Goalkeeper Victor Oladipo was optimistic about the Houston Rockets after his franchise debut, in stark contrast to James Harden’s final comments as a member of the franchise.
“I know better days are coming for the Houston Rockets and I look forward to those special days,” Oladipo said after his 32-point performance with nine assists in a 125-120 Chicago Bulls road loss Monday in the evening.
It was the second highest-scoring debut in the franchise’s 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 quadriceps tendon rupture in January 2019, was acquired by the Rockets in last week’s four-team blockbuster deal, which sent her on Harden at the Brooklyn Nets. Harden was aware that a deal was probably approaching when he said the Rockets “simply aren’t good enough” and can’t be “remedied” in what meant a farewell speech after a minor loss to Los Angeles. Lakers, his last game in a Rockets uniform.
Oladipo trained with the Rockets for the first time on Sunday and played off guard against the Bulls because John Wall missed the third game in a row with a painful knee. Oladipo had four of the seven turnovers in the first quarter, which ended with the Rockets scoring 12 points.
“He started a little shaky, which is natural, but you could see what we could be with him on the floor,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “We can see that he can be a primary scorer, he can play games for others, he can even follow him defensively. So we are excited about him and the prospects of what he can do and what he can be.”
Oladipo played the rest of the game, scoring 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting and eliminating all nine assists in the last three quarters. Seven of Oladipo’s assists were Christian Wood’s cross (30 points, 11-of-16 shooting), as they showed the potential to form a prolific pick-and-roll partnership.
Oladipo, in the final season of his contract, stressed the need for patience, as the Rockets form chemistry on the go. However, he has repeatedly stressed how excited he is about Houston’s potential, despite the Rockets’ 4-8 record.
“We are not trying to be a good team. We are trying to be an excellent team,” Oladipo said. “We have the ability to do that. We have the staff and the coach. Now it’s about doing that and buying every day, every possession and playing every game like it’s our last. That’s the mentality of this team. .
“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. We’re going out there to play with that chip, with that brick, with whatever is on our back, whatever the biggest thing you can carry on your back and go out there and compete for each other. I think we can be a very good team. “.