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Perhaps the most pointed criticism of Victor Oladipo when he came out of Indiana was that he couldn't shoot consistently. Sure, he hit 44.1 percent of his three-pointers as a junior, but averaged less than one made triple per game; there were serious questions about his ability to convert jumpers at the NBA level.
As his rookie season with the Orlando Magic continues, Oladipo is working on fine-tuning his jumper, and the results indicate that work is starting to pay off: in his last two games, Oladipo has made 6-of-9 from mid-range and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, according to NBA.com/stats.
Speaking after Friday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, in which game he tied a career-high with 26 points and set a new career-best with three triples, Oladipo credited the coaching staff for helping him work on his J. He indicated that one specific change he's made has sped his development.
"From watching the film, I wasn't jumping the same way when I work out and work on my shot [as] I do in the game," Oladipo said. "These past workouts, I've put a lot of emphasis on making sure I shoot game shots and jump as high as I do in the game. It's paid off. It feels way better than it did a few games ago."
By shooting the same way in workouts as he does in games, Oladipo can now find more consistency in his shot. If he's able to pair reliable ranged shooting with his ability to get to the rim off the dribble, then he'll become an even tougher cover than anyone could have anticipated.
