Contrary to the prevailing sentiment at the time of that stunning deal last June, Paul George didn’t just fall out of Indiana like loose change from a holey pocket. Might not have been the treasure trove of draft picks and prospects that were expected to be required to land a player of George’s caliber, but the Indiana Pacers actually did receive a return for surrendering the franchise’s best player since Reggie Miller. Victor Oladipo proves his value every time he pulls off some in-game, slam-dunk-contest-worthy, 360-degree jam or buries a game-winning 3-pointer over LaMarcus Aldridge and struts and shouts, “This is my [expletive]! [Expletive] outta here!”

Making hot-take declarations about a trade one month into the season doesn’t help anyone because deals can’t truly be evaluated until years down the road. And no sane person would suggest that any team is better without George. But Oladipo is doing his part to at least make the transition tolerable for the Pacers, elevating his game in an environment that has encouraged him to fly and pushing back on the notion that Indiana got snookered.

“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. Obviously, the world felt like they didn’t get enough,” Oladipo told Yahoo Sports. “I guess that’s how they feel, that’s fine.”

For Oladipo, the slight regarding that trade has had little influence on what he has accomplished in his first few weeks with the Pacers — a team that wanted him, valued him more than most, and needs him to produce at a higher level than his previous employers, Oklahoma City and Orlando. Back in the state where he starred collegiately and played well enough to go second in the 2013 NBA draft, Oladipo is comfortable and embracing enhanced expectations and opportunity. He’s averaging a career-high 23.2 points — despite playing the fewest minutes since his rookie season — and shooting career highs from the field (47.4 percent) and 3-point range (44.3).

“That really was not going to change how hard I worked, or how I approached the season,” Oladipo told Yahoo Sports about the trade. “I was locked in before the trade, after the trade, and even now. You could say I’m using it as motivation, but I’m already motivated. I got a lot of goals for myself, for this team. There’s a lot I still want to accomplish in this league.”

View photos Victor Oladipo is shooting 44.3 percent from 3-point range. (AP) More

Oladipo can’t be too upset with the negative reactions inspired by the trade because his performance in Oklahoma City — especially his disappearance in the playoffs — made him expendable and contributed to the perception that reigning MVP Russell Westbrook was a one-man show. The role Oladipo had to assume in Oklahoma City wasn’t conducive to his success. He’s never been a standstill, knockdown shooter. But the Thunder simply couldn’t lean on his playmaking when the ball needed to be in the hands of the walking triple-double eager to assume a ridiculous load, either out of spite, recklessness or stubbornness. Westbrook’s presence inhaled those around him, making it difficult to flourish with limited opportunities. Oladipo still views his time in Oklahoma City as a positive because it exposed him to more than he expected simply by being in the presence of a superstar.

Oladipo struggled with his confidence in Orlando because he often had to look over his shoulder. The Magic had no established talent hierarchy, which made it difficult for Oladipo to assert himself without it coming across as a challenge to his teammates. There were no such problems in Oklahoma City, where the floor tilted to wherever Westbrook stepped. Oladipo observed how Westbrook moved without fear and made no apologies for how he approached the game. Paired with a player to whom he had been lightly compared was eye-opening when Oladipo recognized how wide the gap was between them. So, no, Oladipo wasn’t very good and didn’t produce as he would’ve liked alongside Westbrook, but the experience was hardly a waste.

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