Obi Toppin improving as a three-point shooter for Indiana Pacers thanks to a focus on balance and rhythm

Toppin has been a weapon from deep recently for Indiana

Obi Toppin is shooting a career-high 36.1% from three-point range so far this season, and that is no accident. The Indiana Pacers forward, who was acquired by the blue and gold in the summer, is learning about the details that make shooting easier for players his size.

In recent games, the work that Toppin is putting in has been obvious. He's knocked down 50% (13/26) of his outside shots in his last five outings. That is both impressive in volume and accuracy.

In that way, the 25-year old forward has fit right in with the Pacers. He wasn't known for his outside shot prior to being traded to Indiana — he took just 2.5 per game with the New York Knicks and made 32.5% — but he hasn't had any difficulty upping his volume and accuracy in a new setting. Head coach Rick Carlisle said he didn't have any conversations with Toppin concerning three-point volume. It has been an easy transition.

What the head coach and young forward have talked about, though, is technique. Carlisle noticed that Toppin was off balance on many of his shot attempts from deep, and that was causing him to miss. So they talked about it and looked at solutions.

"The thing about guys like him that are six-foot-10-inches, long, angular, is that when they run and then have to decelerate and get their balance, they really have to concentrate because there's such a tendency from them to tip just slightly to the side," Carlisle said. Toppin is known for his ability to fly up and down the court in the open floor, but that doesn't help his jump shot.

"That creates a little bit of a balance challenge. If you notice when he's stepping into shots in recent games, he's really getting his feet under him. Connecting with the ground. When he does that, he shoots the ball really well," the head coach added. He enjoys working with younger players on their skill and technique.

Early in the season, Toppin was having trouble with both his accuracy and volume. During Indiana's first six games, he attempted more than two threes in one outing just a single time — he went 2/5 from three-point range on opening night. In total, the Dayton product went 3/12 on his triples during that stretch.

In the ensuing six-game stretch, the 25-year old upped his attempt number slightly. He began to let it fly nearly three times per game, and he hit nearly 30% of them. That's still a subpar number, but there was clearly growth happening.

Toppin shared during that stretch that he was getting more comfortable with where his shots were going to come from in general. After scoring 11 points (his season-high at the time) three times in the Pacers first half-dozen games, he scored 14, 19, and 27 at different moments over the next six-game stretch. His comfort level increased.

"He's getting better all the time," Carlisle said.

Toppin continued to work on his outside shot. "Rick's been helping me with keeping my balance," Toppin said of his long-range jumper. "I've been watching film and seeing I'm leaning left a little bit, leaning right instead of being square. When I'm square, most of my shots are going in."

That focus led to his recent stretch of red-hot shooting games. The Brooklyn native is taking over five outside shots per game in his last six outings, and he's nailed nearly 44% of them. He's scored 15+ points in all but one game during that stretch.

Clearly, the young forward has settled in. He looks comfortable and threatening from deep. Toppin was known for his athleticism and speed in the open floor when joining the Pacers, and that's what made him such an attractive fit with the up-tempo squad. But his jumper is changing his offensive profile.

Ironically, Toppin's speed actually works against him when it comes to his long-range shooting. He believes that playing so fast is why he drifts on some of his shots. Instead, his focus in practice has been slowing down and taking his time when firing from deep.

"For me, right now, I'm trying not to think on my shots," he said. In the Pacers most recent win, Toppin went 4/5 from deep and was crucial in bending a usually-strong Heat defense.

The Pacers starting four man said his hope is to be at 35% from deep this year. When he shared that, he was below that threshold, but he has since climbed over it. His hard work and attention to detail has gone a long way.

Things could reflex back downward, but Toppin has become an unexpected tool from deep for the Pacers. Carlisle likes that Toppin is working on his anticipation as a rebounder, too, which has given the youngster another way he can impact the game.

"There's a lot to like about Obi Toppin. The player, the person, the vibe," Carlisle said. Add three-point shooting to that list.

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