Heat's Oladipo Has Designs on Getting Back to the Mountaintop

Without question, Victor Oladipo’s comeback journey has been one of the wildest tales in the Association in recent years. After becoming an All-Star and defensive maven in Indy, the Miami Heat guard endured two surgeries, a whole lot of rehab work, ill-fated returns and a pair of trades in the wake of his 2019 quad rupture.

Now, though, things look to be on an upward swing. After playing a key role for the Heat during the latter stages of postseason play, the 30-year-old was able to secure a two-year, $17-plus million deal to stay in South Beach.

Given all he’s endured, that’s an incredible win for the baller. However, mid-level money and a complementary role aren’t Oladipo’s end game.

NBA teams may have seen him as damaged goods during free agency, but his belief in himself remains firmly intact. Despite all he’s been through — mentally, physically and emotionally — over the last three years, Oladipo still has designs on playing at an elite level.

Oladipo’s Big Goal

After an individual workout on Thursday in Las Vegas, Oladipo made no bones about the fact that it has been a hard row to hoe these last few years. But he’s not about to let his injuries — or his doubters — beat him.

“It’s tough whenever you face adversity, and you have to figure out a way to climb out of it and figure out a way to continue to keep pushing and keep fighting,” Oladipo said, via the Sun-Sentinel.

“But I live with no regrets. Things happen to everyone. It’s just about how you handle that thing or that situation when it comes up that defines what type of character and what type of person you are, when it’s all said and done. I know this is a mountain climb, and I just started climbing the mountain.”

Oladipo isn’t just looking to climb part of the way up the mountain, either. He’s determined to get all the way back to the summit.

“I truly believe that I can be better than I was,” he said when asked if repeating as the league’s Most Improved Player — an honor he received back in 2018 — was a goal. “That may sound crazy to everyone, but I rather have that mentality and I can live with the results after that, because I’m going to push myself to be that.

“I think the biggest goal for me is just to show everyone that I’m healthy and I can play a whole year and also to show everyone that I’m one of the best players in this league. So everything else will take care of itself, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

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He Showed Flashes Last Season

In his comeback game against the Rockets in March, Oladipo came in hot out of the gate. In just 15 minutes of play, he scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting (and 2-of-3 from deep) while adding four assists. From that point on, though, he never knew when or where he’d be playing.

One night, he’d see 15-20 minutes, the next — DNP-CD.

By the end of the year, though, it was clear he had something significant left in the tank. After dropping 21 points on April 3 against the Raptors, Oladipo rode the pine in back-to-back games. When he returned for the season finale against the Magic, though, he responded to the tune of 40 points, 10 boards, seven dimes and two steals.

Games like that may be few and far between going forward, but if his knee holds up and he can maintain a consistent presence out on the floor, Heat Nation has to feel good about his chances of being a high-level contributor.

This much is certain — Oladipo isn’t going to be caught off-guard when/if his time to shine arrives.

“I’m going to prepare myself for any and everything. So that won’t be something I’ll be worried about going into training camp, is being prepared, because without any doubt in my mind, I know I will be. Whatever next year brings, I’ll be ready for it.”

Heat Star Eyeing Return to Form After Inking New Deal: ‘I’ll Be Ready’

Oladipo’s Big Goal

He Showed Flashes Last Season

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