Obi

Toppin

Already sidelined by a hamstring injury that was expected to keep him out for at least a month, Toppin will miss more time due to the need for foot surgery. A screw will be placed in his foot to aid recovery, and the forward isn’t expected back until February 1 at the earliest. Given the timeline, those with Toppin stashed in an IL+ slot should move on. Jarace Walker is the Pacers player worth seeking on the waiver wire.

Toppin was forced out of Sunday’s matchup with Minnesota with leg soreness, but the injury is apparently more severe. In his absence, Jarace Walker should see additional run, making him a worthwhile waiver wire addition.

Toppin is dealing with right leg soreness. The Pacers are currently so banged up it’s almost comical. Toppin makes it nine of the 18 players on Indiana’s roster that currently reside on the injury report. Jarace Walker could see more action in Toppin’s absence. It’s unclear how severe the injury is at this time.

Jackson and Wiseman suffered season-ending Achilles injuries last season, so there were questions as to whether they’d be available for the Pacers’ second game in as many nights. They’ll play, but neither has been good enough to merit being rostered in any fantasy leagues. Fantasy managers needing frontcourt help should focus on Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker, prioritizing the former.

The debate all summer was whether Isaiah Jackson or Jay Huff would be the more productive center for the Pacers. Well, in their first game of the season, the answer was Pascal Siakam, with Toppin playing power forward. Toppin in rostered in just 17 percent of Yahoo! leagues but certainly has a case to be an enticing pickup as a season-long producer. Jackson and Huff aren’t lost causes, but Toppin seems like the safer bet after one game.

The Pacers will roll out against the Spurs what could very well be their opening-night starting lineup. This same unit started the preseason opener against the Timberwolves, with neither of the five players logging more than 14 minutes in that game. With one preseason game remaining after Monday’s, there’s a chance the main rotation players could see an increase in playing time against the Spurs. Obi Toppin, Jarace Walker and Cameron Payne will move back to the bench.

Haliburton slipped on the court and appeared to sustain a serious injury to his lower right leg. He went down immediately and began banging the court in anguish. It was a near carbon copy of the Achilles injury suffered earlier this postseason by Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. The 25-year-old point guard was unable to put any weight on his leg while being helped to the locker room and we don’t need official confirmation to know that his night is over. Haliburton was off to his best first quarter of the Finals, nailing three of four triples in just seven minutes. In his stead, expect big minutes from T.J. McConnell and additional playing time for the likes of Ben Sheppard and Obi Toppin. In the longterm, if the injury is indeed an Achilles, Hali could be forced to miss most, if not all, of next season.

Toppin continues to shine for Indiana. He has scored in double figures in six of their last eight games and in three straight, and his timing couldn’t be any better. This was his second 20-point game of this postseason, with the other coming in Game 4 against the Cavs. Toppin has been at his best at home, but he has had some solid performances on the road, including in Games 1 and 5 of this series. If he can keep it up, the Pacers will have a strong chance of winning Game 7 on Sunday.

Injured during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Walker has not appeared in a game since. According to Carlisle, the second-year forward is no longer using crutches but is still walking with a slight limp. Due to Indiana’s depth, Walker’s absence has not significantly impacted the team’s approach to this series. Obi Toppin was already the primary backup to Pascal Siakam, so his role remains unchanged.

Sandwiched around subpar offensive performances in Games 2 and 3, Toppin was effective in Games 1 and 4. Friday was the second time this series he’s scored 17 points, and the high-flying forward recorded a complete stat line. The lone negative for Toppin was his foul shooting, as he was just 1-of-4 from the stripe. Add in some key missed free throws from Bennedict Mathurin and Oklahoma City’s superior play in crunch time, and the Pacers likely feel that they let Game 4 get away. Toppin and the Pacers will look to bounce back when they visit Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Monday.