oladipo’s career has been marred by injuries since then. After a short stint with the Houston Rockets, he was eventually traded to Miami during the middle of the 2020-21 season.
Unfortunately, Oladipo has played in just 12 regular season games in a Heat uniform.
He has been working hard to bounce back. Last month, his trainer even claimed that the 30-year-old looks better than he did last season.
Giving the Heat a Boost
If Oladipo can take a step forward this season, he may be able to provide Miami with a boost on both offense and defense. After all, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team in the 2017-18 season.
It will be interesting to watch what Oladipo’s role is like for the Heat this season, as there are many players that are worthy of playing legitimate roles. Fortunately, the 6-foot-4 player is ready to help the team out in any way he can and trust coach Erik Spoelstra and the rest of the coaching staff.
“I think it’s a little bit of understanding what the dynamic of the team is, how you fit in with it, what do we need, what I can do to help?” he said, returning to the topic of his 2022-23 goals. “And then, at the same time, trusting the coaching staff and Coach Spo to put me in the best possible position to help this team and be successful.
“That’s why you can’t really set your own expectations. You just really got to play every day like it’s your last. And that’s what I’m focused on doing.”
Hopefully, Oladipo can provide the team with a spark so it can continue contending for a title.