The guard Victor Oladipo expressed optimism about the Houston Rockets after his franchise debut, which provided a stark contrast to James Harden’s recent comments as a member of the franchise.
“I know there are better days ahead for the Houston Rockets, and I look forward to being a part of those special days,” Oladipo said after his 32-point nine-assist performance in a 125-120 loss to the Chicago Bulls Monday night.
It was the second-highest point in franchise history, following Harden’s 37-point performance in the 2012-13 opening period.
Oladipo, a two-time All-Star for the Indiana Pacers whose career was interrupted by a broken quadriceps tendon suffered in January 2019, was acquired by the Rockets in last week’s four-team bragging rights that Harden took to the Brooklyn Nets. Harden was aware that an agreement was probably close when he declared that the Rockets were ‘just not good enough’ and could not be ‘corrected’ in a farewell speech, after a sudden 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 on the points guard against the Bulls because John Wall missed his third consecutive game with a sore knee. Oladipo had four of its seven turnovers in the first quarter, ending with the Rockets trailing by 12 points.
“It started a little shaky, which is natural, but you could see what we could be up to with him on the floor,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “We can see that he can be a primary scorer, that he can play for others, he can really defend after that. Then we are excited about him and the prospects of what he can do and what he can be.”
Oladipo starred the rest of the game, scoring 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting and scoring all nine of his assist goals in the final three quarters. Seven of Oladipo’s help was to center Christian Wood (30 points, 11-of-16 shooting) as it showed the potential to form a fruitful ‘pick-and-roll’ partnership.
Oladipo, who is in the final season of his contract, stressed the need for patience because the Rockets are currently forming chemistry. However, he has repeatedly emphasized how excited he is about Houston’s potential despite the Rockets’ 4-8 record.
“We’re not trying to be a good team. We’re trying to be a good team,” Oladipo said. “We have the ability to do it. We have the staff to do it and the coach. It’s now about doing it and buying every day, every possession and playing every game like it’s our last. That’s the mentality of this team.
“We have to keep getting better, of course, the chemistry keeps growing, the defense is getting better. But the mentality can never change, and the approach can never change. That’s what we’re about, man. We’re going to get there. go play with the chip, that brick, whatever is on our backs, all that’s the biggest thing you can carry on your backs, and go there and compete for each other. If we do, I know we can ‘ be a very good team. ‘