New York Knicks: How many games will Obi Toppin miss?

An update on New York Knicks rookie Obi Toppin’s injury timeline.

You can understand why New York Knicks fans don’t believe nice things can happen to them when their most recent lottery pick and late first rounder both missed the team’s home opener due to injuries.

While Immanuel Quickley is listed as day-to-day with a hip pointer injury, it appears former Dayton star Obi Toppin will be sidelined for a longer period of time. The team announced on Saturday that Toppin was sent to a specialist for a calf injury and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. Coach Tom Thibodeau indicated he got “nicked up” in training camp and aggregated the calf against Indiana.

What does that mean?

As Ian Begley recently outlined on SNY, Toppin will miss at least the next six games, and perhaps more. The 7-10 day timeline indicates when he can potentially start practicing with the team again. It’s not an estimate of when he will actually return to game action.

Toppin played 24 minutes in the season opener, scoring 9 points and grabbing 3 rebounds. He seemed eager to prove his stretch shooting ability, launching seven three-pointers, connecting on three, including a bank shot.

The Knicks have started the season 0-2 under new coach Tom Thibodeau. While they are expected to “compete” for the worst record in the league, it is a bummer to lose their prized lottery pick this early in the season. He provides fans with a rare reason to watch amid the losing.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for New York, as they face Milwaukee on a back-to-back on Sunday, before embarking on a four-game road trip. The Knicks play 12 of their first 20 games away from Madison Square Garden, including a West coast trip at the end of January.

While Toppin was selected higher in the draft, Quickley’s return is perhaps more pressing, as Elfrid Payton has struggled out of the gate. The Knicks desperately need a point guard who can shoot the basketball to open up the offense for the rest of the starters.