Second-year Knicks forward Obi Toppin is hoping to earn a bigger role with New York next season, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
During his first Summer League, Toppin is averaging 23.0 PPG and 8.2 RPG across 36.5 MPG and has proven to be an adept scorer from everywhere on the court, driving inside for dunks and easy looks around the basket plus converting his three-point attempts at a solid 35.5% clip. The eighth pick in the 2020 draft out of Dayton, Toppin averaged just 11.0 MPG across 62 games in his rookie season.
“I feel like I know my role,’’ Toppin said of how he’ll slot in as the main reserve behind All-Star forward Julius Randle during his second season in the league. “I tried to focus on rebounding and defense mostly. Just improving in that, offensively things will come to me. I feel like defense is the most important thing when playing for coach [Tom Thibodeau] — and playing anywhere.”
There’s more out of the Big Apple:
- Nets Summer League standout Quinndary Weatherspoon has impressed during his time in Las Vegas this year, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “Yeah, Q’s great,” Summer League coach John Ott said of the 6’3″ shooting guard. “We’ve asked him at times to pick up full court. He’s accepted that, bringing some of the defensive mentality that we were hoping to find in Summer League. He’s definitely shown more than capable to guard on the basketball at this level.”
- Rookie Nets forward Kessler Edwards knows how the Nets want him to contribute after signing a two-way deal with Brooklyn, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “(The Nets) told me they just want to see me doing all the little things, along with rebounding the ball, crashing the glass, run the floor, spacing the floor, knocking down open shots and then really just guarding 1-through-5,” Edwards said. “Those 3-pointers and that defensive ability and versatility is what I take pride in. That’s what I like doing the most when I play.”
- Veteran Nets center DeAndre Jordan may not start the 2021/22 season with Brooklyn, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. The Nets continue to consider possible trade routes for the final two years and $19.7MM left on the 33-year-old big man’s current deal.
It’s great idea to make salary dump trade for Jordan since Nets don’t have future Firsts available.
Jordan, cash and 3 Seconds for a fake Second
They are not that desperate to trade him. Besides, as I mentioned at the time of the KD extension, that would be a bad faith move to the Big 3.
GM alerts
8-10 Toppin trading opportunity possible…
8-11 clock ticking on buying low…
8-12 Toppin value rising fast in SL play…
8-13 other GMs better move fast to get him…
8-14 other GMs wishing they offered sooner…
8-15 should have concluded a trade by now…
8-16 Sorry opportunity gone. Multiple firsts needed now just to get a Toppin ask answered
8-17 GMs realize that it’s just the G- League and despite he’s had a good showing there’s no need to go crazy
Exactly. Need to consider who he’s competing against. It’s great that he’s playing well and the confidence is showing, but his first taste of the likes of Tatum, Giannis, etc. will be the reality check.
Summer League means nothing to me but Toppin showed promise late season/playoffs. He was injured to start.
He’s a little older for a 2nd year guy but I still think he has a pretty high upside.
I expect Toppin to have a good sophomore year. I know we have a few Knicks fans, I have a question: was the game too fast for him? Maybe that’s why he didn’t really adjust well last year, and caused the lack of the playing time? Just curious.
Thibs won’t play anyone who shows any defensive liability and thibs doesn’t play rookies…Toppin didn’t even have to be bad on defense just slightly struggle and he was goin to be sitting on a comfy chair drinking Gatorade
Exactly this, Thibs does not typically play rookies any kind of significant minutes. It’s just his way, and he was always like that in Chicago.
Also, Thibs wanted Toppin to focus in using his athleticism to become a better, more versatile defender. He wants his players to know, especially as rookies, in order to get regular big minutes you’re going to have to play hard defense and buy in.
He did the same with Jimmy Butler, and that’s how Butler started getting minutes, by becoming a defensive stopper. From there, he worked on his offensive game, adding to it each offseason until he became the player he is now..
Now, not everyone has the same kind of dog mentality, and work your tail off mentality as Thibs and Butler, but that’s why they got along so well together.
Not to me.
He was injured to start the year then when he came back Randle had ascended to unknown heights … at his position.
But by end of year he was showing some promise. I think he could be a small ball 5 with some improvement to his defense and rebounding. I just hope Thibs gives him a fair run this year.
Toppin looks great. He’s tighter and more slender. He’s moving much better now. Toppin got no mins last yr. Knicks didn’t even know what they had with Randle. There’s a real possibility Topping could be moved. I don’t see Knicks rushing into anything. They basically have three new guys on starting 5.
PG — Walker, SG — RJ, SF — Fournier
C — Mitch, PF — Randle.
Thibs has got to work this into a good unit. We will miss Bullock. So Knox better wake up. He’s got a chance to give good mins. I’m looking at Mitch and RJ stepping up this yr.
What’s crazy to me is. Nets need a rim protector. They need a consistent D big. So why isn’t Jordan being used as one. He was only DPOY once. You add Cam to Jordan. Someone will take that no problem.
It’s 2021 and dinosaurs like DeAndre Jordan are going extinct.
This has been going on for years, centers have to be able to shoot threes.
That’s really a dumb way to look at things and I hope you’re being facetious. He’s not a center and he’s certainly not common but Giannis has won 2 MVPs without being able to hit a 3. DeAndre, for all his offensive limitations, still was good for a 60% FG%.
I think it’s fair to say that without the 2nd coming of Shaq, it’s going to be difficult to win a chip or have a center as a MVP contender if they can’t shoot from more than 5ft from the basket but it doesn’t mean they have no place. Good ones have great value defensively and with good shooters to give them room in the paint are an easy bucket worthy of 10-12 shots a game, especially ones that can shoot at least 70%from the floor. Size still matters. In a game centered around matchups why ignore obvious advantages in the paint? 2 points is still 2 points and there’s value in punishing teams in the paint when possible. A good coach, gm and point guard should know that.
Centers do not have to shoot threes, ask deandre ayton and Rudy gobert how well they shoot 3s, centers like deandre will be on every team again soon because people can’t just leave the lane open by having some soft lauri markannen center, you need a PG who can distribute and a center who can stay tough down low, then you have the 3 positionless positions that have to be able to shoot 3s and stick d or create their own shot on command and stick d
I never said they needed to shoot 3s
Pendulums swing both ways. Not long ago Shaq and Zo were dominating the league. It will happen again. Possibly soon.
You’ve e been here how long. And you still don’t understand the game. You’re the child that says blue when the the adult says red. And then red when the adult says blue. That’s your mojo here. It’s a 2way sport. The biggest and best player you can have on a team. Is a defensive big. It’s why Rudy got paid. Mobley can’t shoot threes. Wood either. You got no sense. Go play with Hardens shorts.
The Nets are the highest scoring team in NBA. You Twitter brain. Why would they need Jordan to shoot threes. They need a rim protector. Jordan in his day was a DPOY you twit. You know what that is. All I said is he should be able to give 15-20 mi s of that. Once in awhile.
@Knickerbocker
Im confused. Who are you directing this to and why did you bring up Mobley?
Toppin looked stiff in summer league and didn’t make an impact. Im disappointed. He was overrated coming out of Dayton
Jordan and a second round pick for Derrick Favours?
Jordan being an experienced traditional veteran centre would be a better fit for all the young forwards the Thunder have. He’s a former all star, 3 times all nba, 2 time all defensive first team and 2 time rebounding champ. Whereas Favours is more of a PF turned C, he’s only 6’8 and hasn’t ever achieved any achievements other than all rookie second team.
Whereas for the Nets, Favours would represent someone shorter and more mobile. He’s also tried to work on getting a three point shot and is a much better FT shooter.
I’ve been a fan of Quindary Weatherspoon for a few years now, but I for some reason remember him being 6″5-6″6…I guess that explains why he hasnt got the opportunity I thought he should have somewhere at the 3 by now lol