Obi Toppin, Knicks’ lottery coach, had some brilliant moments in the pre-season, but more about his death than his sinking. The 22-year-old from Dayton still has a lot to learn.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is not surprised. Toppin, a late-flowering Brooklyn man, could have used a summer league, but that was destroyed by the pandemic.
“The crossing was very good,” Thibodeau said on the eve of Wednesday’s season opener in Indiana. “It simply came to our notice then. This is part of his game, don’t worry. That will come. It is a gifted marker. Not having a summer league and [voluntary] the practices slowed him down a bit. He comes into practice and that will usually be reflected in the games. “
The next step in Toppin’s debut tournament will be the Knicks’ regular season debut on Wednesday. The four pre-season games will turn into a footnote.
“I’ve always said that this opportunity for me to be in this position is a blessing,” Toppin said. “I would not change it for anything. I’m very excited. “
The debut of Toppin’s Garden will not come until Saturday against the 76ers, but there will be no fans – just as there will be no chance to enjoy the spotlight in Manhattan. Most lottery choices for beginners are not yet close to the drinking age, as is Toppin.
“I don’t think I’m losing anything,” Toppin said of the pandemic. “I am in a position where people are praying to be and I have prayed to be. I would not change this for the world. When I say that basketball is everything I do every day, I come to the gym, I come home. Until I get home, I don’t want to do anything. I just want to eat and go to bed. I’ve been at the gym for several hours working on my game to be great. “
Toppin, the national college player of the year, was a hand in the first half of his pre-season debut against Detroit, but the Pistons made adjustments. Since then, Toppin has struggled to create his own photos. But he cut the basket well to receive lobes for dunks and layups. And Toppin didn’t force anything. He passed the baton to his colleagues – not all on target.
“I feel like when I was in Dayton, I had so much attention on myself, if I was doubled or tripled in the post, I had no choice but to move on,” Toppin said. “I worked on it in practice and training in Dayton. I’ve worked on this here as well. I feel comfortable finding the open man. I want to give up a good shot for a better shot. “
General election no. 8 of the draft averaged 7.2 points in 25.4 minutes of the pre-season, but recorded only 38%. This is mainly because he was adrift on 3-point photos (1-for-11).
“I watched the movie with a few coaches,” Toppin said. “There are many things we have done well and some things we have done badly. You can make a few mistakes and learn from it and be prepared for when the real games come [you need] as few mistakes as possible. “
Leaving the bench to enchant Julius Randle, Toppin assimilates that it is not option no. 1, because he was in Dayton.
“We would get the ball in the post and do certain things,” Toppin said of his college years. “It simply came to our notice then. We do different things for different boys and you adapt to that. I’m still adjusting to that. “
Frank Ntilikina, the 2017 Knicks lottery pick, was never expected to be in line for a rookie contract extension, but became official on Monday and will be a restricted free agent in 2021
The bigger problem is that Ntilikina is no longer seen as a guard and it is unclear whether he will break Thibodeau’s rotation of 10 men.
Thibodeau said that “what he likes” about Ntilikina is that he plays both a goalkeeper and a shooting guard. Therefore, Thibodeau aligns the Frenchman with another guard. Ntilikina missed the last two pre-season games with a painful Achilles.
“When you look at today’s NBA, you often see more than one goalie on the floor or you see two goalkeepers combo on the floor together,” Thibodeau said. “That’s what I like on our list.”
The Pacers have a research edge on the Knicks. Kaleb Canales, who served as a Knicks assistant under David Fizdale and Mike Miller from 2018 to 2020, is a member of Indiana’s new staff. Canales knows the trends of several young Knicks. … Indiana should benefit at the beginning because it has the most stable list in the NBA. The first 13 players in a few minutes from last season all return.