Knicks: This is Obi Toppin’s chance to show “Special Talent”

The New York Knicks have had a new swagger since they acquired Derrick Rose in a trade from the Detroit Pistons. The team has shown confidence in their game all season, but the recent acquisition of Rose has helped given the offense a new jolt of energy.

Rose has played exclusively with the team’s 2nd unit, a group that has been able to score with a lot more consistency than other Knicks’ lineups. The group is a lineup that generally consists of Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, Obi Toppin, and Nerlens Noel.

However, the Knicks have now lost starting center Mitchell Robinson to a hand injury that will keep him sidelined for potentially two months. Now, with Nerlens Noel entering the starting lineup to replace Robinson, there are more minutes to go around. Knicks rookie Obi Toppin is a prime candidate to see his usage increase.

Obi Toppin’s skillset, fit with Derrick Rose

Obi Toppin hasn’t quite found his groove in the NBA yet. As a 22-year-old coming into the NBA draft, the expectation was that he was going to be league-ready and an instant contributor for the Knicks. That hasn’t been the case thus far, but with Robinson out he now has a terrific opportunity to establish himself.

Toppin brings a unique skillset in the frontcourt that the Knicks don’t have. He looks to push the pace and score in transition with his passing and shooting, which is something the Knicks don’t excel at. His skill set can be applied in the half-court game as well.

Toppin’s shooting and passing translate into being a productive pick-and-roll man, and it’s something he may have never gotten the opportunity to showcase had the team not gone out and traded for Derrick Rose.

For as good as rookie Immanuel Quickley has been this season, he doesn’t bring the same level of downhill speed and ferocity attacking the rim that Rose does. Rose has found more success running a pick-and-roll with Toppin than anyone this season, and it’s been fun to watch.

Rose’s chemistry with Toppin has been documented since he landed in New York. Rose immediately reached out to both Knicks’ rookies Quickley and Toppin to let them know that he was going to be there as a resource for them.

Rose was asked about Toppin and their relationship on Monday, and he had this to say:

"I’ve been a fan of his since he was in college… I don’t know why but he’s always in the right place at the right time… The game will come easy for him. The more he plays, the more the game will slow down, and I think he’s a special talent."

Toppin only had the chance to play 11 minutes in Monday’s win versus the Hawks and he contributed 3 points and 2 rebounds. With Julius Randle playing as well as has been (42 points in the victory last night) it seems like it still might be difficult for Toppin to find playing time. I think he’ll still get some bigger opportunities.

I think there will be plenty of opportunities where Thibodeau will experiment with a Randle-Toppin frontcourt. They played just a few minutes together in last night’s game, and a frontcourt of Randle and Toppin, while it may not be the best defensively, it could be deadly on offense.

Toppin’s ability in the pick and pop and as the roll-man should see him get more involved in the offense in the coming weeks. It’s fun to be a Knicks fan right now, and Obi Toppin getting more involved with the team will only make it better.