Obi Toppin Grew His NBA Portfolio

Obi Toppin made quite the leap last season. For someone known for high-flying dunks, the best part of his game had nothing to do with the rim, as the ball barely touched it last season. The Indiana Pacers backup forward is in for a pivotal season. Fresh off a payday, will he continue the previous season's success, or was such a career year an anomaly?

Toppin turns 27 on Mar. 4, meaning he has time left before the dunks take a toll on his legs. The Pacers backup forward averaged a career-high in points, rebounds, assists, steals, minutes per game, and 3-point shooting percentage.

For Toppin to maintain a primary place in Rick Carlisle's rotation, the shooting can't dip, as he shot 40 percent from behind the 3-point line.

The ink is dry on Toppin's contract, as Indiana re-signed the former New York Knicks forward in free agency. It's too early to tell if Indiana overpaid or Toppin signed a team-friendly deal. Over the summer, Toppin signed a four-year, $58 million contract. Taking up less than 10 percent of the salary cap seems like a win-win for both parties.

Before last season, the only thing Obi Toppin stretched was limbs before the game. However, the high-flying Indiana Pacers experienced a new way to make plays rather than dunk. Toppin became a multi-faceted big.

Although Carlisle historically loves a rim-running center for forward, it's nearly sacrilegious in the current NBA to keep a stretch big off the court. Toppin adjusted his worth in the playoffs with notable moments against the New York Knicks.

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Considering the bigs on the Pacers' bench, Toppin should keep his spot in the rotation.