Obi Toppin and Tyrese Haliburton forming an early bond for the Indiana Pacers
NOBLESVILLE — The Indiana Pacers season doesn't start for a few months. But last week, fans were able to get their first glimpse of a new partnership forming on the roster.
All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton and newly-acquired forward Obi Toppin teammed up in Dizzy Runs, a local Pro-Am put on by former NBA guard Kyle Guy in Noblesville, Indiana. They both played with Guy on the Kyle Guy Foundation team.
Guy invited Haliburton to play in the Pro-Am over dinner, and Haliburton decided to bring Toppin along with him. Former Pacers guard Jeff Teague and Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis were on the opposing squad.
Haliburton and Toppin seem like a natural pairing. The 2020 lottery picks both shine in the open floor and are at their best on offense. Toppin can finish plays and is excellent around the rim while Haliburton is a tremendous playmaker and passer. Those skill sets seem to be complementary.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Obi Toppin look on during an exhibition game at the Dizzy Runs Pro-Am on July 25, 2023. (Mandatory Photo Credit: AllPacers)
"That's just going to be there naturally," Haliburton said of his on-court connection with Toppin. Both players scored more than 30 points in the Pro-Am.
They also linked up for multiple highlight plays. That's what Haliburton joked about right after it was reported that Indiana would be acquiring Toppin in a trade. He equated the duo to the basketball version of Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill. "Obi up there somewhere!" he tweeted.
Early in the game, Haliburton threw a pass ahead in transition to Toppin for a dunk. In the second half, they linked up for an alley-oop that fans loved. The Pro-Am was a near-perfect setting for their connection.
"It's going to happen naturally... he dunks the ball," Haliburton said before Toppin cut him off. "He passes the ball," Toppin interjected. It was a verbal alley-oop and a symbol of their growing partnership.
That relationship has been developing recently. Haliburton came back to Indianapolis after attending a wedding last weekend and hit the hardwood with Toppin. They were mostly getting shots up, but they also worked together on how they will sync up with the blue and gold.
"It's been good. We haven't been doing too much, it's been mostly making shots and working on some of the actions that's different than New York," Toppin said of those sessions. "It's just learning new lingo and the new offense that they run. I've been working with [Haliburton]."
Toppin has attempted 43% of his shots at the rim during his career, per pbpstats. He has been excellent from in close, canning 71.1% of his shots from around the basket. Haliburton, meanwhile, has thrown 40.9% of his assists to players who scored at the rim during his career. Their skills fit together almost perfectly.
Last season, as the primary ball handler, Haliburton created over four buckets per game just via rim assists. If he and Toppin can carry their natural chemistry into regular season games, they should be a great offensive duo.
"Just doing stuff. Pick-and-roll stuff. Introducing him to specific actions we run. It's only July right now, so a lot of it's just making shots." Haliburton said of his work with Toppin so far.
Haliburton is now preparing for his time with Team USA for the summer, but Toppin can continue to get in work with his new franchise. He has only officially been with Indiana for about three-and-a-half weeks.
The Pacers will be just his second team since joining the NBA in 2020. He spent the first three seasons of his career with the New York Knicks.
Toppin met several of his new teammates in Las Vegas at Summer League, and he has been adapting to his new environment in recent weeks. "Everything's going great. Everyone in the organization's very welcoming," he said. "I've been working out with some of the guys, I've been working out with [Haliburton] the last couple days. I've been feeling like home."
The forward could start right away for the Pacers, though there is a case to be made for eighth overall pick Jarace Walker. Those decisions will be made in the future, closer to the start of the season. For now, Toppin is getting acclimated to his new team and forming a strong bond with his new All-Star point guard.
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