Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
By Mueez Azfar
![Indiana Pacers, Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin Indiana Pacers, Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/dd35a68c3a5f6e9bc15f9f5413b45d4abbf5999bb20aad2c304a650d31f59593.jpg)
Obi Toppin
While the Pacers paid top dollar to get Bruce Brown, they essentially got Obi Toppin for pennies on the dollar. After three potentially-filled but relatively uneventful seasons in New York, Toppin was traded to the Pacers for a 2028 and 2029 second-round pick, basically nothing.
Expectations coming into the season for Toppin were all over the place, as some projected him to flop on his new team, while others projected him to be in the Most Improved Player running, showing New York what exactly they missed out on.
Following the preseason, the verdict was still unsure on Obi, as he did have one fantastic game, but the rest were okay performances. One thing was for sure, though: Obi Toppin showed exactly what he can do for the Pacers in terms of highlights, as he busted out a between-the-legs dunk in the open court against Cleveland in the final preseason game.
OBI TOPPIN BETWEEN-THE-LEGS SLAM 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZeeMhbgBZi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 20, 2023
So far in the season, Toppin has yet to put on an awe-inspiring performance, as his contributions have been pretty mediocre, considering the hype some people put into him before the season started.
Through the first five games of the season, Toppin has averaged 7.6 points on 51/20/80 splits and 4.4 rebounds. These are pretty middling stats when you consider his starting role and the trust Rick Carlisle seems to have in him this early.
However, it is worth noting that Toppin is putting up these stats in fewer minutes than Brown, with 21 per game. This is, of course, followed by the fact that Toppin was putting up the same, if not better, numbers than this in New York in even fewer minutes per game.
Of course, it is too early in the season to fully judge Toppin’s performance as a Pacer and label him a failed experiment. In my opinion, the trade can never be viewed as a dud, considering the small price Indiana had to pay to acquire Toppin in the first place.
However, I would be lying if I said I am satisfied with his performance so far, with some aspects of his play, particularly his defense and shooting, leaving much to be desired, with the former being why I wanted Jarace Walker to start over him before the season began.
Been waiting for someone to say this for the longest time. I like Obi but not as a starter. Jarace fits the starting lineup way better in terms of defense and versatility. Obi should have that bench spark role that he works best in https://t.co/1kljF12OvM
— The House that Kami Built (@KamitronPTW) November 2, 2023
Obi Toppin is an interesting case. While he will most likely not be the Most Improved Player lock that some had him projected as, and he will probably not fall out of the rotation as some people are saying, he still leaves a lot to be desired so far.
Only time will tell how the trade looks in the future but for now, while it wasn’t exactly a failed trade, it’s not exactly looking like a “fleece” either.
One thing’s for sure: The guy knows how to make a highlight play.
"THROW IT DOWN TOPPIN" 😈
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) November 4, 2023
Obi Toppin throws down an incredible one-handed alley-oop. pic.twitter.com/Npsh8sLQAm
Final Grade: C (Hasn’t done much in five games; MIP might be a reach)
Next. 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers. dark