Knicks forward Obi Toppin is still in the early stages of rehab from his right leg injury, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Toppin, who has not played since Dec. 7, said his workouts are limited to spot-up shooting, pool work and upper-body weightlifting. The Knicks’ primary backup to Julius Randle will need “couple more reevaluations” before returning from the fractured bone in his leg.
“Not really any pain, but I could not feel pain and it could still be messed up,” Toppin said. “So it’s all up to [the Knicks’ medical staff]. Whenever they feel I should be back, that’s when I’ll come back.”
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Randle caused a stir, particularly among Knicks fans, when he sat in the front row of Mavericks-Jazz playoff game last spring. Randle was accompanied by Knicks executives William Wesley and Alan Houston, but Randle insists they weren’t there to be seen by potential acquisitions Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell. Randle, who lives in the Dallas area, claimed Tuesday it was just a coincidence, Bondy writes. “I didn’t even know [Wesley and Houston] were in town,” he said. “Just so happened to happen like that.”
- Former Raptors champion and current Clippers forward Norman Powell returned to Toronto on Tuesday for the first time since Feb. 28, 2020, Law Murray of The Athletic tweets. The Raptors were on a road trip when the pandemic hit and then played in the Orlando bubble before spending the next season in Tampa, with Powell traded to Portland midway through that year. He was inactive for the Trail Blazers’ game in Toronto last season and was dealt to the Clippers after Los Angeles had already played there.
- The Celtics still don’t plan to remove the interim tag from Joe Mazzulla before the end of the season, according to Adam Himmelbach of the Boston Globe. Ime Udoka‘s suspension is due to end in June. Mazzulla, who missed Tuesday’s game due to eye irritation, according to Jared Weiss (Twitter link), may have been given some assurances about his future privately by the front office. It’s expected that Mazzulla will be retained as the head coach after the season.
Thibs, why isn’t Sims in the game while Deuce is with seconds left, Doncic on the line set to miss the second free throw? Thibs does not rise to the occasion in the final minutes of close games he is way too dogmatic someone else should be assigned to assist Thibs with decisions in the 4th quarter or something he simply doesn’t have a good feel for closing games out it’s over and over.
Randle last spring? Now that is some reporting to behold
Thibs is hilarious to me. Reddish and Fournier get zero minutes, Rose gets 12, Hartenstein and Sims a combined 25 minutes, while IQ is out there for over 50 minutes even though he was clearly gassed at the end (1 for his last 8, 5-21 overall and an abysmal 1-10 from 3PT). McBride gets 46 minutes even though he was 4-14 and 1-9 from 3PT.
RJ goes down at the beginning of the game, how is Reddish not the first person off the bench? How is it McBride? You’re playing IQ (6’2″), McBride (6’2″), and Grimes (6’5″) at the 1-2-3 for 46+ minutes and you wonder how Luka goes off for 60-20-10? Thibs can’t get fired soon enough.
That is funny!
@rct: AGREED 100%! You know Thibs talk ALOT about using his players as “Situational/Rotational. But its not that. Its “Personal” now! You down 2 starters and 1 “Rotational” player (Obi).
For him not to insert Cam nor Evan (for even 10min) is the definition of basketball malpractice. He just doesn’t LIKE those 2 players! Its Personal! We talk about players having no “feel for the game”. Thibs has no tactical “feel for the game”.
His blatant stubborn refusal to adjust to the game at hand will be his undoing, as certainly its time to make a coaching change. If they lose to either Spurs or Rockets this West Coast swing, its “drapes” for him…or wait..that’s “curtains for him.
Yeah ….. um ……. ok
So ‘BockerAl: whats your take on that game and the future of Thibs? Do we “love him or list him?”
The Knicks are a work in progress. Fact they are .500 and could be better. Only tells you it’s not Thibs. We are still rebuilding here. My only problem is Randle. I want to trade him. Not sure Knicks want to.
I believe if he wasn’t a CAA client, he would have been long gone. Knicks FO probably expecting a 1st rd and 2nds for him. Phoenix would be the perfect candidate.
Of course I’m writing THIS AFTER the debacle in SanAntonio. Something must give. I kno folks don’t want Z.Lavine (he’s available Jan 15th right Luke Adams?).
But we have to do something. The rest of East Conf is passing us by…