New York Knicks need to let Obi Toppin shine
By Adam Kester
How Obi Toppin fits into the New York Knicks’ offense
Toppin’s effectiveness on offense is why he was held in such high regard going into the 2020 NBA Draft.
He loves to survey the floor and make cross-court passes, and that kind of ball movement hasn’t been happening with the Knicks’ offense lately. The Knicks currently don’t have a single frontcourt player that is a threat to score with the ball in their hands outside of Julius Randle.
The team’s small forward options Kevin Knox and Reggie Bullock don’t bring a multi-faceted game to the table. While they’ve been good shooters and certainly need to be utilized, those players don’t have the playmaking ability of that Obi Toppin does.
Toppin’s offensive prowess doesn’t just show up in the half-court; he also loves to run in transition. He’s one of the few Knicks who immediately looks to make outlook passes off of rebounds. He pushes the pace.
Not only can Toppin create offense for others, but he can stretch the floor. Toppin has shot just 36% from three in his limited minutes this season, but we’ve seen plenty of college film from him to know that he can effectively shoot from deep and can continue to do so in the pros.
Having Toppin play minutes alongside Randle may not seem pretty on the surface, but he gives them another multi-threat option on offense. Someone who can rim-run, stretch the floor, and push the pace of the entire team.
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He may be a rookie, but the 22-year-old Toppin has a chance to make a significant impact on this Knicks team and open up the offense. Yes, he needs to work on his defense, but the team knew that when they drafted him. It’s time to let him shine.