Victor Oladipo, Heat continue to stress patience after preseason debut: ‘It’s a process’

At this time last year, there was still no concrete timetable for Victor Oladipo’s return from his second major knee surgery in less than three years.

As Oladipo made his preseason debut in Monday night’s 118-110 win over the Houston Rockets at FTX Arena, there’s a different question surrounding the Miami Heat guard entering this season: What will Oladipo’s role be?

“I think it takes time. It’s hard to say right now,” Oladipo said when asked if he has clarity on his role following his first preseason game action on Monday. “But things have ways of manifesting and kind of coming into fruition with time. So just got to be patient. Kind of let things manifest as they should.”

Oladipo, 30, has been forced to learn the value of patience after enduring two long recoveries stemming from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee in January 2019 that ended up requiring a second surgery in May 2021. He waited until March 7 to make his season debut last season following an 11-month recovery.

Fresh off his first full healthy offseason since 2018, Oladipo will be in the mix from the start this season. After sitting out the Heat’s first three preseason games as he continued to work with the training staff to prepare his body for the long season ahead, Oladipo recorded eight points on 3-of-11 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 shooting on threes, three rebounds, four assists and three steals in 20 minutes in his preseason debut Monday.

“I know he’s been looking forward to it. He’s been pushing to get out there,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, with the Heat set to close its five-game preseason schedule on Wednesday against the New Orleans Pelicans at FTX Arena (7:30 p.m., Bally Sports Sun). “But I think the time was appropriate and I think the plan was appropriate coming out of training camp, and we’ll just build from there.”

As a two-time All-Star who was voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Third Team in 2017-18 as a member of the Indiana Pacers prior to his two knee surgeries, Oladipo comes with upside that could represent the internal improvement the Heat is hoping for this season.

But at the same time, those within the Heat organization are hesitant to create high expectations for Oladipo. After all, he has played in just 60 regular-season games over the last three seasons in the wake of his knee surgeries.

“I don’t want to put any expectations out there about Vic,” Spoelstra said. “I am extremely encouraged about his summer of work and what he’s done so far in training camp and the preseason. I just want for him to have that joy of just being out there again with the guys.

“Last year was really frustrating for him and lonely, not being able to participate in the regular season. He’s been able to have a real offseason, get ready for this season. I know he’s really excited about it. I don’t think we need to make any proclamations about where he’ll be. I just want to be open minded to him having a real ramp up and see what that will look like three or four months from now.”

There were signs of rust in Oladipo’s first NBA game action since the Eastern Conference finals in May. He missed eight of his final nine shot attempts on Monday after starting his preseason debut 2 of 2.

But there were also flashes of what Oladipo could provide, as he opened the game by hitting a catch-and-shoot above-the-break three-pointer and then used his athleticism to drive past his defender for a layup a few minutes later.

“It was fun,” Oladipo said. “Obviously, it’s been a minute since I suited up and played in the arena and everything like that. So it was great to just go out there and get my feet wet. Play with the guys and just got to keep building.”

Unlike last year, though, Oladipo is healthy enough to take part in preseason games and practices this season. That should help fast-track the building process.

“It’s a little different this year,” Oladipo said. “I’m at the start of the train track this time around. But it’s a process. Everything is a process. It’s not always going to be as clean as you want it to be. But at the end of the day, you just have to keep getting better, keep improving and my mentality is just go. I know what Spo wants, what he’s trying to accomplish out there, so I’m trying to do that to the best of my ability.”

While Oladipo’s exact role this season will be determined in the coming weeks and months, the expectation is that he’ll be used off the bench. If the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro moves into the Heat’s starting lineup as expected, Oladipo could be called on to fill that void as a sixth man spark this season.

All the while, the Heat and Oladipo continue to stress patience.

“My body still has to get used to an 82-game season, my body still has to get used to training camp and all those things,” Oladipo said. “I have to be patient with myself, I have to be patient with everything. But at the end of the day, I’m better. So that’s the biggest thing and I’m just going to keep staying patient.”

So while questions remain about Oladipo’s role this season. The good news for the Heat and Oladipo is there are no more questions about a timetable for his return.

“Everything is gucci really,” Oladipo said.

That means good.