Monday 22 June 2020 06:33, UK
Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo said on Saturday he is hopeful of playing when the NBA restarts its season in Florida next month, but he wants to ramp up his activity before making a decision.
The 28-year-old returned to action in late January after missing approximately a full calendar year after tearing his right quad tendon.
Oladipo appeared in 13 games with periodic time off before the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 11. He wants to limit the chances of another major injury following a long layoff.
"I feel a whole lot better," Oladipo told ESPN. "I know there's risk going into it with the unique situation that I'm in - being off so long and trying to ramp it up that fast. I've just got to be smart, that's all."
Players must tell their teams by Wednesday if they plan not to participate during the resumed season in Orlando, but the Pacers do not have to rush a decision on Oladipo. They do not have to provide a roster until July 1, and they could keep him on the roster weeks beyond that before making a decision.
Oladipo averaged 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.8 steals in 13 games (10 starts) after his return, averaging 25.9 minutes per game.
During back-to-back All-Star campaigns from 2017-19, he averaged 21.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals in 33.3 minutes.
In seven NBA seasons, Oladipo has career averages of 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals.
The Pacers (39-26) are currently tied with Philadelphia for fifth in the Eastern Conference.
