Victor Oladipo is confident in the Indiana Pacers heading into the 2019-20 NBA season.

Pacers have a 'chance to be really special' next season – Oladipo


Victor Oladipo believes the Indiana Pacers have a "chance to be really special" as they prepare for the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Pacers finished 2018-19 with a 48-34 record and were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs after star Oladipo ruptured a quad tendon in his right knee.

Indiana lost some key pieces from that team — including Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collision and Cory Joseph. But, the Pacers replaced them with the likes of Jeremy Lamb, T.J. Warren, T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday and JaKarr Sampson.

The Pacers made multiple moves this offseason and two-time All-Star Oladipo said Indiana will "definitely" make the playoffs.

"I feel like we got some great additions," Oladipo said, via the Indianapolis Star. "We got a chance to be really special. I feel like the league is wide open."

Indiana's biggest acquisition was Malcolm Brogdon, who they landed in a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Brogdon, who averaged 15.6 points and shot 42.6 per cent from three-point range last season, then signed a four-year, $85million deal with the Pacers.

"We added a lot of fire power offensively, but we always wanted a team on a good timeline," Indiana president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard told reporters in early July.

"We feel we have a young team, a very vibrant up-and-coming team that's willing to get better. We like guys who love the game. You can always tell when guys love the game, they have these incremental improvements every year."

Oladipo said he was excited 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," Oladipo said. "To have him as an addition is pretty big for us."