Does Victor Oladipo make the Miami Heat title favorites?

MIAMI, FL – APRIL 01: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Miami Heat brings the basketball up court during the second half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Arena on April 1, 2021 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

The Miami Heat are the best team in the Eastern Conference. They boast a 42-22 record, are the only team out East with 40 wins, and have a two-game lead on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite dealing with multiple injuries to their Big 3 – Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kyle Lowry – they’ve relied on their elite depth and ‘next-man-up’ mentality to get them to this point.

No team wants to face them in Round 1 of the playoffs because o

Does Victor Oladipo make the Miami Heat title favorites?

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Victor Oladipo is set to make his season debut for the Heat in just a few days on March 7 against the Houston Rockets.

Oladipo was traded to the Heat from the Rockets at the trade deadline last season but only appeared in four games before suffering a quad injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season.

He has not played in an NBA game since, as he has been slowly recovering from that same injury. However, with how well the Heat are playing, there’s never been a better time to make his return.

The veteran shooting guard won’t have any pressure on his shoulders. His only job will be to slowly get back into form and make any impact that he can.

But let’s say Oladipo does end up looking like a version of his former self. What does that do to Miami’s title chances? If Olaipo looks good, should they be considered Finals favorites?

In his prime, Oladipo was an All-Star, an All-Defensive team player, and one of the clutches players in the league. While he almost certainly won’t be playing as well as that, if he can even be a fraction of his former self, it’s sure to make a big-time impact.

The Heat will have yet another great player at their disposal. Whether or not he will come off the bench is to be determined, but no matter what role he plays, adding Oldaipo to an already deep Heat lineup is scary.

As is, Miami is probably one of the top favorites to win the title this year, and now they’re getting reinforcements. Oladipo’s return might just be enough to get Miami over the hump.