More than any other else within the Indiana Pacers, it’s franchise cornerstone in Tyrese Haliburton who boasts that highest optimism on the team’s productive offseason that saw the key additions of both Bruce Brown and Obi Toppin.
Haliburton made it known that he’s been looking forward to the upcoming season for the Pacers which will also feature their rookies in Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard. The All-Star guard also believes that Brown and Toppin will further add dynamism to their all-around needs.
“I think we have a lot of guys that fit the right way and fit our style of basketball,” Haliburton said, via Indianapolis Star. “Bruce, Obi, on top of the guys that we already have there with the way we played last year, those are two guys who just add to that. That’s going to help us keep playing fast. We just bring in guys that do things that we need. We know everybody’s going to have to be better on the defensive side of the ball. We stressed that since last year. But I think offensively it’s going to take care of itself.
“Now we’ve just got more energy, more guys that can do multiple things. Any time you’re adding talent, it just helps any locker room.”
Brown, who won his first NBA title with the Denver Nuggets last postseason, served as the prized acquisition of the Pacers via a reported two-year, $45 million deal. The versatile veteran further unlocked his two-way game upon playing alongside reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic by averaging 11.5 points and 4.1 boards in the 2022-23 regular season, and he is expected to bring his impactful tools on Indy and help the promising Pacers squad.
Meanwhile, Toppin was dealt to Indiana by the New York Knicks for two future second-round draft selections. An athletic cager, he fits like a glove on the Pacers’ needs to have an enforcer at their wing spot.
