Phoenix Suns forward Obi Toppin is going to have shoulder surgery fairly soon. He fully requires the surgery to fix a partial stress fracture in his right foot’s fifth metatarsal. On Friday, with Toppin set to go under the knife, the Pacers confirmed his surgery. As a result, he will be out of action for three months at minimum.
The injury occurred during the Pacers’ home opener and recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Toppin was only able to play 17 minutes total before exiting the game. Prior to that injury, Toppin was averaging 14 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season. His performance earned him a place on the team’s blue-chip asset list.
This is a tough time for the Pacers. Toppin’s absence is compounding their problems, further adding to their growing injury list, which consists of players like Johnny Furphy and Kam Jones. Furphy is currently recovering from a left foot bone bruise, and Jones is coping with a lower back stress reaction. Then it gets downright bleak with the news that Magic Tyrese Haliburton recently was lost for the season with a torn Achilles. T.J. McConnell will miss the first month with a left hamstring strain.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle addressed Toppin’s injury to the media. He suggested that news about Toppin’s recovery timeline will be hard to come by.
“Probably not recommend talking about this again until probably February 1 in three months,” – Rick Carlisle
Toppin is out, so the Pacers need to adjust their starting five. They’ll have to change up their gameplan to compensate for his lack of scoring and rebounding on both ends. This season the team has been ravaged by injuries, affecting their play and depth as a whole.
As a result, the Pacers will need to see some other guys take on bigger roles with Toppin out. As for the team’s layered management and coaching staff, they have every reason to be optimistic. They’re confident that he’ll return to full capacity in February.
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