Obi Toppin could be Indiana Pacers starting center in 2025-26 season according to Dustin Dopirak
The Indiana Pacers are set to start the 2025-26 season, and this version will look different than the group that took the Oklahoma City Thunder to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) is out for the season and Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin are taking on new roles in response to Haliburton’s absence. But how do the Pacers fill the void left by Turner?
They have a lot of centers vying for playing time — Jay Huff, Isaiah Jackson, Tony Bradley and James Wiseman. But maybe someone else gets the nod, at least to start the season.
IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak considers the possibility of Obi Toppin, the backup power forward, moving closer to the basket, creating Indiana’s version of the “death” lineup that the Golden State Warriors used to revolutionize NBA offenses a decade ago.
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“Right now I think it is (the way the Pacers should go),” Dopirak said on the “From Way Downtown” podcast.
Toppin would join Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Nembhard and Mathurin in that lineup.
“I think you saw signs of that when you had those five together,” Dopirak said. “How long can you do it? There are drawbacks to it. There is a ‘death’ lineup with Obi Toppin in it that can be really productive. If you’re behind, that’s the five I go out there with.”
The Pacers open their season Thursday, Oct. 23, by hosting the Thunder.
You can listen to the full “From Way Downtown” podcast here.
Start time: The Indiana Pacers-Oklahoma City Thunder game is at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
TV: ESPN
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Where can I listen to the Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, Oct. 23? Where can I stream the Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 23?
Radio: 93.5 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analysis) and Pat Boylan (sideline reporting)
Stream: SiriusXM Channel 86
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
