Swarm and Sting
Fansided

Charlotte Hornets: Pros and Cons of Victor Oladipo trade

By Joshua Matthews

Aug 8, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) during the second quarter in a NBA basketball game at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 8, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo (4) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma (0) during the second quarter in a NBA basketball game at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Charlotte Hornets’ pursuit of Victor Oladipo could do wonders for the team, but there are a few cons to consider.

The Charlotte Hornets have no shortage of problems to encounter this offseason and adding star talent should be among the organization’s top priorities. With a roster that has young players and a surplus of potential, the Hornets should be looking for a veteran leader to push Charlotte over the edge of mediocrity.

While the Hornets do have a few underrated players, the team has to add some stellar talent to propel this team into playoff contention. Obviously, there are players that the Hornets can pursue in free agency but those are always tough to win due to the relatively smaller market of Charlotte.

Victor Oladipo is one of my favorite and best guards in the league and before his injury was making quite the impact for Indiana. We’ve already created some Oladipo packages but picking him up does have its cons, so let’s analyze the pros and cons of pursuing and getting Oladipo.

The Pros of getting Victor Oladipo for the Charlotte Hornets

Oladipo creates some major opportunities on the offensive side of the ball. Oladipo is an explosive guard and hasn’t found his NBA home yet. Oladipo is extremely talented and averaged nearly 15 points per game after seeing minute reductions following last seasons injury.

In his peak, Oladipo averaged 23 points per game before a few injuries hindered his opportunities in Indiana. Oladipo is incredible with a career field goal percentage of 44 percent. Oladipo’s efficiency would really help the Charlotte Hornets on the offensive side of the ball.

Oladipo also adds a major layer to the defensive side. Oladipo is one of the best defensive guards in the league and can make other guard tandems struggle to score.

Oladipo actually led the league in steals and steal percentage in the 2017-18 year. Oladipo averaged over two steals per game and was a defensive anchor for the Pacers. Oladipo made the First All-Defensive team for the Pacers and created havoc for guards in the Eastern Conference.

Finally, Oladipo can add some leadership within the locker room. The locker room is full of really young talent and his addition to the roster gives the Hornets a seven-year veteran. Oladipo hasn’t found much success in the post-season but he does have tons of experience in this league and this could do wonders for Charlotte.

The Cons of getting Victor Oladipo for the Charlotte Hornets

So the addition of Oladipo does have a few cons but they don’t extend very far.

So firstly Oladipo would take touches away from the young guard Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham(and LaMelo Ball if drafted). They’re all really talented young players and their development could be stunted if Oladipo was on the team because he’d take away their touches on the ball. Oladipo will control a lot of the offense and can take shots away from the talents.

Obtaining Oladipo will require Charlotte to ship out picks and other valuable assets for the star. This could cause Charlotte to send too much to Indiana and that could be a problem for the long-run of the organization.

Finally, Oladipo has had a few injuries in the least few years and the last thing the Hornets need to do is acquire someone who will be hurt often. Oladipo has had a lot of ankle problems and that is worrisome but overall, I think the risk is worth it.

Home/Hornets News