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2013 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Indiana's Victor Oladipo

Let's take a look at a potential top-five selection and a hybrid guard-forward in the 2013 NBA Draft: Indiana's Victor Oladipo.

By Tyler Ricky Tynes
Andy Lyons

Victor Oladipo--There hasn't been another player in the country that has garnered more attention in the last two months for their progression and improvement than Oladipo. A defensive guru full of high energy and emphatic dunks, Oladipo is a human highlight reel.

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Check out Oladipo's stats over his career:

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Oladipo is a hybrid player, able to guard multiple positions on the floor. Though he's only 6'5", his strong frame at 210 pounds gives him the ability to match up with some small forwards in the NBA. The most important thing to look at, with regard to Oladipo, is his steady improvement over the course of collegiate career. Going from a virtual unknown to a consensus All-American, his play now speaks for itself. He single-handedly dropped Tyler Zeller's draft stock with his increased ability.

NBA Comparison: Andre Iguodala

Strengths

  • Explosive athlete with a great leaping ability, can jump right out of the gym
  • A good prototypical guard/forward for the NBA, solid frame, great wingspan
  • Very quick with the ball in his hands and on backdoor cuts, fantastic first step, moves terrific laterally on defense, quick feet.
  • Rebounds very well for his position at nearly seven per contest
  • A tough player to guard and be guarded by, high motor, never quits on any play
  • Great body control, draws contact and finishes around the rim, one of the best finishers in college basketball and will likely translate in the NBA
  • Moves very well without the ball and scores 14% of the time on backdoor cuts
  • Very efficient player, shoots nearly 60% from FG, 64.4% on two point attempts, and 44.1% from beyond the arc
  • Hard worker, always looking to improve his game
  • Runs the floor very well, fills in lanes and runs well in transition, scores 28% of the time on the break
  • Scores mainly on reverse lay-ins and dunks when playing off ball or in ISO arrangements
  • One of the best defenders in the country, will contribute to a team immediately on defense
  • Thrives off of ISO's and being the pick-and-roll ball handler

Weaknesses

  • Offense needs to develop to be elite in the NBA
  • Finds most of his scoring opportunities based on athleticism, offensive rebounds, and transition, no base offensively
  • Fairly limited as a ball handler and a playmaker
  • High tendency to be out of control when driving to the basket and when dribbling the ball for too long

Draft Projection: 1st Round, Pick #4 to the Phoenix Suns-to-#8 Washington Wizards

Oladipo's calling card is his tenacious defense and his high motor, but in the NBA that can only get a prospect so far. If drafted by the Suns, he'd most likely turn into a role player behind Jared Dudley, Shannon Brown, and Wesley Johnson. On the Wizards, rather, he might be able to turn into valuable Sixth Man coming off the bench to relievethe likes of Trevor Ariza and/or Bradley Beal.

Oladipo has the potential to continue improving at a rapid pace, and thus, could end up fully becoming a player with of the same caliber as Iguodala. What's his worse case scenario? He turns into a defensively sound Tony Allen who may only be useful in certain rotations.