Oladipo learned in OKC days
Rockets guard Victor Oladipo, playing in Oklahoma City for just the second time since he played for the Thunder in 2016-17 and for the first time since his first season with the Pacers, considered his one season with the Thunder valuable in becoming a more productive, successful player in the years since.
Oladipo averaged 15.9 points per game with the Thunder, the fewest of his career since his rookie season, other than last season when he was working his way back from a quad injury. But Oladipo said that one season with the Thunder was a valuable experience.
“It was a great year here,” Oladipo said. “I learned a lot from everybody, from the organization, to playing with certain guys and how the small things matter. Not only was I playing alongside Russ (Westbrook) and to witness that was good for me, but being part of this organization for a year and kind of weeding out the bad habits and realizing the small things that it takes to win is something that I took with me, the small things that I still hold true.”
Oladipo averaged a career bests of 23.1 points per game and 47.7 percent shooting the following season, and won NBA Most Improved, first-team AllDefense and third-team All-NBA honors.
“It was great playing alongside Russ, learn from him, seeing him in his MVP year,” Oladipo said. “It motivated me. It was definitely great to see. Then, getting traded to Indy, being part of that atmosphere, a winning culture, going to the playoffs, it molded me into a guy who is a winner and that can lead a team and be very successful in this league.”
In his only game in Oklahoma City since leaving the Thunder prior to Monday, Oladipo scored 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting, making 3 of 5 3-pointers.