Two seasons ago, the New York Knicks had to worry about what their former player, Obi Toppin, might do against them in the playoffs as a member of the Indiana Pacers.
Last season, that wasn't a concern. The Pacers pretty much tanked the season once Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles.
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This season, Hali is back. The Pacers have added Ivica Zubac at the center position. And Toppin will have a good chance of influencing big games against the Knicks again.
It'll be something to watch all season, because Indiana might prove to be one of the Eastern Conference's most formidable teams once again if the Pacers can stay healthy.
And that brings us to Toppin, who the Knicks could never get to pan out but who had a very strong opening night to the season for Indiana.
Obi Toppin Stats
The Pacers headed to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans
in their season opener on Wednesday and went home as 123-120 winners.
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Toppin led the bench in minutes played with 25, and he made the most of them.
Toppin scored 20 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the floor while making 4-of-9 3-pointers. He was also 2-for-3 at the foul line.
He was limited elsewhere on the floor but did grab three rebounds, swipe two steals and dish out an assist. Toppin didn't turn the ball over once.
It was a great start to the season for Toppin, who has averaged double-figure scoring in each of his three seasons with the Pacers so far.
Interestingly, his 25 minutes off the bench was higher than his minutes average in any of his NBA
seasons so far. If the Pacers keep playing Toppin that much, it'll make him more important than ever to their chances.
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His minutes may depend on how much the Pacers get out of newcomer Kelly Oubre Jr., who played 28 minutes as a starter on Wednesday and scored just four points.
If Toppin keeps dropping 20, the Pacers will keep using him.
Obi Toppin Knicks Trade
The Knicks traded Toppin away after three seasons in New York.
They acquired a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick from the Pacers, so neither of those has actually been used yet.
It was mostly an admission by the Knicks that Toppin didn't fit into their future plans because they hadn't figured out how to make the most of him.
Given the hype he arrived with from Dayton when he came to the Knicks, it was certainly a quiet and disappointing ending — and now Toppin is making the most of his Pacers chapter.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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