Paul George, Victor Oladipo Talk Return From Injury as Playoffs Begin

Unlike for Lopez and George, Oladipo’s role with the Heat going forward has not been fully established. He has played in only eight games since returning on March 7. On April 3 in Toronto, he scored 21 points.

“These are things we have seen daily, behind the scenes,” Chris Quinn, an assistant coach for the Heat, told reporters after the game, while filling in for Coach Erik Spoelstra, who was out because of coronavirus protocols. “It’s the hard work, it’s the grit, it’s the grind. Coming off what he came off injury wise, and for him to get to this point, it’s still part of the process of him becoming what he can be.”

The Heat did not play Oladipo in their next two games, but he scored 40 points in the team’s regular-season finale on Sunday.

“I’m still capable of doing a lot of good things out there, a lot of great things out there,” Oladipo said in an interview in late March. “Right now, I think my purpose for this team is to do whatever needs to be done in order for us to win.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/11/sports/basketball/nba-playoffs-paul-george-injury.html