We’re two years removed from the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder’s blockbuster trade. The trade saw the Pacers send SF Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for SG Victor Oladipo and PF Domantas Sabonis. Both Oladipo and George have found success with their respective teams. But that’s not what we’re here to discuss.
Victor Oladipo, at the time of this trade, was seen as a second piece at best. Paul George was considered an All-NBA caliber performer. However, considering the last two seasons, Oladipo has come out of his comfort zone. With the Pacers, Oladipo has emerged as an All-NBA performer himself and has given Indiana a reason to quickly forget about Paul George. Due to both George and Oladipo’s success in the Hoosier state, this brings up an argument of who was/is better for the Pacers. As well as, the level that these two players will be performing at in the future.
By the Numbers
When comparing two players that have played for the same team in recent years, the argument usually begins with points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. We’ll analyze Paul George’s Pacer stats starting from the 2012-13 NBA season* because of the fact that season, Paul George was finally “coming out of his shell.”
*Paul George’s 2014-15 NBA season won’t be discussed, as he suffered a gruesome leg injury prior to the season. This would result in him only playing six games.
Paul George
From 2012-2017 in Indiana, Paul George had put “good” numbers reflective of the franchise player he was. He averaged 21.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks. Each of those seasons had Paul George leading the team in both points and steals. On the flip side, however, George had an average player efficiency rating of 19.5, which isn’t impressive at all for one of the “top” players in the league at the time. To go deeper into the stats, Paul George shot 43.1% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range. Yes, George put up good numbers in his time with the Pacers, but how do these numbers compare to those of Victor Oladipo?
Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo is currently in his second season with the Pacers, and he’s been nothing short of remarkable. Across both seasons, he’s averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks. He shot 47% from the field and 37% from three. A bonus stat achieved by Oladipo saw him set a Pacer record with at least one steal in 41-straight games. Not only are these efficient numbers, but they’re All-Star numbers. Furthermore, in comparison to George, Oladipo has an average player efficiency rating of 22.6 which last season, putting him in the top-20 in the NBA.
According to just the numbers, it’s easy to assume that Oladipo has been the better Pacer. However, basketball is much more than the stats. We’re going to have to dig deeper to discuss who was the better Pacer.
Winning
Winning is everything when it comes to success on a team. Both Paul George and Victor Oladipo, as Pacers, have proven to be the go-to-guy in clutch situations. Stringing together regular season wins, of course, is a huge factor for determining who the better Pacer is. However, playoffs also play a factor, not only with individual performance, but their performance in relation to the team.
Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo, as previously mentioned, has played for the Pacers for only one full season. In that season, he led the Pacers to a 48-34 record, fifth in the East, and only four games behind the then third-seeded 76ers. But it’s the value of winning that Oladipo brought to the Pacers. The Pacers literally couldn’t win without Victor Oladipo on the floor. He missed seven games last season in which the Pacers lost all by an average of 14 points. However, with the other 75 games, they managed to win 64% of their games. Oladipo was almost as valuable to the Pacers, as LeBron James was to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 23.1 PPG averaged by him last season would be the most on the team by a whole nine points. To further the brilliance displayed by Oladipo, he had a bitter sweet usage rate of 30.1%. This means that Oladipo either shot the ball, turned the ball over, or drew a foul on that percent of Pacer plays.
But winning and leading a team means most in the playoffs. The Pacers were eliminated in a 4-3 series defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers. A loss is a loss, but Oladipo had the Pacers one win away from giving LeBron James his first ever first-round defeat. Winning is something that accelerates through Victor Oladipo’s body, but how does it compare to Paul George in a Pacers uniform?
Paul George
Oladipo has shown to be more than able to lead the Pacers to wins. But before there was him, there was Paul George holding it down. Paul George played at least 75 games in each of his last five seasons in a Pacers uniform*. In the 2012-13 NBA season, George averaged 17.4 PPG and finally took the keys as the franchise player from SF Danny Granger. That season, he would lead the Pacers to a 49-32 record. Unfortunately, Paul George’s Pacers would also fall to Lebron’s team, this time being the Heat, 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
*Paul George’s 2014-15 season will be omitted due to the gruesome injury he suffered. He would play only six games
As Paul George became the face of the franchise, playoff runs would only get more and more disappointing. The next season saw George lead the Pacers to 56 wins on 21.7 PPG. This was enough to get the Pacers the first seed in the East. However, where it matters most is where it crumbled yet again. The Pacers would meet the Heat again in the Eastern Conference Finals and fall 4-2 in the series.
More Paul George
For George, his leadership could only take the Pacers so far. The next two seasons would have the Pacers lose in the first round of the playoffs. As great of a player as Paul George was, although his PPG went up, the number of wins went down. You can argue that the team was not the same, or that George didn’t have the necessary pieces, but he, as the franchise player, had to come through in those situations.
On the bright side, Paul George would have an average usage rate of 28% through all the seasons discussed. George has way more seasons under his belt than Oladipo, so the greater amount of playoff games is imminent. It can certainly be argued that Paul George has the edge in winning just based off of having more experience in a Pacers uniform. Don’t let it fool you that Oladipo’s first season in Indiana has proven that he’s more than capable of surpassing what George has done. But that’s what future projections are for.
Down The Line Projection
Stats don’t need to be discussed when expressing who the better Pacer will be down the line. On that note, Victor Oladipo WILL be known as the better Indiana Pacer down the line. Yes, Paul George has done wonders for the Indiana Pacers, but Victor Oladipo is the guy to not only overtake Paul George in Pacers history, but take the helm as one of the greatest Pacers of all-time. It’s looking like Oladipo is going to be a Pacer for a long time. As the player that Oladipo is, he’s certainly able to create his own moments in Pacer history.
Paul George has taken the Pacers as far as the Eastern Conference Finals. Who’s to say that Oladipo can’t take them there too? The stats and the “eye-test” show that Oladipo can be everything that Paul George was for the Pacers and more. Oladipo is slowly improving every year, and for now, he’s the franchise player, but soon enough, he’ll be one of the best in the league.
In terms of projections, Oladipo will certainly be an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year candidate with Indiana, both are things George was never able to do. Oladipo has players such as Tyreke Evans, Myles Turner, and Domantas Sabonis who will propel Oladipo to be as great of a Pacer as a man named Reggie Miller once was.
Conclusion
We’re here to figure out who the better Pacer is/was right now, and who’ll be better down the line. Considering all factors, Paul George is the better Pacer/was better for the Pacers right now. However, in the coming seasons, Victor Oladipo will be widely known as a better Pacer than Paul George and even one of the best Pacers players ever.
When comparing two players anything is debatable. But that’s what social media is for. If you’d like to debate this topic my social media is below.
Twitter: @jailbodyaw