Pacers Summer News: Obi Toppin says hello, NBA announces new tournament...it's not for us

The Pacers play their second Summer League game on Monday night, but there's other news to discuss.

Look, it’s not for us.

If you are reading this, I’m assuming you are a hardcore Pacers and/or NBA fan, so any gimmick to bring more eyes to the league may not make sense. YOUR eyes are already on the NBA.

I had to step back and realize that point when going through the NBA’s roll out of their new in-season tournament which will begin this year in early November as the regular season tips off. This is not for us but for those not paying attention to early regular season NBA games.

The best news is there will be four early regular season games with added significance since those games will double as pool play games to eventually feed the quarterfinals for the single elimination bracket round. Classic AAU format with $500,000 for the winners. Read all of the details here from the NBA.

The Pacers pool includes the 76ers, Cavaliers, Hawks and Pistons. Not the easiest draw but certainly a perfect group to test the Pacers hopes that they have the chops to make the playoffs this season. See, we can find “Silver” linings…(sorry).

Still, with prize money for players being the only real payoff for teams and fans, I find it impossible to get excited about the full tournament. I’ll watch and if the Pacers make it to bracket play, I will be more invested in the outcome and enjoy the run as long as it lasts. If they win it all, no doubt we’ll all celebrate the moment.

See, just like AAU. Make it to bracket play and its been a good weekend. Make a run through the bracket and it was a really fun weekend. Win the championship game and it was a blast. Parents gather on the court for a team picture with the trophy.

Then you leave the gym and start planning for the next weekend to do it all, again.

"New traditions take time. But, all throughout sports, we are seeing new innovations, and now is the time for this NBA in-season tournament,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said as part of other announcement.

All true and the league certainly isn’t targeting me, so I’ll be interested to observe my boys and their friends and how this tournament resonates. It is easy, to poke holes in the plan, but doing something different to address a real problem. Fortunately, regardless how serious the teams take the tournament, there will be two teams in the final game in Vegas with a chance to make memorable impact and yes, start a new NBA tradition.

And…hopefully no Pacers are injured in the process.

Here are all of the tournament group.

Photo: nba.com

Obi Toppin speaks

The Pacers made recently acquired forward, Obi Toppin available to the media on Sunday from Las Vegas where he has been spending time and working out a bit with his new teammates. I planned on Toppin’s comments being the lead part of this post, but then I realized there wasn’t much there, there.

You can tell Toppin spent the first few seasons of his NBA career in New York because of his casual, yet deft ability to avoid saying anything meaningful while still answering questions.

To paraphrase the presser: Obi is happy to have a new start with the Pacers and looking forward to getting to Indy to get started. Oh, and he really likes all of the players, coaches and everyone with the Pacers. And the Knicks, too for that matter.

Toppin said this in different ways several times while asked questions from the local Indy and New York media. Of course, the New York folks wanted him to reflect on his time with the Knicks and, if possible, any conflicts with Thibs.

Nope. Toppin wasn’t biting, instead breezing through his answers like he’s done it a million times. Listen here for yourself.