Jerry Lai – USA Today Sports Images
With the Orlando NBA Summer League kicking off this week, it’s the first look coaches, teams and fans have to look at young players and draft picks play against a higher level of competition. Though there are a lot of talented players playing, the one that everyone wanted to see this week is the second overall pick by the Orlando Magic, Victor Oladipo.
Through the first three games that the Magic’s Summer League team has played, Oladipo has unquestionably been the star. There are a lot of players at Summer League that show some promise, but when you think about it, it’s hard to imagine them finding a place in the Association. That is far from the case with Oladipo.
Orlando has been giving Oladipo a ton of run at point guard through these three games and it’s been a treat to watch. He’s played a combined 94 minutes and has put up a total of 52 points, 17 assists, 14 rebounds and nine steals while shooting 11-32 from the field, 4-8 from three and 26-32 from the free throw line.
Oladipo hasn’t been without his problems as he has averaged 4.7 turnovers per game, but that’s largely because he’s playing a position that he’s not really accustomed to. Moreover, it doesn’t detract from all of the positive things that he’s doing at Summer League.
One of the things people were concerned about with Oladipo was that his efficient three-point shooting from last year in college was an anomaly and that he wasn’t actually that great of a shooter. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case as he’s knocking down long-range shots so far this week. He’s also been great on the defensive end with his quickness and instincts, as well as doing a solid job of creating for his teammates.
The most impressive thing that Oladipo has showed this week, though, is his ability to get to the foul line. With his quickness and athleticism, Oladipo is able to get to the rim a lot. The fact that he’s able to take the contact and then knock down his free throws is huge and will be incredibly valuable when the season starts.
Obviously Summer League isn’t exactly like an actual NBA game, but that doesn’t change that Oladipo is showing a great deal of promise when it comes to his potential as a pro. If this week has been any indication thus far, Oladipo is ready to put on a show in the NBA.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google+ and like his Facebook page.
