Knicks: Analyzing Obi Toppin’s 4 best college games

The New York Knicks brought in Obi Toppin with the 8th overall pick. Here is a quick breakdown of his 4 best performances in college.

The New York Knicks used the 8th pick in the draft to select high-flying Dayton power forward Obi Toppin. Toppin won the Naismith award last season, given to the best player in college basketball every year. This award has been previously won by players such as Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, and recently Zion Williamson.

The Brooklyn native averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on ridiculously efficient 63-39-70 shooting splits. There are some questions about his ceiling given the fact that he’s already 22-years-old, but it’s clear that he’s one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the entire draft.

He also struggled mightily on defense, but there is hope that head coach Tom Thibodeau can help him use his otherworldly athleticism to his advantage on the less glamorous end of the court. The Knicks can also mask some of his shortcomings with great young team defenders such as Frank Ntilikina and Mitchell Robinson.

On paper, he seems like a great fit alongside Robinson and RJ Barrett. He should provide solid floor-spacing with his serviceable jump shot, allowing the two returning Knicks to get into the paint with ease. Julius Randle could not provide much offensive spacing last year and it clearly affected Barrett’s ability to get to the rim, usually driving into two or three defenders on each foray towards the hoop.

Obi Toppin will be expected to make an impact the moment he steps on the court in Madison Square Garden. Here are 4 of his best college performances from this past season.