Indiana Pacers: Victor Oladipo makes a splash in his return

 Victor Oladipo made his illustrious return to the floor and did so as only he could – by hitting a big shot to save the Indiana Pacers

It wasn’t the flashiest of returns, but there’s no question Victor Oladipo made a huge splash in his return to the floor for the Indiana Pacers.

Oladipo finished with only nine points on 25 percent shooting from the field, but his contributions were timely and reminded the rest of the league how dangerous a healthy Pacers team can be moving forward. The Pacers outlasted the Chicago Bulls in overtime, 115-106, but wouldn’t have even made it to the extra frame had it not been for Oladipo’s return.

In the waning seconds of regulation, the Pacers found themselves down three and on the verge of a disappointing home loss. However, that’s when Oladipo reannounced himself to not only the Pacers but the rest of the Eastern Conference.

Oladipo hit a 3-pointer to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining. The Pacers would go on to cruise in overtime to salvage what was shaping up to be an underwhelming return for Oladipo.

Oladipo is back and so is his late-game heroics. And that should send shockwaves to the rest of the Eastern Conference. Keep in mind, without Oladipo, the Pacers managed to sport a 30-17 record. Currently, the Pacers are 5th in the East and just 2.5 games back of the second seed.

With Oladipo making his way back, there’s no doubt that this is a team that is primed to play their best basketball in the coming weeks and months. This is a team that could be ready to peak at the right time.

The Pacers have yet to play their best basketball this season, and the return of Oladipo will only catapult this team even further.

It’s tough to say what this team’s ceiling is for this season will be, but the fact that this is a top 10 defensive team will always give them a shot against any team – perhaps any team without Giannis Antetokounmpo – in the Eastern Conference. Adding a player that is as good as Oladipo is on both sides of the floor will only add to this team’s capabilities.

The Indiana Pacers are evolving into a real problem in the Eastern Conference and now that Victor Oladipo is back, there’s nothing stopping this team from being a top 3 team in the conference. A healthy Pacers team is not one that many in the East will want to deal with in the playoffs. Especially considering that this team is just scratching the surface on what they could be by the end of the season.