Obi Toppin has been on the shelf since the Indiana Pacers' third game of the season due to a foot injury. And while he doesn't have a concrete timetable for his return, Pacers GM Chad Buchanan believes the Brooklyn native will be back on the court this season (h/t Tony East of Forbes).
"I expect them to, yeah," Buchanan said about if he expects Toppin and Ivica Zubac to return this season. "[Toppin] is coming back from his injury, [Zubac] is still recovering from an ankle injury that he was trying to play through and we want to make sure he's completely recovered from that before we put him back out there. I think that's the prudent thing to do to ensure that he doesn't have a re-aggravation of anything and put him in the best position to be playing at a high level.
What Obi Toppin will bring back to the Pacers
Toppin provides a ton of value to the Pacers when he steps onto the court, and they are seeing that firsthand this season in his absence.
Most notably, the Dayton alum is a fantastic small-ball center for the Pacers. He is incredibly athletic and can often play bigger than he is, and he is great at getting to the rim. And because of his athleticism and the energy he brings, it's easy for him to have a speed mismatch over traditional big men.
Furthermore, Toppin has developed into a legitimate three-point threat as a Pacer (he shot 38.3% from deep on 3.4 attempts in his first two seasons with the team), and not having him on the floor has made it a bit more difficult for them to space the floor.
If there was ever any season for Toppin to really elevate his game to the next level, it would have been this one. He would've likely had more small-ball center opportunities (which may be his best role for the Pacers anyway) because of Myles Turner's offseason departure, and the team has been experimenting with roles and lineups all season long.
Even with Zubac's arrival, Toppin should be in line for a lot of small-ball opportunities when he returns, and that should especially be the case next season when Indiana fully returns to its run-and-gun offense.
Fortunately for the 27-year-old, there is a lot of basketball left to be played, and it sure sounds like Pacers fans should expect to see him back on the court before the end of the season. It won't be enough to save their season (they are 15-40 heading into the All-Star break), but Toppin's return should give the team and fanbase a big boost and potentially end the campaign on a high note.