3 areas Obi Toppin must improve in for a breakout 2022-23 Knicks season

While it may have been a season of disappointment for the New York Knicks, there is still plenty to be optimistic about for next year. The 2022 NBA Draft, free agency, and NBA Summer League are all taking place within the coming months as the Knicks continue to bolster their young talent moving forward.

However, there is one young player in particular to keep an eye on this offseason with the hope that he’ll burst onto the scene next year, and that is Obi Toppin.

Can Obi Toppin breakout for the New York Knicks in 2022-23?

Just scratching the surface, Toppin’s numbers this past season don’t look all that appealing. He averaged 9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in the 72 games he appeared in.

Toppin primarily came off the bench as a high-energy guy, known for throwing down plenty of ferocious dunks throughout his 2021-2022 campaign, and even winning the 2022 NBA Dunk Contest in the process.

While his numbers haven’t been eye-popping, there are many signs that he could make a jump into a bigger role next season. For one, Toppin averaged 17.1 minutes this year, a small sample size of what he’s truly capable of under Tom Thibodeau.

And in the 10 games that Toppin started this past year, he didn’t disappoint as he averaged 20.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, proving his worth to not just the Knicks coaching staff, but to the fans as well.

There are still a significant amount of questions that have to be answered before next season, headlined by Julius Randle’s looming future with the team. But at the end of the day, Toppin’s fate is ultimately up to him.

Regardless of what happens this summer, for Toppin to take the next step in the future, he needs to iron out some areas of his game where he struggled this year. If he can make these improvements, who knows what’s in store for the 2020 lottery pick.

With that being said, let’s take a look at three areas where Toppin can improve as he looks to break out into a larger role for New York (or even another team) next season.

Improvement #1: Creating shots for himself and others

Toppin has shown flashes of his shot creation as of late this past season, but it will need to be a consistent part of his game going forward.

Up until recently, he hadn’t been in a position to make plays for himself and his teammates, with him primarily being the recipient of many scoring plays this past season. If he can work on his handle and be able to read what defenses throw his way, the sky is the limit for his potential.

In the last game of the regular season, Toppin put his skills on full display, scoring 42 points while grabbing 10 rebounds in the process.

And with Randle not playing due to injury, Toppin finally got some free reign in the offense, as he pulled off moves that we hadn’t seen earlier in the season. He showcased his spin move along with some impressive moves on the fast break to shake off the defense, shown in the video above.

Toppin changes the dynamic of the team as he likes to get out in transition, which was something the Knicks lacked all year, ranking 29th in pace.

But if he can continue to make plays for himself as well as others, while showing his utmost confidence every time he’s out there on the court, who knows what heights New York could reach when Toppin is paired with youngsters Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

It’ll be important for Toppin to make this step in the offseason because it will open up the floor for the Knicks and will make opposing defenses guess his next move as he provides a lot of versatility for New York in the frontcourt.

Improvement #2: His consistency from the three-point line

Since coming into the league, Toppin hasn’t shied away from launching the long ball, attempting just under two 3-pointers a game in his second year, shooting just 30% from distance on the season.

And with more minutes lined up towards the end of the year, he shot the ball efficiently, finishing 44% from behind the arc in the final 10 games.

Going forward, consistency and efficiency will be key for the high flying forward if he wants to make a significant impact on a young and budding team that is starting to come together, and that starts with finding rhythm on the offensive side of the spectrum.

The main area of focus will be on corner threes for Toppin since a high volume of his shots come from that spot, as he shot 34% from both of the corners this past season. If Toppin can find more success from distance, it’ll force defenders to close out on him.

This ties back to my earlier point regarding his ability to create shots, as he will be forced to put the ball on the ground. And having Barrett, a frequent slasher who can drive down the lane, will put pressure on opposing defenses.

It shouldn’t be an issue for Toppin to find open space to get set and let it fly as long as Barrett is in town.

Improvement #3: His rebounding

Coming out of college, Toppin wasn’t regarded as the best rebounder, as it was known among NBA scouts that his rebounding was an issue and that he’d need some development in that area. Here’s what NBADraft.net had to say about his rebounding ahead of the 2020 Draft:

"Given his leaping skills and length, as well as the size advantage he enjoys in most matchups with A-10 big men, Toppin is an average overall rebounder at best…Perhaps his rebounding can improve with focus on core strength, and work on fundamentals."

Fast forward to now, and these statements remain true. Toppin is still an unproven rebounder in the league thus far, averaging a mere 7.8 rebounds for his position per 36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference.

And given his high motor and leaping ability, you’d think that rebounding would be an area in which Toppin would excel. That unfortunately is not the case.

In all honesty, he hasn’t received enough minutes to truly display his capabilities in bringing down boards. But from a numbers standpoint, they have not been promising thus far.

Toppin needs to take a page out of fellow Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson’s book this offseason. Robinson was one of the more active players on the glass this past year, bringing down 8.6 rebounds in just 25.7 minutes, which totals to 8 more minutes than the former A-10 star.

Robinson’s relentlessness on both the defensive and offensive glass should be an indicator for Toppin to improve in that aspect for next season, especially with Robinson potentially heading into free agency.

In the long run, consistency is what will make or break Toppin’s season in 2022-23. Even in limited minutes over the last two years, he’s been too inconsistent to deserve more minutes under Thibodeau’s helm.

But with Toppin showing some flashes of potential towards the end of 2021-22, there is still much to be excited about going forward with him. The offseason work will be the tell-all for him, with the potential for the roster to be shaken up heading into next year.

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