Victor Oladipo to debut for Houston Rockets, says ‘better days are ahead’ for team



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Guard Victor Oladipo expressed optimism about the Houston Rockets after his franchise debut, in stark contrast to James Harden’s final comments as a member of the franchise.

“I know better days are ahead for the Houston Rockets, and I can’t wait to be a part of these special days,” Oladipo said after his 32-point performance and nine assists in a 125-120 loss to the road. Chicago Bulls Monday night.

It was the second-best score in franchise history, behind Harden’s 37-point performance in the opener of the 2012-13 season.

Oladipo, a two-time All-Star for the Indiana Pacers whose career was cut short by a quadriceps tendon rupture suffered in January 2019, was acquired by the Rockets in last week’s four-team blockbuster that sent Harden at the Brooklyn Nets. Harden knew a deal was likely close when he said the Rockets “just weren’t good enough” and couldn’t be “fixed” in what amounted to a farewell speech after an unbalanced loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, his last game. in a Rockets uniform.

Oladipo trained with the Rockets for the first time on Sunday and played out of position at the point guard against the Bulls because John Wall missed his third straight game with knee pain. Oladipo made four of his seven turnovers in the first quarter, which ended 12 points behind the Rockets.

“It all started out a little shaky which is natural but you could see what we can be with him on the floor,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “We can see he can be a main goalscorer, he can play for others, he can really take it out on the defensive end. So we’re excited about him and the prospects of what he can do and what it can. be. “

Oladipo played the remainder of the game, scoring 29 points on 12 of 19 shots and distributing his nine assists in the final three quarters. Seven of Oladipo’s assists were aimed at centering Christian Wood (30 points, 11 of 16) as they showed the potential to form a prolific pick-and-roll partnership.

Oladipo, who is in the final season of his contract, emphasized the need for patience as the Rockets train chemistry on the fly. However, he has repeatedly pointed out how excited he is about Houston’s potential despite the Rockets’ 4-8 record.

“We are not trying to be a good team. We are trying to be a great team,” said Oladipo. “We have the capacity to do it. We have the staff to do it and the coach. Now it’s about doing it and buying every day, every possession and playing every game like it’s the last is the mentality of this team.

“We have to keep improving, obviously the chemistry keeps growing, the defense gets better. But the mindset can never change, and the approach can never change. That’s what we want, man. We do. let’s go and play with that chip, that brick, whatever on our back, whatever the most important thing you can carry on your back, and go out there and compete for each other. we do that, I think we can be a really good team. “

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