When Victor Oladipo was traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Indiana Pacers alongside Domantas Sabonis in exchange for Paul George, many NBA fans thought the Pacers were just giving away George for nothing in return. Olapido has since proved them wrong.
The shooting guard has flourished in the six months he has been with the Pacers so far, putting in performances that could see him earn an All-Star call-up by the end of the season. He is starting to live up to the second overall draft pick value which the Orlando Magic spent on him back in 2013.
The initial reaction to the George trade towards Indiana was a negative one, as they were slammed by many for essentially giving away an NBA All-Star for a very little price. As we have seen so far this season though, this isn't the case.
Oladipo stats took a step back when he played alongside Russell Westbrook at the Thunder last season, in large part because Westbrook was having an MVP year. Now he's front and center of his new team though, he's been allowed to thrive.
So far this season, the 25-year-old has averaged 24.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, one steal, and 1.8 blocks per game. He has a field goal percentage on the season so far of 48.5%, the highest which it has ever been in his career to date. He's arguably been the best shooting guard in the Eastern Conference.
Stats like this is making a trip to the 2018 All-Star Game for Oladipo increasingly likely, and it would be a surprise if he isn't on the list for the game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in February next year.
Despite the loss on Boxing Day against the Detroit Pistons, the shooting guard was the highest scorer for the Pacers for the sixth game in a row with just 13 points, but this number was limited as the game was a blowout from the first quarter onwards.
Oladipo has drastically changed the course of his NBA career in Indiana, and he has managed to claim the city of Indianapolis as his own, despite the reception he received from fans online when he first arrived. Even Oklahoma Mayor Joe Hogsett is worried the actual mayorship is in jeopardy.
What Oladipo has managed to produce this season is not a bad return for Paul George, so maybe the Pacers didn't do badly in the trade during the offseason after all.