The New York Knicks lucked out with Obi Toppin falling into their laps.
The New York Knicks entered the 2020 NBA Draft lottery with legitimate hopes of landing a top pick. After the disappointment for missing the #1 overall pick and a chance at Zion Williamson in 2019, the team was hopeful their luck would improve the following season.
Despite holding a 37.2 percent chance at a top-three selection and a 9 percent shot at the first pick, the Knicks were shocked to draw the eighth overall choice in 2020. It seemed as though the franchise was doomed to add another solid, but unspectacular, player to a roster in desperate need of a star infusion.
In prep of draft night, Leon Rose tried to position himself to move up in the lottery, trading the 27th and 38th picks to acquire the 23rd pick, perhaps as a precursor for a bigger deal.
However, as the draft unfolded, New York received a pleasant surprise. One of the top colligate players in the nation, forward Obi Toppin, miraculously fell into their laps at eight.
The Knicks had landed the prospect that could have been one of the best players on their draft board behind the obvious top picks while sitting three picks outside of the Top 5.
Let’s discuss why adding Toppin was the steal of the draft.
The Pedigree
It was no accident at Toppin was the recipient of the 2020 National College Player of the Year award in 2020. He was a notable talent throughout the season and was projected to be a top five lock.
During his sophomore season at Dayton, Toppin recorded averages of 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1 steal and 1.2 blocks per contest. He also shot a hyper-efficient 65 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the three-point arc in college.
This showing proved that Toppin is capable of impacting the game in a number of different ways. He is an efficient scorer with a 6-foot-9 frame, who can also rebound and defend well.
While he will need to further develop his shooting consistency (he attempted just 2.6 per game in college) in order to hit his ceiling, there are many reasons to believe that he could develop into one of the top players in the draft.
The Ceiling
This begs the question: Just how high is Toppin’s ceiling? He drew a number of interesting NBA comparisons during the evaluation process. Universally, these comps have been made to phenomenal athletes with great size. He has been mentioned in conversations with Tobias Harris, while other draft sites see him more as a legitimate big like John Collins. Some have even mentioned multi-time All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire as a potential ceiling.
One thing is abundantly clear, Toppin’s athleticism will translate well to the NBA level. He should have no trouble attacking the lane and finishing above the rim. He also projects as a nightmare in the open court and in fast-break situations.
If he is able to master a Tobias-Harris-level shooting ability, his ceiling will be as a future All-Star.
The Future
Perhaps most importantly, Toppin helps resurrect what was feared to be a lost offseason in NYC. After watching the cross-town Nets land Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in free agency, while also pursuing James Harden via trade, it would have been easy for Knicks fans to punt on another lost year.
Toppin give us all hope for the future. The team now has another player with a top-five-pick pedigree to add to an already intriguing mix of RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, and Frank Ntilikina. The franchise desperately needs one of these players to ascend to the All-Star ranks. While it appears as though Knox and Ntilikina are destined to be role players, Barrett, Robinson, and Toppin all still have a chance at stardom.
Conclusion
While this selection should be greatly encouraging to faithful Knicks fans, it certainly doesn’t fix their issues. The team is still in need of star power to help them end their recent streak of mediocrity and reestablish themselves as a consistent postseason team.
The pick does secure another avenue for the Knicks to acquire a significant talent boost. The franchise now has three interesting young players with high ceilings. They have also retained the possibility of trading for another established star like Russell Westbrook, DeMar DeRozan, Gordon Hayward, etc.
For the first time in recent memory, the team has two legitimate paths toward correcting their course. They are no longer completely reliant on a superstar like LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo spurning better opportunities to pursue the bright lights of New York. If things break right, they can build their own future.