Southeast Notes: Oladipo, Beal, Dinwiddie, Hornets

Heat guard Victor Oladipo is determined to regain the status of being one of the league’s top wings, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.

Oladipo went under the knife in May, undergoing surgery to repair his right quad tendon. Once considered a top name entering the free agent market, he signed a minimum contract to rebuild his value.

“It’s been really tough. It’s been hard. This is another battle in the books for me,” he said. “I want to show my resiliency and have one of the best comeback stories ever. I want to make the most of my situation. It’s easy to quit and say ‘woe is me,’ but that doesn’t solve the problem. I know there are a lot of eyes watching. Hopefully, I can be a vessel for them and show them they can get through anything if they really put their mind to it.”

We have more from the Southeast Division:

• Wizards star Bradley Beal won’t share his “personal reasons” why he hasn’t been vaccinated, Ava Wallace of the Washington Post tweets. However, Beal was a little more open about the possibility of signing an extension, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Beal said that he’ll let his agent handle those negotiations: “I’ve got all year to sign it, so I’m not in a rush.”
• Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie said he tried to buy the Wizards‘ jersey patch before this season to advertise crypto currency, Hughes adds in a separate tweet. According to Dinwiddie, he was willing to meet the $12MM asking price but the league wouldn’t allow it.
• The Hornets officially announced Marlon Garnett, Nick Friedman and Norman Richardson as assistant coaches under head coach James Borrego in a press release. The team also promoted Jackson Simmons to head video coordinator.
• Borrego expects the Hornets to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of the season, Rod Boone of the Charlotte Observer tweets.