Obi Toppin discusses his offseason, joining the Indiana Pacers, and more at his Basketball ProCamp in Dayton
DAYTON — Obi Toppin loves Dayton.
The Indiana Pacers forward played college basketball at the University of Dayton for two seasons, where he averaged just under 20 points per game as a sophomore. He was named the AP College Basketball Player of the Year in 2020, and he then went on to join the NBA.
But he still loves Dayton and goes back often. And this week, he held his Basketball ProCamp on campus at the RecPlex. There were nearly 150 campers at the event.
"Me being in Indiana, being close to here, is amazing. This is like my second home," Toppin said of being closer to Dayton now that he's with the Pacers. He joked that he will drive over to his former school often now that he's so close and called it "amazing" to come back to the school.
While around campus, he met with Flyers head coach Anthony Grant and the rest of the Men's Basketball Team. He watched a practice and thinks the team is set up for a big year. Now that he's close by, he can observe some of it.
And he will be back often. Toppin wants to keep growing his camp, but he said he will always have it in Dayton even if it means he has to eventually move venues as it expands. The area is his home to Toppin.
His new NBA home is in Indiana with the Pacers. He was traded to the blue and gold in early July, and the Pacers will be his second pro franchise. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the New York Knicks.
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin speaks to the media at his Basketball ProCamp on August 1, 2023. (Mandatory Photo Credit: AllPacers)
With the Knicks, he couldn't get on the court much because he was stuck behind All-Star forward Julius Randle in the rotation. With Indiana, that won't be the case. Toppin should play more with the Pacers, and that will help him develop and grow.
"It means a lot," Toppin said of joining the blue and gold. He noted that he is excited to get on the court with his new teammates and coaches.
He has played with a few of them already. In Las Vegas for Summer League, he was able to get in some practice time with a few members of the roster, and he recently practiced and played in a Pro-Am with Tyrese Haliburton. Those two have a developing relationship.
Haliburton thinks they will fit together naturally. He is an excellent passer while Toppin is a strong play finisher. In tandem, they should be a potent offensive duo, though they both need to improve on defense.
"Tyrese, everybody knows Tyrese. Great player," Toppin said Tuesday in Ohio. "He's an amazing scorer, amazing passer. He does everything on the floor. I can't wait to get on the floor with him."
Both players scored more than 30 points in the Pro-Am that they attended. They were each trying to play in transition and connect for highlight plays. While that setting is different from the NBA, that style may not be far off of what Toppin does for Indiana.
He had a 24.8% transition frequency last year, which was near the top of the league. His effective field goal percentage in the open floor was almost 70%, a terrific mark. Even on a slower-paced New York team, Toppin got out and ran when he could.
Now, he's on a Pacers team that encourages those players and has a ton of young legs. He will fit right in, especially on offense.
"It's definitely a lot of young guys there. Going to be running the floor. Going to be a lot of lobs, lots of threes," Toppin said of the Pacers. "It's going to be very fun."
He knows he will still have to be patient since he is switching teams. That's something he learned from New York — how to have fortitude in any situation. It helped him grow, something he can still do with Indiana.
Toppin mentioned wanting to be a sponge with his new team, a phrase typically used to say that he will absorb information. That's how he will learn and grow. But he will need to apply those things on the court quickly with his new group. He is likely going to get minutes right away.
Part of that process will involve frequent conversations with head coach Rick Carlisle. Toppin said they have connected, but they haven't talked much basketball yet.
"It's been more personal things. We've been having personal talks, about basketball too, but just about life," he said of his early chats with Carlise. They've talked about Toppin moving to Indiana, for example. "I'm excited to get back and talk to everybody."
Before he can do any of that, though. He had his camp to focus on in one of his favorite places in the world. Toppin helped out campers with drills and showed off with a few dunks before playing one-on-one with many of the attendees. His daughter was around, too, and Toppin said that she is dunking some at home on her tiny plastic hoop.
Those are the moments that Toppin enjoys about his camp, and he will be able to be around Dayton more often now. He's under two hours away by car with the Indiana Pacers, where he will hope to have his career take off. If he fits with Haliburton, as it appears he can, he could be in for a big year.
- Tyrese Haliburton hosts basketball camp in Indianapolis, talks Indiana Pacers offseason and Summer League. CLICK HERE.
- What moves can the Indiana Pacers still make during the 2023 offseason and free agency? CLICK HERE.
- Tyrese Haliburton and Obi Toppin are forming an early bond for the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Report: T.J. McConnell is hoping to stay with the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
- Follow AllPacers on Facebook: All Pacers SI
- Follow AllPacers on Twitter: @SIPacers
