The Pacers have been without star guard Victor Oladipo for 11 games due to a right knee injury, and have managed to go 7-4 in that stretch. It’s been an impressive run for Indiana as they’ve had players step up in the absence of Oladipo, but for them to be a competitor in the East, they need their star.
On Wednesday, coach Nate McMillan brought good news on the Oladipo injury front, announcing he would be back in the starting lineup for the Pacers against the Bucks on Wednesday night.
He's baaaaaaack!
In the injury report for tonight's game against the Bucks, Victor Oladipo is available to play. pic.twitter.com/Pe3GWnJPU7
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 12, 2018
McMillan also noted that this will again reset their rotations, meaning rookie Aaron Holiday who has impressed in Oladipo’s absence, will go back to a much lesser role with the star guard back. Oladipo was off to a hot start to the season before he went down, averaging a career-high in rebounds and assists per game and just a tick under his scoring output from last year (21.4 points to 23.1).
If he can pick that output back up and find his three-point stroke from last year, the Pacers have a legitimate chance to be a threat in the East. That’s not to say they’ll be a favorite, but few top teams will want an early round matchup with Indiana. On Wednesday, they’ll get a chance to measure themselves with the Bucks in Oladipo’s first game back in a game that could be important for seeding and the Central division.
