MIAMI — This was after a Sunday night loss in Orlando that in at least one way felt like a victory.
Victor Oladipo had just scored 40 points, the most by a Miami Heat player this season, and coach Erik Spoelstra was reflecting on a conversation between the two earlier in the day, one that addressed Oladipo’s comeback from May quadriceps surgery.
“It’s interesting,” Spoelstra leaned in, as if embracing the opportunity to touch on the subject. “After the shootaround this morning, he and I talked about it, just from that very first practice after All-Star break, where he was fully healthy, and really had ramped things up already for three weeks. But in comparison to where he was physically and mentally then to where he is now is just exponentially different, and further along the road.
