He first tried to pass him by dribbling on his left hand from the baseline. But seeing thatObi Toppin resisted, Kevin Durant pushed him into the post before sending a “fadeaway” on one foot. The Suns superstar scored arguably his most complicated shot of the evening against the Pacers.
It was just one action, at the heart of a 37-point eruption from “KD”, defended most of the time by Pascal Siakam. However, it demonstrates the defensive progress of the Pacers' replacement interior.
Known since his debut in the Big League for his attacking play, Obi Toppin must be present on the other side of the field. Rick Carlisle and his staff, particularly assistants Jim Boylen and Jenny Boucek, have made it a priority for him.
“ I try to take on all the challenges, whether it's keeping players like KD or others. Jim and Jenny always work with me to become a better player “, reports the 26-year-old strong winger. Which seems to be the case given his recent performances.
From presence to rebound
“ In those two and a half, three weeks, Obi took his game to another level. More physical. His defense and rebounding presence are really, really excellent. On the offensive side, he is finding his rhythm. It is one of our most important weapons. When he defends and gets rebounds like he has been doing for a few games, that's another very important factor for us », greets Rick Carlisle.
While he lacked consistency since the start of the season, particularly in scoring, the replacement has just had 9 games in a row with 10 points or more.
With averages of nearly 15 points (58% on shots including 41% from distance) and more than 6 rebounds. Not to mention, one interception per game, which is “a lot” in terms of his career average (0.4).
“ He's incredible. His energy and the pace he brings to the game… There aren't many guys in the league who play as spontaneous, free and fast as him while making the right decisions », Judge Tyrese Haliburton whose teammate is riding his best career averages with nearly 11 points and 4 rebounds.
| Obi Toppin | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | NYK | 62 | 11 | 49.8 | 30.6 | 73.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 4.1 |
| 2021-22 | NYK | 72 | 17 | 53.1 | 30.8 | 75.8 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 9.0 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 67 | 16 | 44.6 | 34.4 | 80.9 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 7.4 |
| 2023-24 | IND | 82 | 21 | 57.3 | 40.3 | 77.0 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 10.3 |
| 2024-25 | IND | 28 | 21 | 54.7 | 35.6 | 86.1 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 10.8 |
| Total | 310 | 17 | 52.3 | 35.2 | 77.9 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 8.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
