WESTFIELD – Victor Oladipo isn’t going to talk much about the right knee injury that ended his second All-Star season with the Indiana Pacers.

He wouldn't speak on it at all Saturday, though a league source told IndyStar a few days prior that the guard remains on track to return during the 2019-20 season, which opens Oct. 23 for the Pacers.

The new direction of the team, with the additions of Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, T.J. Warren, T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday and JaKarr Sampson, has given Oladipo confidence to say at least this:

"Playoffs, for sure. Definitely."

The East has changed. Kawhi Leonard left the champion Toronto Raptors. The Milwaukee Bucks, who had the league's best record, lost Brogdon and could take a step back. The Boston Celtics lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford. Outside of the Philadelphia 76ers' retooling and getting stronger, the conference is difficult to sort out.

Oladipo was entertaining 500 kids at his two-day ProCamp, which grew significantly from a year ago. The facilities at Park Tudor School weren't big enough, sending the event to Grand Park in Westfield.

It’s what comes with being a bigger star, even after missing 46 games when he tore a quad muscle in his knee Jan. 23.

The Pacers still won 48 games for the second year in a row. Their fall in the postseason, however, was pronounced.

After pushing the eventual conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in 2018, they were swept by the Celtics last season. The Pacers were held under 100 points three times in the four-game sweep.

The optimism drained from the locker room, president Kevin Pritchard turned over a new leaf.

Thaddeus Young was allowed to leave (Chicago). Darren Collision abruptly retired. They tried to keep Bojan Bogdanovic but he walked (Utah). They at least wanted to keep Cory Joseph but knew he would be too expensive in the open market and he departed, too (Sacramento).

"I’m still close to those guys anyway. I talked to Thad a week ago. I talked to D.C. a couple weeks ago as well. I talked to Bogey," Oladipo said. "It’s bigger than just basketball with those guys. It’s about building relationships. When you’re with guys for two long years you build relationships and you build friendships that will last forever. It’s pretty cool to be able to still contact them and be able to have conversations. They’re all going off and doing their own thing, big things, special things and I’m proud of them.”

It's on to Oladipo's new family starting with Brogdon, who was the big-ticket item coming in via an $85 million sign-and-trade deal.

"I feel like we got some great additions. We got a chance to be really special. I feel like the league is wide open," Oladipo said. “I was excited for the opportunity to play with (Brogdon). I know what type of player he is, the level that he plays on and has been playing on the last couple of years from Milwaukee. To have him as an addition is pretty big for us."

The Pacers locker room chemistry, which had been a strength, suffered without Oladipo. The drama surrounding Tyreke Evans, who is now serving a two-year suspension from the league over violating the drug policy, contributed as well. He was on the verge of being cut on several occasions until vets Young, Joseph and Collison stepped in, a league source said. Young spoke openly about giving Evans guidance.

There also was an unhappiness with younger players wanting more of a chance while coach Nate McMillan stuck with older ones, multiple league sources told IndyStar.

This kind of friction happens, especially with so many players on expiring contracts entering free agency.

That's unlikely to be an issue again. The Pacers aren't inundated with expiring deals. They're young everywhere with the projected starting five well under 30.

Justin Holiday, a reserve, is the oldest at 30. His brother, Aaron, will get a bump in the rotation in his second season as Brogdon's back up.

Lamb, who’ll start in Oladipo’s absence and then become the sixth man, is 27. So is Oladipo. Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis are 23. Warren is 25. Brogdon will be 27.

The biggest early-season question: Who'll replace the voice of the rehabbing Oladipo and Young in the locker room to start the season to help a teammate in need or provide positive reinforcement?

That's unknown, though Brogdon and McConnell appear to be at the front of the line.

What appears certain is that this will be a team that's able to play faster. McMillan has asked for and received more versatile pieces.

Brogdon can play on or off ball. That's true for Lamb as well, though he's not the creator for others when he runs the pick-and-roll.

A team that had difficulty with execution because it had a dearth of ballhandlers should score more on offense and be able to switch more on defense.

That's what intrigues Oladipo.

"We have the ability now to play that way. We have the personnel to play that way," he said. "We have a lot of guys who can do things with the ball. Not only me. I don’t think we've had that before. It's going to be a lot of opportunities for guys to go out there and make things happen."

It’s back to Miami after this weekend, Oladipo's offseason home. His goal is to keep everything about his recovery under wraps and surprise everyone.

That could mean returning sooner than the December/January timeline, being in peak form right away or becoming a three-time All-Star.

The latter will be difficult. The first All-Star tallies come out around Christmas. While the popular vote could elevate Oladipo as a starter despite not having the resume of an All-Star, a return in early December could give him enough of one for coaches to name him as a reserve.

“I’m not sure. I really can't control that. I couldn’t control it the last two years," Oladipo said. "I can’t control it now. I'm just worried about getting back and helping us win a championship.”

The current building blocks have to fall firmly into place. Then he can hit the ground running again.