By Josh CohenMay 4, 2016
Victor Oladipo has made significant progress with pull-up and catch-and-shoot jumpers
The improvement is in the numbers and the eye test confirmed it. After the All-Star break, Oladipo shot nearly 42 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers and nearly 40 percent on pull-up jays. By comparison, in the prior season he shot 32 percent on catch-and-shoots and 38 percent on pull-ups. Oladipo played with far more poise and buoyancy as the year went on. WATCH:
Victor Oladipo has become more controlled when he drives inside
Earlier in the season and certainly for big chunks of his first two years in the NBA, Oladipo tossed up way too many acrobatic and circus-like shots at the rim. This led to substandard shooting percentages on drives (shot 42 percent in 2014-15 on drives and 53 percent within five feet from basket). However, Oladipo became much more coordinated as this past season went on. In fact, he improved by an astounding 14 percent on shots less than five feet from the hoop after the All-Star break (49 percent before, 63 percent after). WATCH:
Victor Oladipo’s offensive game was different in 2015-16 than it was in his first two years in league
In his first two seasons, Oladipo almost always operated out of the pick-and-roll and exploded downhill on drives in the lane. He either tried swerving around rim protectors inside for layups and dunks or collapsed defenses in the paint and kicked the ball out to shooters on the perimeter. This past year, Oladipo’s inventory was far more predicated on motion, spacing and off-ball screen-and-cuts. In 2014-15, he averaged 9.2 drives per game. In 2015-16, that average dropped to 4.9. On the other hand, Oladipo increased the number of catch-and-shoot jumpers he took (3.4 per game this year, 2.6 last season). WATCH:
Victor Oladipo showed why many think he can be an elite defender in the NBA
Oladipo had a very lopsided season in that his great defensive stretches never really overlapped with his great offensive stretches. From the start of the season to the end of the calendar year, Oladipo limited his opponents to just 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 28.8 percent shooting from 3-point range. After Jan. 1, those numbers rose to 47 percent and 40 percent. Meanwhile, his offensive numbers were subnormal in those two first months and excellent after. When he was stifling on defense, Oladipo made it tough for opponents to sneak away for open jumpers (good at contesting and closing out on shooters) and he was terrific chasing down opponents in transition (had several jaw-dropping swats). WATCH:
Victor Oladipo needs to continue to initiate more contact unless he becomes a more reliable 3-point shooter
Those that believe whole-heartedly in NBA analytics will try to persuade you that it’s impossible for just about any player to be considered elite offensively if he either doesn’t make a lot of threes or draw a lot of fouls. More and more players are training with this in mind (either initiate contact to get to the line or make as many 3-pointers as possible). Oladipo has started to transcend his game to fit more with analytic standards. He averaged 4.2 FT attempts after the All-Star break and 3.1 before and he took 34 additional threes this past year vs. the prior season. WATCH:
