Oladipo conveys positive attitude
Newcomer’s play, optimism bring much-needed lift
Having spent Monday night’s game trying to give the Rockets all they needed, Victor Oladipo did not stop at the buzzer.
He had paired 32 points with nine assists, both season highs, with the former total the best for a player making his Rockets debut since James Harden scored 37 in 2012. He had partnered with Christian Wood to energize a comeback from down 17 to within three before the Bulls secured a 125120 win in the final minutes. He had showcased the qualities and versatility that general manager Rafael Stone cited the day before.
None of that was enough for the Rockets to win their first game with Oladipo. But as if sensing they needed encouragement and whatever boost could come from messaging, the newcomer added an exuberant rebuttal to Harden’s charge that they lack “talent” and “chemistry” and “just aren’t good enough.”
“We’re not trying to be a good team. We’re trying to be a great team,” Oladipo said. “We have the ability to do so. We have the personnel to do so and the coach. Now it’s all about doing it and buying into every day, every possession, and playing every game like it’s our last. That’s this team’s mentality.
“We have to continue to get better, obviously. The chemistry has to continue to grow. The defense has to get better. But the mentality can never change. That’s what we’re all about.”
Oladipo’s exuberance brought to mind the enthusiasm John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins brought in their returns to the court from injuries, also a contrast to Harden’s efforts to defect. That was sidetracked when Wall had to go out for the past three games with a sore knee and Cousins was twice tossed from games before missing a third with a sore ankle.
The Rockets have had nine available players three times, eight once. They have been without at least two starters in five of 12 games. They have had their preferred starting lineup available once.
The ongoing absences of starters Wall and Danuel House Jr. could have threatened to leave the Rockets dejected at being 12 games into the season and still searching for chemistry and continuity. Oladipo framed their situation as a fresh start.
He said “better days are ahead of us” six times in five minutes. He said he was “happy, definitely happy.”
“It was great going out there and just playing basketball, doing my best to get guys involved and trying to flow with the offense and things like that,” Oladipo said. “It was great for the first go-round. It can only get better from here. I’m optimistic. I’m definitely positive and hope everyone is too, because our better days are ahead.”
That enthusiasm will be tested if the Rockets don’t start picking up wins. The absence of key players has not just limited them in games. The Rockets have been too shorthanded to get the needed work in most practices, with many players having gone extended minutes in a previous night’s game.
Sunday’s practice in Chicago was limited. The Rockets did not practice at all Tuesday.
“We are still very much a work in progress,” coach Stephen Silas said. “To be good, and to be good especially on the defensive end, you have to practice it and rep it and rep it and rep it. Hopefully, now that we’re becoming whole as a team, we’ll be able to do that.”
On the other end, however, the Rockets seemed to rapidly adjust to Oladipo as he became accustomed to his role and responsibilities, especially developing quick chemistry with Wood.
Of Oladipo’s nine assists, seven were on passes to Wood. Of the 18 pick-and-rolls Oladipo ran, he had 16 with Wood in their 28 minutes together on the floor. When Oladipo and Wood played together, the Rockets made 60.8 percent of their shots (40.9 percent of their 3-pointers) and outscored the Bulls by 16 points.
“We can be even better, honestly,” Oladipo. “Over the course of the game, just reading off of him and him reading off of me — certain passes he likes and when to throw it to him.
“Everything is an adjustment, but the game didn’t change. Once I figured out where they wanted to be and how they wanted me to play, it was easy to assert myself.”
With that in mind, Oladipo’s optimism is not based on blind faith. He repeatedly shared that opinion, as if in addition to his scoring, playmaking and defense, he knew the Rockets needed that, too.
“I just came here, and I was myself,” Oladipo said.
“I’m a leader. I play at a high level on both ends of the floor. I do whatever I can to help my team win. Basketball didn’t change. Yes, my team situation did, but basketball stayed the same. I’ve just got to continue to keep getting better, doing my best every day to play at the highest level.
“The sky’s the limit for this team. We have a mixture of great young players and great vets who know how to play the game at a high level. If we just buy into the small things, we can be really special.”