Pacers Report Cards: Grading every Pacers player's overall playoff performance
By Mueez Azfar
Obi Toppin
First Round Stats: 6 Games, 19.3 MPG, 12.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1 APG, 0.2 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 0.7 TOV, 1.7 FPG 49.2/28.1/77.8 Splits on 58.8% TS
Second Round Stats: 7 Games, 18.7 MPG, 9.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 0.4 TOV, 1 FPG 57.4/43.8/80 Splits on 67.1% TS
Conference Finals Stats: 4 Games, 24 MPG, 10.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.8 TOV, 1 FPG 58.6/50/66.7 Splits on 66.4% TS
Overall Stats: 17 Games, 20.2 MPG, 10.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 0.8 TOV, 1.2 FPG 54.1/35.7/76 Splits on 63.4% TS
Rewinding to the trade deadline, some Pacers fans were unsure if Obi Toppin would even make it to the playoffs as a Pacer. With the trade for Pascal Siakam being finalized before the deadline and the seemingly imminent emergence of Jarace Walker, it looked like Indiana might trade Toppin elsewhere. However, this was not the case. Obi Toppin remained a Pacer and was eventually on the team's playoff rotation.
Toppin, one of the most experienced playoff performers on the team, was expected to provide a spark off the bench given his athleticism and knockdown shooting ability, being one of the most efficient players in the league during the regular season.
Like basically every Pacer not named Pascal Siakam, it took him a while to get used to playoff action, having not played rotation minutes in the playoffs since 2021. However, after two games of struggles, Toppin showed up and showed out in a big way for the last four games of the Milwaukee series, averaging around 15 points in the last four games. He also saved his best performance for last, leading all Pacers scorers with 21 points on 8/15 shooting as well as eight rebounds to give Indiana that crucial Game 6 and series win.
Against his old team in the second round, Toppin turned up the efficiency even highest from both the field and behind the arc. Once again, he, along with T.J. McConnell, was the leading force behind Indiana's league-best bench as he gave Indiana the exact hustle and shooting boost they needed.
However, this is not to say Toppin also did not have his questionable moments. For one, the Knicks series exposed how flawed of a defender he still is. While he is a decent post defender, taking advantage of his strength down low against certain wing players, Toppin is a rather poor on-ball defender.
Specifically, he jumped for almost every pump fake, especially in the Celtics series where his defense was at an all-time low. Indiana needed players who could guard Jayson Tatum, and Toppin was simply not the man for the job, despite perhaps having some of the best physical tools on the team for it.
As talented an offensive player as he is, Toppin's defense holds him back way more than it probably should, since he has all the physical tools to be a great defender both on the perimeter and in the post. As I said before, Toppin needs to work on his defense and discipline on both sides this offseason, whether or not he returns to Indiana.