Obi Toppin knows he has a lot to learn but expects to be a good fit with the Indiana Pacers
DAYTON — Obi Toppin has made it clear multiple times since the deal how he felt about being traded to the Indiana Pacers. He's excited and thinks it's a great fit.
"I was super excited. All I thought about was me being closer to here," he recalled of his thinking after being traded to Indiana. The here he was referring to was Dayton, Ohio, where he hosted a Basketball ProCamp for kids earlier this week. "Also the atmosphere that they've got there, the family culture they've got there."
Toppin has officially been with the Pacers for less than a month, but he's already doing his part to fit in and get to know people. He spent some time working out with his teammates in Las Vegas during Summer League, and he had a few practice sessions inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse later in the month of July.
Right after the trade, a few Pacers players reached out to Toppin to welcome him to Indy. He noted that Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Myles Turner, and Buddy Hield are among the group of guys who sent him a message. And he got in some work with Haliburton recently, which led to an appearance for both at Dizzy Runs Pro-Am.
Toppin doesn't pay much attention to internet trade chatter, so he wasn't too in tune with Indiana's reported interest in him dating back to February's trade deadline. He had a job to do with the Knicks, after all. But now that he is with the blue and gold, he knows what he needs to do better than he did with his old team.
"I've got a lot of learning to do. I've got to work on my game every single day," Toppin said. He wants to be patient as he improves and works on his game. He holds himself to a high standard, and that was a part of his occasional frustration in New York.
With the Pacers, he will need to learn their style and speed. They are a much faster team than the Knicks and will use different terminology. But in general, things should be more natural for Toppin.
The Pacers want to play with pace and put pressure on the rim. That's how they generate offense, and that's where Toppin thinks he is at his best.
"That's my game. Everybody knows my game," Toppin said of playing in transition. "In the open court, I run the floor really hard."
The 25-year old has seen the NBA evolve. More teams are trying to get into their offense quickly and find shots early in the shot clock. The Dayton product thinks he shines in those settings, and that's how the Pacers, and Haliburton, want to play.
Because Indiana's identity and Toppin's skills match so well, it's easy to see how he will fit with the team. He will have an obvious role with either the starters or the second unit — run in transition, pressure the rim, and try to be a defensive playmaker.
"Indiana's vision is just going to be playing to my strengths," Toppin shared at the University of Dayton RecPlex. "They're going to allow me to get back to what I do best, which is put pressure on the rim, attack the rim. I'm excited to get out there and see how everything is going to be."
The Brooklyn native thinks he will fit well with Indiana's best players, including Haliburton and Turner. They both provide shooting and can space the floor in a way that wasn't always the case in New York.
"We have a lot of great players on the team," Toppin said. If he is patient and works on his game the way he says he wants to, he could one day be among that group.
- Obi Toppin discusses his offseason, joining the Indiana Pacers, and more at his Basketball ProCamp in Dayton. 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.
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