Knicks’ Obi Toppin Cites Surprising Reason for Strong Stretch

Getty Obi Toppin gets good news.

The New York Knicks have given Obi Toppin more playing time and that has paid off for them in a big way.

Coach Tom Thibodeau even played Toppin alongside Julius Randle against the Philadelphia 76ers, and that move worked out which could perhaps cause Thibs to play the pair even more going forward.

Toppin has been on a tear this season as he’s averaging a career high in points per game at 10.3, hitting over 50 percent of his shots, including 42.9 percent from deep. Considering he’s attempting 3.9 a game, that’s an impressive stat for him.

Despite all this, his minutes have actually dropped from last season as he’s averaging 16.3 per game as compared to 17.1 a year ago.

Against the Sixers, he put up 17 points, season-high, and he actually cites an altercation with assistant coach Rick Brunson as a reason for that.

Arguing Worked Out For Him

Toppin and Brunson got into a bit of an argument, and the former lottery pick said his coach told him he needed to step it up. Mission accomplished.

“He just needed me to play harder,” Toppin said via Yahoo Sports. “And he looked at me and told me to play harder. And I was like, ‘I got you.’ Little bit extra words. But I had to step it up and he made it known I had to step up. It happened in the second half.”

He says that conversation played a role in how he played that game, and it definitely looks like it paid off after he ended up having his best game of the young season.

“That’s my family,” Toppin continued. “I love Rick. It’s just basketball. Competitive. You see what happened when he did that. It got me going. He knows that about me. Me and him will always have love for each other. Nothing serious.”

Whether that sets the tone for Toppin for the rest of the season remains to be seen because he followed up that game with a three for nine night against the Celtics.

Toppin Needs More Minutes

It goes without saying that fans want Toppin to see the court more often, but that’s been difficult for him in his three seasons.

Just when it seems like Thibodeau is ready to loosen the reigns on Toppin, something happens that sees him ride the bench for longer. The poor shooting night against the Celtics came in a game where he only played 15 minutes. It’s tough to get into a good rhythm when your playing time is so sporadic, so it can be difficult for him to get in the right mindset.

His talent has never been in question, and he’s always somebody who brings a lot of excitement when he checks in. If he’s truly an above-average three point shooter at this stage of his career, he has a lot he can offer to the team. The main obstacle for him is Thibodeau’s insistence on playing Randle over him.

If the two can find a way to coexist, and they’ve shown it is possible, then things look a lot better for the 24-year-old forward going forward. It all comes down to whether or not the team wants to give him the opportunity.