Indiana Pacers didn’t have as much press as Houston Rockets or Brooklyn Nets had earlier this week, but they were one of the teams involved in the 4-team blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Nets.
The Pacers parted ways with Victor Oladipo, one player that gave this team hope to be competitive and until he suffered a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee, was one of the most promising players in the NBA.
Dipo repeatedly said he wanted to win and it would have been better if he could have done it in Indiana, but he seemed less and less interested in continuing with the team from last season. Victor was reportedly interested in a trade and the Pacers granted his wish on Wednesday.
Malcolm Brogdon says the Pacers won’t be hurt without Victor Oladipo
Oladipo is now part of Houston Rockets, replacing James Harden as the starting shooting guard of the team. He was great in Indy but the team doesn’t feel like they will miss Oladipo that much. At least that’s what Malcolm Brogdon believes.
The point guard had nothing but good things to say about his former teammate but he made it clear that the Pacers will be fine without Dipo, as the team can overcome this loss and keep playing good basketball.
“This is a steady team,” Brogdon stated, via Pacers insider Scott Agness. “This is a mature, becoming a veteran group that’s been together for a while. We lost a very good player, but this team is gonna continue to play good ball.”
They confirmed they will be good without the 2018 Most Improved Player with a huge win over the Portland Trail Blazers, which helped Brogdon confirm his point. That was all the proof they needed to convince the rest of the league and themselves that they can compete.
“We handled a really good team tonight, on the road,” Brogdon said. “This was a statement win for us and now we have to build on it.”
Having players like Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, who is having a tremendous season, and Myles Turner, this team can make a lot of noise in the East. They’re often overlooked but the Indiana Pacers can actually compete, even more, when they have TJ Warren back on the lineup.