How the hiatus affects all 30 NBA teams

Indiana Pacers: Adding to Oladipo’s rust

Simply put, the Indiana Pacers were struggling to carry forward the momentum they’d built up all season once Victor Oladipo re-entered the fold. They won their first game with Dipo back, and he even hit the clutch 3-pointer to force overtime in the victory, but after that, the Pacers dropped their next six contests and seven of nine overall.

Since that time, they had found a more positive groove, winning six of eight, but two things stood out: the ease of Indiana’s schedule during that stretch and Oladipo’s continued individual struggles. Only three of those eight games came against teams with winning records, and the Pacers went 1-2 in those matchups.

Since returning from injury, Oladipo has averaged a paltry 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He’s shot 39.1 percent from the field, made only 30.4 percent of his 3s and Indiana boasts a net rating that’s superior by 2.6 points per 100 possessions when he sits. Hopefully this hiatus allows him the time to shake off the rust individually, because figuring out how this version of Dipo meshes with All-Star Domantas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon, T.J. Warren and Myles Turner is the only way this team would make any real noise in the playoffs.