Goalkeeper Victor Oladipo showed optimism about the Houston Rockets after his franchise debut, contrasting them with James Harden’s final comments as a member of the franchise.
“I know there are better days ahead of the Houston Rockets, and I’m looking forward to being a part of those special days,” Oladipo said after his 32-point performance and nine assists in a 125-120 road loss against Chicago Bulls Monday night.
It was the second-highest-scoring debut in franchise history, behind Harden’s 37-point performance at the start of the 2012-13 season.
Oladipo, a two-time All-Star for the Indiana Pacers, whose career was interrupted by a ruptured quadriceps tendon in January 2019, was acquired by the Rockets in last week’s four-team box office. which sent Harden to the Brooklyn networks. Harden was aware that an agreement was likely to be reached when he stated that the Rockets “just aren’t good enough” and that they couldn’t “fixate” on what was tantamount to a farewell speech after a disproportionate loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, his last game in a Rockets uniform.
Oladipo played for the Rockets for the first time on Sunday and played out of position against the Bulls because John Wall missed his third straight game with a knee injury. Oladipo had four of his seven changes in the first quarter, which ended the Rockets by 12 points.
“It started a little shaky, which is natural, but you could see what we could be with him on the ground,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “We can see that he can be a top scorer, he can make plays for others, he can really get it on defense. So we are delighted with him and the prospects of what he can do and what he can be.”
Oladipo starred in the rest of the game, scoring 29 points in the 12-of-19 throw and eliminating nine assists in the final three quarters. Seven of Oladipo’s assists consisted of focusing on Christian Wood (30 points, 11-of-16 shot) as they showed the potential to form a prolific pick-and-roll association.
Oladipo, who is in the final season of his contract, stressed the need for patience as the Rockets form chemistry on the fly. However, he repeatedly insisted on his enthusiasm for Houston’s potential despite the Rockets’ 4-8 record.
“We’re not trying to be a good team. We’re trying to be a great team,” Oladipo said. “We have the ability to do it. We have the staff and coach to do it. Now it’s about doing it and buying every day, every possession and playing every game like it’s the last one. That’s the mentality of this equipment.
“We have to keep improving, obviously the chemistry keeps growing, the defense gets better. But the mindset can never change and the approach can never change. That’s what we are, man. Let’s go out and play with this chip, that brick, whatever is on the back, whatever is the biggest that can be carried on the back and go out to compete with each other. If we do, I think we can be a very good team. “