Getty Obi Toppin dunks.
The New York Knicks are looking to build off their previous season where they returned to the playoffs and even secured home court advantage.
While the team went spending in free agency and came away with key players such as Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, they will also be relying on their returning players.
The Knicks have a bunch of young players on the team that they are hoping will make a big leap in the upcoming season. Improvements from names like RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson come to mind if the Knicks want to repeat their success of the previous season.
Obi Toppin was a top-10 pick last season, but he wasn’t able to get consistent minutes on a Knicks team fielding the Most Improved Player and All-Star Julius Randle at the same position.
In a better situation, Toppin would’ve likely been a starter or at least have gotten more minutes, but Randle’s breakout season blocked him.
Despite that, the talent is clear and an NBA scout laid out what Toppin will have to do in his second season in order to secure more playing time and improve.
What Toppin Needs to Do
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Speaking to SNY, an NBA scout who watched the Knicks regular last season explains that Toppin will need to improve his shot and become a threat from behind the arc.
“For me, he needs to shoot the three better next season to start out,” he told SNY. “He couldn’t get out (in transition like he did in college) so he’s going to need to become more of a threat from out there. I think his form wavered a bit (over the course of the season). You’d like to see more consistency there.”
Toppin is known for being athletic, but going out on fast breaks is a lot harder in the NBA than it is in college, so he needs to rely on other means of scoring. He shot just 30 percent from three last season, a number that will have to be improved on if he wants to take the next step.
The scout also told SNY what Toppin needs to improve on defense.
“Especially early on (last season), he looked like he wasn’t sure where he needed to be on defense. That’s probably why (Thibodeau) gave him a quick hook (in a few games last season). I kind of expected that coming out of college but he needs to improve laterally on that end to compete. (The Knicks) were great (on defense) with him on the court. But they lost (Reggie Bullock and Elfrid Payton), so there is probably less margin for error (for Toppin).”
Knicks Have a Bright Future
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There’s no reason not to expect the Knicks’ youngsters to take a huge step forward this season, but it might be important to keep the expectations in check.
Going into his third season, RJ Barrett appears poised for a big leap, but Toppin might not be ready for one just yet considering how sporadic he played.
Meanwhile, center Mitchell Robinson has already gone on record about wanting to be in the Defensive Play of the Year conversation, so he’s ready for the season to begin.
With real expectations going into the season for the first time in several years, the Knicks have a lot to live up to.
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