Obi Toppin staying true to himself will make him as effective as possible for the Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — Obi Toppin almost always has a smile. He is loved, and a great teammate who is also a valuable player, someone who should be kept around. That’s what the Indiana Pacers did this offseason when they retained Toppin to a four-year contract with $58 million guaranteed.

The 26-year-old was traded to Indiana before the 2023-24 season and looked like someone who could be a great stylistic fit next to star guard Tyrese Haliburton. He’s a blur in transition and lives above the rim, a nice piece to have alongside one of the NBA’s best passers.

When the previous season started, Toppin was a starter. That put him on the ground as much as possible with Haliburton. But two months into the season, the Brooklyn native was moved to the bench. The Pacers wanted defense and rebounding in their starting five and moved Toppin to the second unit.

His effectiveness hardly diminished. Toppin continued to thrive even while playing in units led by TJ McConnell, and that was possible thanks to the Dayton product’s improved three-point shooting. He focused on his technique and developed into a 40% long-range shooter.

By the end of the campaign it didn’t matter who else was on the floor. Toppin could be effective, especially on offense, and he split time in the postseason between the four and five positions. He’s now back with the Pacers to do it all again.

“He’s one of our key guys off the bench,” head coach Rick Carlisle said of Toppin. “He could always shoot.”

Then the head coach added even more. “His biggest improvements were defensively and with rebounding.
We need him to focus on those two things. Offensively, I’m not worried about him.”

Last year Toppin made progress. This year, to do that again. he will need to improve his defensive abilities and hit the glass harder. Role and surrounding talent play a role in this, but Toppin had a better rebounding percentage his first two seasons than he did last year with the Pacers – it’s likely he has more to contribute in that area.

The Pacers need it. They were a weak, rebounding team last season and any boost they can get on the boards without sacrificing their identity is crucial. On defense, almost every Pacer needs to improve on that side of the court. The Blue and Gold were about 1.6 points per 100 possessions worse on the defensive end when Toppin was on the floor last year.

He’s 26, but Toppin is only four seasons into his career. It’s reasonable to expect development this season, and if he can grow into a more effective player on the less glamorous side of the pitch, it would be a big step forward for his team. With his size, he could be a useful piece on that side of the ball. Perhaps his growth on defense could simply come from being more effective at grabbing a rebound and ending possessions.

“Honestly, I want to be the same guy I was last year. Bring the energy,” Toppin said of his own makeup. “Obviously I need to improve the shooting, improve the defense, improve the rebounding. That’s what I want to improve, more defensive stuff, rebounding, one-on-one defense, things like that. Offense, I got it feeling that our entire team… is gifted offensively. Defense is the most important thing for us.”

The 2020 lottery pick averaged 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last season. It was his first-ever campaign to reach double-digit scoring figures, and that mark continued into the postseason. Indiana’s goals are now about the playoffs, and even without a good defensive year, Toppin was an asset in the postseason as the Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

Making 67% of his two-point shots on the biggest stage has certainly helped. “Just playing true to himself. Playing the right way. Taking what the defense gives him. Not forcing anything. And just being comfortable letting the ball fly,” Haliburton said of Toppin’s effectiveness before noting that his teammate was great in the playoffs as a shooter. . “Just cool to see him grow, I’ll continue to grow next to him.”

With how much Toppin improved last season, the hope would be that he can do it again this year. He trained regularly in Los Angeles this summer ahead of his second season with the Pacers, and this is the franchise’s first full offseason.

Indiana hopes to take a step forward defensively across the board. They were better after last year’s All-Star break and are working on some zone defense concepts. The blue and gold countries will be much more threatening if they can be stopped even at a near average pace.

If Toppin were to step forward on that end of the floor, that would go a long way. “Being able to guard one through five, being able to guard guards, point guards, bigs, all-around players,” Toppin said of his offseason work. ‘Anyone can be involved. I feel like I’ve been working on that a lot this summer, guarding different people.”

The five-year pro will get his first chance to show off his improvements tonight in Detroit. Toppin’s attitude and skill make him a great fit for the Pacers, but he could be an excellent fit if he improves the way he hopes.