We, as Indiana Pacers fans, should be praising Obi Toppin non-stop for the player he has been able to become. Just a few years back, Toppin was nearly out of the league as a second draft candidate coming off a disappointing first contract with the New York Knicks.
New York had drafted him as the (presumptive/awarded, depending on how you view the AP polls) college basketball player of the year in 2020, only to stick him in the corner and bottle up the dynamism that made him such a special draft prospect to begin with. The Knicks then traded him to the Pacers for a handful of second-rounders and the excuse of saying they got the most out of a failed pick.
Since then, Toppin has become an excellent bench piece who is reliable and versatile and has improved at all of the little things that he once lacked as a Dayton Flyer or New York Knick.
However, as impressive as that may have been, Indiana now has a problem. So far this preseason, Toppin's lack of defense and rebounding – things that had always been some of his bigger issues – have popped off the screen for all the wrong reasons.
If this is just early-season jitters or even a lack of effort in exhibition games, then it is nothing to be taken seriously. Alternatively, if this is who Toppin decides to be going forward, Indiana will have no choice but to move off the power forward who once embodied everything a second-draft player should be.
If the hunger is gone, it may be time to look at replacing Obi Toppin before he asks for an extension he does not deserve.
Dayton Toppin was a monster cut short by a pandemic
It's hard to overstate just how good Toppin was when he was at Dayton. Most people will remember the East Bay Dunks or the thunderous fast-break finishes, but fail to consider just how incredible he was as an offensive fulcrum in his final year in college.
Toppin took Dayton to be the assumed top seed in the NCAA tournament before COVID hit. Yes, Dayton.
That's a momentous occasion for a school that is always decent but never good enough to do much of anything beyond the occasional first-round win during March Madness.
Toppin managed to turn that team into a one seed. He was not simply a terror within two feet of the basket; he shot over 40% from three during his College career there and created over 2.5 stocks per game. He was incredible, averaging over 20 points as both a freshman and a sophomore.
All in all, he was to the college world a mini Giannis who could shoot.
Even when that person was lost during his time as a Knick, and even as it has continued to fade Into memories as topping has turned himself into a capable role player, it still exists.
Most importantly, Obi had a career average of 9.1 rebounds per game. If he can simply regain a percentage of that tenacity on the defensive glass, he will be deserving of more playing time and even Sixth Man of the Year votes.
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