The Miami Heat are about to receive some reinforcement, as Victor Oladipo seems to be set to make his season debut on Monday against the Houston Rockets.
Victor Oladipo and the Miami Heat plan for the two-time All-Star to make his season debut on Monday against the Houston Rockets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 4, 2022
The two-time NBA All-Star is coming off a lengthy injury layoff, but the team is reportedly hoping that Oladipo can eventually get back to his old self after he makes his return to the court.
“The Heat is hopeful they’ll eventually see something close to the former All Star guard and elite defender, not the player who was inefficient offensively in the wake of the first surgery 27 months ago, an operation that sidelined him a year but ultimately did not fix the injury,” wrote the Miami Herald‘s Barry Jackson.
Oladipo has not played more than 36 games in a season since the 2017-18 campaign. In that season, the second overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft made his first All-Star appearance while playing for the Indiana Pacers.
He also won the Most Improved Player award at the end of that season after averaging 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. The Indiana University product led the league in steals per game (2.4) in that campaign, resulting in a selection to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.
Unfortunately, he suffered a ruptured quad tendon the following season and has dealt with many injury issues since.
Oladipo was traded to the Houston Rockets in the middle of the 2020-21 campaign, and he played 20 contests for them before eventually being dealt to Miami in March of that same season.
After appearing in just four matches in a Heat uniform, he underwent season-ending surgery.
This year, his anticipated return is expected to provide a boost for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Miami is currently leading the East with a 43-22 standing. The organization is likely hoping that it can lock up the top seed in the conference in order to gain home-court advantage in the postseason.
