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All-Star guard Victor Oladipo will make his Houston Rockets debut on Martin Luther King Jr. Day against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Oladipo was acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. The trade was finalized over the weekend and Dipo will be in the lineup, per coach Stephen Silas.
Oladipo should enter the starting lineup at guard alongside Ben McLemore. John Wall (knee) has already been ruled out Monday. Eric Gordon (leg) and Danuel House Jr. (health protocols) were both out on Saturday vs. the San Antonio Spurs. DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) was also out, so there’s a good chance the Rockets are pretty shorthanded against the Bulls. Dipo should get plenty of usage and minutes for the Rockets in his first game.
Oladipo seemed to want out of Indiana last season in the NBA bubble. There was talk that Dipo was asking teams on the court while playing if they would trade for him. Now that he has his wish, we’ll see if that brings out the best in Dipo’s game. In 9 games with the Pacers this season, Oladipo is averaging 20 points per game with 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists. So long as Wall is sidelined, Oladipo should be the featured perimeter scorer with Christian Wood holding it down in the paint.