Obi Toppin is a prime trade candidate for the Indiana Pacers due to his tradeable contract and the idea that he is causing a logjam at forward ahead of Jarace Walker. However, he will have a unique opportunity to make a change to his game that could save his career with the team by becoming a better rebounder.
With Myles Turner no longer on the team, the Pacers are going to experiment a bit with their roster, especially at center.
Currently, Indiana has four big men on its roster: Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, James Wiseman, Tony Bradley. However, as it stands, it is fair to assume they will part ways with one of them (likely Wiseman or Bradley) to add another point guard to the team following T.J. McConnell's injury.
Because of this, it would not be a shock at all if the Pacers make things interesting and utilize Toppin at center much more often.
The New York native has experience playing small-ball center, and he even played the position often for Indiana in clutch minutes. Plus, this would be a perfect opportunity for him to develop his game and become a bigger contributor in an area the Pacers desperately need: on the boards.
Obi Toppin can thrive as a small-ball center for the Pacers
Teams run small-ball lineups for numerous reasons. It helps with spacing and shooting, and especially in Indiana's case, pushing the tempo. Given that the Pacers' center situation will look much different this season, this could be a great opportunity for Toppin to shine.
Toppin thrives in this role because of his elite athleticism and ability to space the floor. However, the major concern with small-ball lineups is that teams that utilize them often struggle greatly on the boards.
Granted, the Pacers have been a bad rebounding team anyway, even with a standard lineup, but that does not mean they should not take this season as an opportunity to develop in this area and become a much more well-rounded team, and Toppin will be a key player to keep an eye on as they look to improve.
While he has mostly improved since getting traded to the Pacers in 2023, Toppin is still not much of a rebounder. Throughout his five-year NBA career so far, he has averaged 3.4 rebounds per game. This has never been his main role, but given how athletic he is and his presence at the rim, this is still underwhelming.
Improving their rebounding would benefit the Pacers greatly. It would give them more opportunities to make an impact offensively, which should be music to the ears of the team's fanbase.
With Toppin set for a bigger role in what could be a make-or-break season for him, this is going to be a great opportunity for him to make some changes to his game to help him and the Pacers for the long haul.
The Pacers likely running more small-ball lineups this season is going to be exciting for him and Toppin. As it stands, the 27-year-old's long-term future in Indiana is uncertain. However, his destiny is in his hands, and depending on how he plays this season, the Pacers may have no choice but to keep him around.