New York Knicks: Obi Toppin can make a leap in these 3 areas
By Adam Kester
The New York Knicks are back.
This week kicked off the beginning of training camp and fans have gotten their first look at the new roster practicing together.
New York wants to show that they’ve improved in some key areas that can translate into a potential playoff run. The improvements coming at both a team level and an individual talent level.
One player who will be eager to show his improvements is 2nd year forward Obi Toppin.
New York Knicks: Expectations for Obi Toppin
Obi Toppin is coming into his 2nd year with what should be more tempered expectations.
There isn’t a ton of room on the roster for Toppin to find too much of an expanded role. The newcomers, Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, are replacing Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock, both of whom played heavy minutes.
With the team bringing back the same roster, Toppin will likely find himself in the same small role backing up Julius Randle and playing a stretch-4 role off the bench. That doesn’t mean he can’t still have a significant impact on the games and show that he’s grown.
Toppin averaged just eleven minutes per game in his rookie year but flashed some of the skills that made him the 8th overall pick in the 2020 draft. Some of these areas could become lethal in due time.
Obi Toppin has been eager to show the improvements that he’s made this offseason and has talked about how excited he is to get back on the court. Let’s look at three areas of his game where he can take a jump next season.