Pacers’ Obi Toppin facing surgery, out at least three months
Obi Toppin’s season just hit a major roadblock. The Indiana Pacers forward will undergo surgery to repair a partial stress fracture in his right foot, the team announced Friday.
The injury couldn’t come at a worse time. Toppin was already sidelined with a right hamstring strain expected to keep him out for at least a month.
Now he’s looking at a much longer recovery.
“Probably not recommend talking about this again until probably Feb. 1, [in] three months. That’s his situation,” coach Rick Carlisle said before Indiana’s 128-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
The 27-year-old forward won’t even be practicing until early next year.
Toppin had been playing well off the bench before the injuries struck, averaging 14 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in three games. He was limited to just 17 minutes during last Sunday’s loss at Minnesota before having to leave the game.
He showed flashes of his potential in Indiana’s double-overtime thriller against Oklahoma City on October 23, putting up 20 points in 39 minutes despite struggling from beyond the arc.
The former Dayton star was picked 8th overall in the 2020 draft by the New York Knicks before being traded to Indiana last year. The 6-foot-9 wing has been remarkably durable throughout his career, playing at least 60 games in each of his first five seasons.
Injury woes mounting for Indiana
Toppin’s injury is just the latest blow for a Pacers team already dealing with a staggering number of health issues.
They entered the season without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who tore his right Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the NBA Finals. His backup, T.J. McConnell, was already expected to miss the first month with a left hamstring strain.
The backcourt has been hit particularly hard. Bennedict Mathurin is now week-to-week with a right big toe sprain, and starting guard Andrew Nembhard is nursing a left shoulder strain.
Even the bench hasn’t been spared. Johnny Furphy (left foot bone bruise) and Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction) both missed Friday’s game against Atlanta.
With Toppin sidelined, the Pacers will likely turn to third-year forward Jarace Walker to fill the void. The 22-year-old averaged 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 75 games last season, including five starts.
Walker could see this as a big opportunity to prove himself, especially with his rookie-scale extension eligibility coming up in the offseason.
The Pacers continue their four-game homestand Saturday against the Golden State Warriors. They’re still searching for their first win after dropping their first five games of the season.
