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Victor Oladipo Will Not Return vs. Hawks After Injury Diagnosed as Knee Soreness
November 18, 2018
Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo left Saturday's game against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter with right knee soreness and was ruled out, according to Fox Sports Indiana's Pat Boylan.
The Pacers have high aspirations in an Eastern Conference no longer featuring LeBron James, but losing Oladipo, for any amount of time, will set them back.
He made his first All-Star Game in 2017-18 in his first season with Indiana, and he averaged a career-best 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
The effort came after he spent the first three seasons of his career with the Orlando Magic and the 2016-17 campaign playing alongside Russell Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Indiana product is a high-volume three-point shooter, but he possesses the necessary athleticism to blow past defenders and attack the rim. Oladipo can also facilitate when defenders collapse on his penetration and frequently creates open looks for his teammates.
The Pacers will still rely on Myles Turner to help carry the offensive load in the frontcourt, but others will have to fill in on the wings. Look for them to turn toward Tyreke Evans, Bojan Bogdanovic and Doug McDermott while Oladipo is out.
