Victor Oladipo finds groove, earns Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor

Victor Oladipo found his All-Star form on the road and the NBA took note, naming Oladipo the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. The honor makes Oladipo the only player in franchise history to win the Player of the Week award three times in the same season.

The Pacers went 3-0 on their West Coast roadie last week, winning at Golden State, Sacramento and L.A. against the Clippers and Vic’s impact on the three wins was impressive.

Oladipo scored 24 points on 12 shots with six assists, six rebounds and three steals against the short-handed Warriors.

Against a strong effort from the Kings in Sac, Vic scored 24 points on 14 shots with five rebounds and three more steals.

Against the Clippers on Sunday, Oladipo capped off his monster week with 30 points on 17 shots with 12 assists, four rebounds and five steals.

HUGE!

Most importantly, Oladipo has found that groove that stunned the league earlier in the year and made him a no-brainer All-Star. He made nearly 44 percent of his threes over the last three games as part of his efficient offensive effort to win the award.

Since the All-Star break, Vic’s shooting numbers have dipped as he’s dealt with the normal wear and tear of the regular season along with a focused emphasis by opponents to take Oladipo out of his game.

The Pacers are 0-6 in games Oladipo has missed this year, but I’d argue they won a few games since the All-Star game when he was in the lineup but his game was missing in action.

The Pacers beat the Sixers (Philly’s last loss, BTW) despite just 11 points on 21 shots from Oladipo. In a win over Milwaukee, Vic had 10 turnovers and scored 14 points on 19 shots. Other wins despite inefficient games from Oladipo include the last two game before the trip. Vic had 18 points on 16 shots against the Clippers and 23 points on 21 shots against the Heat.

Despite those rough games, Oladipo still had an impact on the wins, even making a big play or two down the stretch as he did in the OT win over Miami with a huge three-pointer to put the Pacers up two possessions.

But for the Pacers to make postseason noise, Oladipo needs to play like he has on the roadie. Those monster games also ease the burden on the rest of the roster and free them up to make plays alongside Vic as multiple players did, knocking down big shots against the Clippers on Sunday afternoon.

So take a moment to pause and appreciate the Player of the Week award for Vic, just another remarkable achievement on the journey that has become a very special season for the Pacers.