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Victor Oladipo 'Looks Like He Never Left' in Return After Surgery on Knee Injury

Adam Wells@adamwells1985Featured ColumnistSeptember 29, 2019

Indiana Pacers' Victor Oladipo in action during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018, in Indianapolis. Cleveland won 92-91. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Victor Oladipo is giving the Indiana Pacers reasons to be optimistic about his recovery from a ruptured quad tendon after he took part in some non-contact drills during training camp Saturday. 

Per J. Michael of the Indianapolis StarDomantas Sabonis said the two-time All-Star looked "awesome" and "like he never left."

Head coach Nate McMillan said Oladipo used the "first 20 to 30 minutes of practice going through drills. ... Basically the warm-up part of practice."

Even though the Pacers sound excited about where their star guard is at, there isn't a set timetable for his return to game action. 

"I don't anticipate Victor being available for a while, and I don't know what a while is," McMillan told reporters during Friday's media day. "There's no timetable."

Oladipo suffered the injury during a Jan. 23 game against the Toronto Raptors. He had surgery five days later. 

In 36 games last season, Oladipo led the Pacers with 18.8 points per contest and ranked second with 5.2 assists. 

Indiana enters the 2019-20 campaign with high expectations after it made the playoffs last season, having been without Oladipo for more than half the year. The team added free agent Malcolm Brogdon to run the offense until Oladipo can return.