The Pacers’ defense took a step forward because of one player’s selflessness

The Indiana Pacers are slowly turning things around as they enter Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors with a four-game winning streak. The Pacers have struggled to be consistent on offense this season and have opened up some really worrisome areas on defense.

However, in recent weeks, Indiana has shown improvement in many areas, particularly on the defensive end. The Pacers have suffered serious injuries that have affected several of the team’s key defenders.

Earlier in the season, Indiana lost James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson to season-ending injuries, while Aaron Nesmith is out and has no clear timetable for a return.

Head coach Rick Carlisle had to introduce unfamiliar rotations that severely disrupted the flow of both the team’s offense and defense. Not only did Indiana struggle in interior defense, having lost a lot of depth in stoppage time, but the team also struggled to keep players on the perimeter, which led to a lot of inconsistencies and easy throws from opponents.

Despite the defensive challenges, one player in particular has stepped up to the plate in recent weeks to help his team make big improvements. Obi Toppin’s defensive efforts over the last eight games have been a tremendous success for both the Pacers and him.

While Toppin isn’t known for his defensive abilities, he obviously contributes a lot on the offensive side. He has been extremely consistent lately, averaging 15.4 points and 2.3 assists per game.

While the Pacers definitely needed more help from the team’s support team, more importantly, they needed stronger players on defense, and that’s exactly what Toppin made his mission.

Over the last eight games, Toppin has played some of the best defense of his career. He has had steals in this stretch, averaging 1.4 steals and 6.6 rebounds per game. He has done a much better job in one-on-one games while improving his defensive awareness.

Toppin’s hard work was most evident against the Phoenix Suns, where he pulled off a huge steal on arguably the all-time leading scorer, Kevin Durant. Toppin attributes his recent success to his selflessness and his coaches.

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

He mentions the work he has put in to improve his rebounding efforts as well.

“I knew I always had to work on my rebounding,” Toppin said. “It’s nothing I can’t do. It’s just a matter of effort.”

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