Pacers Forward Has Been Heavily Impressing Rick Carlisle in Recent Weeks

Courtney Tate | 8 Hours Ago

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The Indiana Pacers are trending upward after defeating an extremely competitive Phoenix Suns team on Thursday. The Pacers are now playing some good basketball, with a number of players stepping up to improve on some of the problems areas the team faced early in the season.

Defense is one area the Pacers needed to see immediate improvement on, from the inside out. Although this Pacers team has been hit with more injuries than any other team in the NBA this season, the team’s defense rating is ranked 18th in the league.

The team’s three best defenders in Ben Sheppard, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard have all suffered injuries keeping them away from the court at various points in the season so far.

Resulting of the Pacers' lengthy injured list, several players have had to step into roles they aren’t traditionally notorious for. One player in particular who has been a critical part of the team’s recent success is Obi Toppin. His play off the bench has been exceptional over the last eight games averaging 15.1 points on 59.2 percent shooting. He’s been a reliable long-range shooter, recording 42.9 percent from behind the arc.

“In the last two-and-a-half,three weeks Obi has taken his game to another level,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “More physical. Defense and rebounding really, really tremendous.”

Defensively, Toppin has been at his career’s best in recent matchups. Something many teams noted as an area Toppin needs to improve on in his game, he’s showcasing exactly what this team needed to start to make a turnaround. His confidence was on full display during Thursday’s matchup against Phoenix, where he stripped the ball away from arguably the best scorer in NBA history, Kevin Durant.

“Obviously he’s getting in a rhythm. He’s one of our important weapons. When he defends and rebounds the way he has been in recent games, it’s another really important factor for us,” Carlisle said.

Toppin credited his improvement to his trainers Jim and Jenny. He mentions the areas they focused on the most is defensive assignments and utilizing his length on the perimeter.

“I just try to accept every challenge, whether it’s guarding guys like KD or whoever,” Toppin said. “Jim and Jenny are always working on me on working that so I can be a better player.”

The work is paying off, as Toppin has never looked better in one-on-one defensive situations and coverering open spots off the ball. He’s recorded 21 steals this season, where 11 of them have come in the last eight games.

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