New York Knicks’ rookie Obi Toppin’s shooting and passing can help the team with their offensive woes as they head for a road trip out west.
The New York Knicks are feeling good as they come off of a two-game win streak and head out for a Western Conference road trip. The Knicks’ last two wins have come from terrific team defense. Tom Thibodeau has the team playing hard, and the Knicks currently rank among the best in the league across numerous defensive metrics.
The back-to-back wins came after a disastrous 5-game losing streak. While the Knicks have momentum, there are adjustments that can still be made. Three of the New York’s next four opponents rank in the top-10 in offensive rating.
While the Knicks defense has been fantastic, the offense has remained lackluster. The Knicks don’t need to sacrifice their identity of being a hard-nosed, grind-it-out team at the expense of looking for new ways to improve the offense.
No one expects the Knicks to be one of the top-scoring teams in the league. They simply don’t have the high-octane natural scorers that so many other teams do. So they have to look within the roster they currently have in order to improve their offense that is currently ranked 27th in the league in offensive rating.
One player who may be ready for an expanded role is rookie Obi Toppin.
Why the Knicks need more Obi Toppin
Obi Toppin recently returned from a strained calf injury he suffered on opening night, and it’s safe to say the team took a cautious approach in easing their prized rookie back to full health.
Toppin has played 3 games since returning and has played 10, 17, and 9 minutes in those match-ups, respectively. Now that he’s gotten a few games under his belt, it may time to ramp up the rookie’s role with the team.
The focal point of the Knicks’ offense has been forward Julius Randle, who plays the same position as Toppin. Randle has played exceptionally well for the Knicks this year and has taken on a large portion of the team’s responsibilities on offense.
The problem with the Knicks and their frontcourt is that they don’t have any depth outside of Toppin. Randle has put up career-best numbers this season as a playmaker, but once he heads to the bench, you won’t see any kind of versatility from the frontcourt. It was a big reason for the team’s recent 5-game losing streak.
At the moment, the only big who has seen minutes off of the bench has been Nerlens Noel, and his impact has been underwhelming. Among all qualified NBA players, Noel has the 3rd worst offensive rating of any big-man in the league. He brings nothing to the table on offense.
That’s not to say Noel can’t have a good influence on other parts of the game. He’s always been a solid rim protector, but the Knicks need other contributions to their team off the bench from their frontcourt, and they haven’t been getting anything.
You’ve seen some of the Knicks’ opponents successfully play a zone defense against them, a rarity in the NBA. It’s because of how bad the team’s floor spacing can be. Lineups that feature a combination of Elfrid Payton, Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett – none of whom are plus-shooters – can be tough to watch. The ball doesn’t move all that much, and the paint can get clogged with players.
Getting the other backcourt players like Immanuel Quickley and Austin Rivers more involved in the offense definitely helps with the team’s spacing, but it doesn’t solve everything. Both Quickley and Rivers were getting significant minutes during the Knicks’ 5-game skid. The current lack of versatility in the frontcourt is more of a concern than the point guard rotation.
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.
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.