Obi Toppin ☆ Follow

Starts 0 of 3 games · 4th on IND in minutes · Rotation role

Bars: minutes in his last 3 games · numbers: points

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• Podcast Numbers on the Board host · Report · 38 h ago around the league

  Pacers: Obi Toppin, who was barely in the rotation last year, kept them in game one. Zubac's screening is creating straight-line drives.

  “20 Things We Have Learned So Far | Numbers On The Board” at 1:51:33 · listen ↗

• Podcast Tony East, Locked On Pacers · Analysis · Oct 24

  The host thinks the best Pacers lineup in the game was Nembhard, Nesmith, Slawson, Jackson, with Obi Toppin at center at the time. He is hedged on Toppin being the five.

  “Why Indiana Pacers got embarrassed by Dallas Mavs in Tyrese Haliburton return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse” at 3:26 · listen ↗

  also reported by Locked On Pacers host

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 4 points · Oct 23
  • The Pelicans won the second quarter 35-18; Toppin scored 10 points with an even plus-minus in it. He added 7 points on 3-of-4 shooting in the third quarter as the Pacers cut into the deficit. at 17:22
  • Toppin and Zubac shared 12 minutes, about half of Toppin's minutes. Separately, a Toppin-Siakam frontcourt with neither Nance nor Zubac on the floor played nine minutes and was +3. at 16:09
  • Host says Toppin has been very good since camp opened and has done it in many roles, including at the three alongside Siakam and Zubac. Under that framing he is playing three different positions. at 17:47
  • Jackson and Toppin each played 10 bench minutes and no other reserve played more than six. The surrounding context suggests this was the second half, but that is not stated explicitly. at 19:31

  “Deeper dive into Indiana Pacers season opening win: What went right and what needs to be better?” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 5 points · Oct 22
  • The host recalls staggered groups that kept Nembhard, Siakam or Haliburton on the floor with Zubac, plus a big look with Toppin and Zubac. He thinks Haliburton played roughly the 10:00–7:00 stretch of the fourth and then about the last four minutes. at 4:45
  • Obi Toppin scored 20. In the third quarter he was the team's best source of offense, relocating for jumpers and cutting. at 13:30
  • In a self-described overreaction, a host says Toppin will eventually close games, and that the closing question will be whether the team is better with him or Zubac. He adds that Toppin 'kind of ended' this game. at 10:35
  • The host calls the backup center situation a disaster. He says they may go to Jay Huff at some point, and that Toppin may often be the backup center this year. at 14:26
  • A host says the newer pieces (Oubre, Nance, and to some extent Zubac) still showed chemistry kinks. In contrast, Siakam, Nembhard, Haliburton and Toppin picked up where they left off. at 35:05

  “Tyrese Haliburton is back: Over-reactions to Indiana Pacers opening night win vs New Orleans Pelicans” · listen ↗

• X Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) · Report · Oct 13

  Obi Toppin calls for the ball, but it doesn’t fool rookie Aday Mara out of Michigan

  original post ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 3 points · Oct 21
  • A preseason lineup of Nembhard, Kelly Oubre Jr, Walker, Obi Toppin at center, and Siakam went on a quick 10-0 run against Minnesota. Caitlin adds that Nembhard can guard the point of attack in such groups. at 21:19
  • Tony East: Tony doesn't know who the backup center will be. He guesses Obi Toppin, maybe Larry Nance Jr, and says it was never Jay Huff. at 27:52
  • A host or guest thinks the best bench setup has Obi Toppin at center and calls him well suited to it defensively. at 30:27

  “Indiana Pacers 2026-27 season preview: Can tweaks + Tyrese Haliburton get Pacers back to contention?” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 2 points · Oct 20
  • The host lists players who will not be extension-eligible during the season: Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, T.J. McConnell, Ivica Zubac and Andrew Nembhard. at 1:51
  • JJ says Obi Toppin had an awesome preseason and plays well with many different groups. at 20:40

  “What Indiana Pacers revealed in the preseason that will matter once the regular season begins” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 2 points · Oct 19
  • Tony East: Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Ivica Zubac and Obi Toppin each have two years left. Each is extension-eligible now and will not be after Monday. at 15:51
  • Tony East: The host describes the five extension-eligible players (Haliburton, Siakam, Nembhard, Zubac, Toppin) as "basically the Pacers starting lineup minus" Aaron Nesmith. The wording is loose, so this is not a definitive starting five. at 16:00

  “Why Indiana Pacers waived James Johnson, Rienk Mast, Keba Keita + extensions and preseason challenges” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 3 points · Oct 17
  • Toppin went 4-for-7 from three, and the host thinks he shot 63% in the preseason. His best play was a block on a Tyler Hero drive early in the third quarter. at 15:28
  • Jay Huff played ahead of Larry Nance in this game (the host puts "ahead" in air quotes), but neither was in the rotation. Obi Toppin was the primary backup five during the competitive portion. at 17:11
  • The host thinks Toppin will get the lion's share of backup center minutes in the opener at New Orleans next week. He has no clue who they would turn to for a true big in foul trouble. at 17:47

  “Why the Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Ivica Zubac trio connected vs Milwaukee Bucks in OT loss” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 2 points · Oct 16
  • Tony East: With Oubre on the roster, the Pacers can put him on bigger bench wings, so Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker don't have to take that assignment. at 25:22
  • Tony East: Tony's preseason recap: Obi Toppin has played well, Ben Sheppard hasn't played so well, and Larry Nance Jr. has played pretty well. at 25:47

  “What NBA GMs got right, and wrong, about the Indiana Pacers + impact of Jarace Walker's preseason” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 2 points · Oct 15
  • Larry Nance Jr. (reported): Pat Boylan relays Larry Nance's point that the team's centers have very different skill sets. Pat names Zubac, Nance and Jay Huff, and adds Obi Toppin at small-ball five himself. He says the four have little overlap, which allows the team to play to the matchup. at 20:10
  • Pat Boylan thinks it is clear Ivica Zubac is the No. 1 center this year. Behind him the rotation could change a lot from game to game: some nights 15 Jay Huff minutes, other nights no second center at all, with Obi Toppin staggered into that role. at 27:20

  “A closer look at Tyrese Haliburton and Ivica Zubac during Indiana Pacers preseason + looking ahead” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 3 points · Oct 14
  • For the second time this preseason, Obi Toppin scored after running a pick-and-roll as the ball handler. The host would be fascinated to see the Pacers use it in the regular season. at 25:16
  • Toppin finished 4-for-7 (0-for-2 from three) with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 fouls and 2 turnovers. The host says he continues to be great this preseason and was moving really well. at 25:06
  • Under this year's officiating focus on the off-arm push-off, Toppin was called for one off the ball. Quenton Jackson, whom the host calls the Pacers' second most common user of the tactic, was also called for one. at 25:29

  “Tyrese Haliburton shines, Ivica Zubac posts double-double: What key Pacers showed in loss vs Thunder” · listen ↗

• Podcast Locked On Pacers · 6 points · Oct 13
  • Tony East: East says Sheppard, McConnell and Toppin have been the core of the Pacers' bench in their recent playoff runs, and McConnell has not yet played with the other two this preseason. at 3:36
  • Tony East: Toppin played well in both preseason games. His synergy with Haliburton was obvious in the Minnesota game in Ames. at 13:43
  • Obi Toppin (reported): Toppin kept playing at the end of last season when basically nobody else was. East relays that Toppin said this was so he could feel confident in himself and his body heading into this season. at 14:00
  • Tony East: Toppin's numbers: four of his five made shots in the last game were dunks, and he is 7-for-9 on twos this preseason. at 14:57
  • Tony East: Toppin played center against Minnesota and scored three times by setting a screen near the top of the key and then cutting to the basket. at 15:29
  • Tony East: Against the Hawks, Toppin handled the ball in an inverted pick-and-roll with Andrew Nembhard setting the screen, and dribbled in for a semi-transition dunk. at 16:07

  “What Indiana Pacers have missed without T.J. McConnell so far + closer looks at Siakam, Sheppard, Toppin” · listen ↗

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