Knicks: Analyzing Obi Toppin’s 4 best college games

Dayton vs. George Washington University, 03/07/20

After starting things out with Toppin’s first game of the season, it’s time to end the analysis with his final game of the year. Before the rest of the schedule was canceled due to the pandemic, the Dayton Flyers were on a tear. They ended the season on a 20-game win streak, in large part due to the heroics from their star forward.

Toppin went out with a bang, recording 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 11-15 shooting. He threw down numerous contest-worthy dunks, going absolutely viral.

Toppin is extremely careful with how he picks his shots, almost always taking threes or attacking the rim. The Knicks settled for far too many mid-range jumpers last year, one of the least effective shots in the game.

A large culprit of this was Julius Randle, who attempted lots of contested jumpers outside of the paint. He also took almost four threes per game despite being just a 27.7% shooter.

Toppin rarely forced up threes when he was having an off night, with a prime example being his final game. He put up his 27 points against George Washington University without attempting a single three-point shot.

In his sophomore season, Toppin evolved from a pure off-ball player to a scoring machine who could get buckets in transition, on drives to the basket, and on posting up underneath the hoop. He still has a long way to go before he becomes a complete player on both ends of the court, but he’ll be ready to step in and contribute right away when the season begins next month.

Obi Toppin is a New York Knick.