Getty Victor Oladipo #4 of the Miami Heat drives to the basket while being defended by Herbert Jones #5 of the New Orleans Pelicans
Things are finally starting to turn around for the Miami Heat, and after a 2-5 start, the team has won their last two games against the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. Miami’s leader Jimmy Butler recently spoke out after the team faced criticism in the first two weeks of the season, saying that the Heat shouldn’t be counted out and that he still has lofty expectations for the team that was a game away from the NBA Finals last season.
“We’re still going to win the championship, and I don’t care what nobody says,” Butler said to Sam Amick of “The Athletic”. “Count us out. We’re going to win the f***** championship. I’m telling you. I don’t give a damn that we started 2-5.”
Victor Oladipo Injury Update
In their last two victories, the Heat have gotten production from players they desperately needed to after early season struggles. Duncan Robinson had his best game in a long time with 17 points while shooting 5-8 from three point range against the Warriors. On Wednesday, Kyle Lowry had a strong performance against the Kings with his 22-point and 7-assist performance. The added production is a welcome sight for the Heat, especially after the most recent news surrounding their injured star Victor Oladipo.
On the recent episode of ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective,’ NBA Insider Brian Windhorst shared that he had recently been led to believe that injured Heat star Victor Oladipo may be sidelined longer than originally anticipated.
“I don’t think he’s anywhere close, sad to say,” Windhorst said of Oladipo. “They haven’t put a timetable on it, but I was kind of led to believe that it ain’t happening in the near future.”
Victor Oladipo Injury Trouble
Oladipo is no stranger to battling injuries. The All-Star guard has unfortunately been battling injuries for the past few seasons, and while his current knee injury he is recovering from isn’t as serious as previous injuries, it still may take time for Oladipo to return to the Heat roster. This was what the Heat guard was referring to as his revenge season, and it’s currently being postponed while he remains on the mend from injury. He has assured fans that in his return, he can get back to his All-Star level, but will that return happen soon?
Oladipo recently spoke about the reality of NBA injuries on the ‘No Chill with Gilbert Arenas’ podcast and what NBA stars really deal with as they miss time for injuries.
“You know, it’s amazing man… It really puts things into perspective for you. Because when you first get hurt, you first get injured, you get 1,001 text messages, people checking on you, people you know, tweeting, whatever the case may be. A week later and it’s dead. It’s nobody checking on you. There’s nobody seeing how you’re doing. Two months, three months later, and there’s nobody checking on you, nobody’s seeing how you’re doing,” Oladipo said.
Oladipo is expected to take on a vital role in the Heat’s rotation upon his return to the Heat, and he could become a key player for this Heat squad just at the right timing.