When the New York Knicks drafted Obi Toppin with the eighth overall selection in the 2020 NBA draft, some saw the move as malpractice, considering the team needed a point guard desperately.
However, Toppin bleeds confidence in every category, which should excite Knick fans and the coaching staff that is preparing to help him with his transition to the NBA. However, Toppin is one of the more NBA-ready players coming out of the draft, standing at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds. The power forward is a dunk machine from Dayton but originates from Ossining, NY.
Obi showed up to camp in excellent shape, despite not playing any summer league ball. The expectation is that Obi will insert directly into the starting five, potentially playing alongside Julius Randle or acting in a rotation.
“When I go out there, I try my best to have the highest score. I always ask what the highest score is so I can beat it. We had a conditioning test, and I asked what the highest score was, and I had to beat it. I believe I’m the highest person in the conditioning test.â€
The New York Knicks are getting a high-octane player in Obi:
You love to see this type of mentality from your rookies, and Toppin has a desire to be the best no matter the challenge. Since his early days back in high school, many didn’t expect Toppin to develop into the dominant player he is today. He consistently uses that as fuel for his work ethic.
“I feel like with my athletic ability, my speed, the way I move my body, I understand my body, and I understand the things I need to do to get better and to take my game to another level, so I’m locked in,’’ Toppin said. “I’m at another level, I’m not in college anymore, and I’m locked into what I have to do to be great.â€
The Dayton product has that right, this isn’t college basketball anymore. He’s playing against more physically dominant players, which will give him trouble early on in the process.
However, he matches up well in size and is one of the best transition players entering the league.
Last season, he averaged 20.0 points, 2.2 assists, 7.5 total rebounds, and a .633 field-goal percentage. He also averaged 2.6 attempts from three-point land, hitting on .390% of them. With increased strength of schedule last year, Toppin saw his numbers skyrocket despite the challenge, showing that he is equal to any task in his path. I believe he will quickly adapt to the NBA and provide significant value in his rookie season.