Victor Oladipo’s brief stint in Houston was underwhelming, and it appears that poor health for the former All-Star was a key reason.
Oladipo had surgery in 2019 to repair a ruptured quadriceps tendon, but it now appears that it did not fully resolve the underlying issues. After being traded to Miami in the March deal that brought Kelly Olynyk to the Rockets, Oladipo played in just four games for the Heat before having to undergo yet another procedure on his troublesome right quad.
In new comments to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the orthopedic surgeon who performed Oladipo’s latest surgery expressed surprise that Oladipo had even been able to play NBA basketball with the previous state of his tendon. Here’s what Dr. Jonathan Glashow told Woj:
I repaired the quad tendon and did it a little differently than [he had] it done before. The quad wasn’t really hooked up. It was torn, and I reattached it. I was amazed he was playing with what he had. I’m very optimistic that I could clear him in six months, by November. I think he’s going to play really well again.
[The surgery] went extremely well, and it’s healing beautifully. I’m confident he’ll play next year.
Oladipo could be cleared for full contact in Nov. https://t.co/AMe5NScADi
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 22, 2021
Oladipo averaged 21.2 points, 5.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game with the Rockets, but he shot just 40.7% from the field in those 20 games — well below the 44.1% clip from his first seven NBA seasons. The veteran guard, whose usual explosion appeared to be limited, also missed several games due to various leg and foot injuries and was unable to play on both nights of back-to-back scenarios.
Now 29 years old, Oladipo will be a free agent in the 2021 offseason. However, his uncertain medical state could limit his market.
Dr. Jonathan Glashow tells ESPN: “The quad wasn’t really hooked up. It was torn, and I re-attached it. I was amazed he was playing with what he had. I’m very optimistic that I could clear him in six months, by November. I think he’s going to play really well again." https://t.co/4DTfgd3KVK
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 22, 2021
