Obi Toppin

Knicks hopeful to gain back key piece before taking on league-worst Detroit

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The New York Knicks are gearing up to take on the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, but they are still without several key players due to COVID-19 protocols.

With Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, Miles McBride, and RJ Barrett all still on the Covid list, one player that is capable of returning is Obi Toppin. Suppose Toppin is not experiencing any symptoms from the virus after the 10-day required quarantine. In that case, he will be able to play against Detroit, a good opportunity for him to gain some momentum moving forward.

Toppin was just picking up steam before catching the virus against Toronto, posting 19 points and 10 rebounds in the loss on December 10. In fact, he had strung together two consecutive games of double-digit points, earning 12 combined rebounds.

While the second-year forward has struggled with his three-point shooting this year, hitting just 19.6% of his shots, he’s finally been activated as an electrifying transition player — needed energy off the bench. The effort he displays on both sides of the ball makes him a valuable asset, increasing the pace and forcing teams to make premature decisions, leading to mistakes.

Considering Detroit has won just five games this year, a league-worst record, the 23-year-old forward, could return with a bang, which is exactly what he needs as New York prepares to take on Washington on Thursday and the Atlanta Hawks on Christmas day.

Aside from Toppin, the Knicks are also anticipating the return of RJ Barrett, clearing the 10-day quarantine on Wednesday. They could have him for Thursday and Saturday’s game, giving them an important starter back. Barrett had suffered from a stomach bug before contracting the virus, so getting back into form is a necessity if the Knicks want to push for a playoff spot the season.

Currently, the Knicks are on a seven-game road skid, featuring a 13-17 record. In the Eastern Conference, they are 1.5 games back from a play-in spot for the postseason. The Toronto Raptors currently hold the last play-in seed, but the Knicks have plenty of time left to fight their way back into contention. New York’s schedule lightens just a bit in the coming days, with Detroit, Washington, who is about a .500 team, and the, Hawks who will likely be without Trae Young, having been placed on the Covid list as well.

Damyean Dotson returns to Knicks via hardship exception rule

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New York Knicks, Damyean Dotson

The New York Knicks have signed Damyean Dotson as their second replacement player after Tyler Hall.

Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported the signing.

Dotson was the Knicks’ second-round pick in 2017 and played for the team and its G League affiliate in Westchester until 2020.

Dotson played for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season after getting waived by the Knicks. He has career averages of 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 211 games. He enjoyed his best year in the league with the Knicks in the 2018-19 season, averaging 10.7 points per game.

Dotson will be available to play for the Knicks when they host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.

Based on the new memo agreed upon by the NBA and NBPA, the Knicks are allowed to sign a replacement player for each COVID-19 case. Currently, the Knicks have six players in the health and safety protocols.

Obi Toppin, the first Knicks player to test positive, is scheduled to finish his 10-day quarantine Monday.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Obi Toppin could rejoin Knicks soon; new memo allows more replacements

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The New York Knicks were barely above the minimum requirement of eight active players in their 114-107 loss to the Boston Celtics last Saturday.

Tyler Hall, who joined them in Boston from their G League affiliate, was the ninth active player on the roster though Tom Thibodeau opted to stick with an eight-man rotation.

The Knicks can now add more players without their salaries counting against their salary cap based on the new agreement between the NBA and NBA and National Basketball Players Association, according to an ESPN report.

The Knicks have six players in the health and safety protocols: Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Kevin Knox, Immanuel Quickley, and Miles McBride.

Toppin, their first player who tested positive, should clear the 10-day quarantine period Monday. The Knicks will host the Detroit Pistons Tuesday.

Toppin could be cleared to rejoin the team immediately if he showed little to no symptoms. He must pass a cardiac screening before getting clearance to resume activity. It would take longer if he had moderate symptoms (minimum of two days after clearing isolation) and severe symptoms (minimum of three days after clearing isolation).

If Toppin rejoins the team and Derrick Rose returns from an ankle injury, that will push the Knicks’ active roster to 11. But the new memo would still require them to sign at least two more additional players.

Teams will have to sign at least one replacement player if they have two positive COVID-19 cases; at least two if they have three positive COVID-19 cases; and at least three if they have four or more COVID-19 cases, per the ESPN report.

Furthermore, the NBA and NBPA have scrapped the 50-game limit for two-way players, meaning Jericho Sims and Luka Samanic could join all the Knicks’ games until the end of the regular season.

But with their trio of veteran big men — Nerlens Noel, Mitchell Robinson, and Taj Gibson — all healthy, the Knicks would likely let Sims get more reps in the ongoing G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Samanic is still out with a foot injury.

Barrett should clear his 10-day quarantine period on Wednesday, increasing his chances to return for the Christmas game against Atlanta Hawks. The Knicks will also host the Washington Wizards on Thursday after Barrett could clear the 10-day quarantine.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Proposed new hardship exception may force Knicks to add player

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The New York Knicks are down to nine healthy bodies in the rotation after Immanuel Quickley tested positive for COVID-19 last Friday. Meanwhile, Derrick Rose (sore ankle) is still questionable to play in Saturday’s game in Boston.

The Knicks have yet to add additional players via the hardship exception. But they may be forced to if the NBA Board of Governors’ new proposed plan gets approved.

The NBA Board of Governors convened Friday and they proposed a new plan that would curb the postponement of games, according to an ESPN report. Two Chicago Bulls’ games have already been postponed in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 surge around the league.

Under the new proposed plan, teams would be required to add a 10-day player via the hardship exception after a second, third and fourth COVID-19 case.

In the proposed plan, after the first case of COVID, a team would be permitted to add a 10-day player, league sources said, but after a second, third and fourth case, teams would be required to add a 10-day player. Teams would be limited to three replacement players, but the new plan would, overall, require teams to maintain enough depth so that the league wouldn’t be forced to cancel or postpone games because some teams didn’t have the league-required eight healthy players.

Under the plan, the additional replacement players also wouldn’t count against that respective team’s salary cap or luxury tax, league sources said.

Previously, the hardship exemption was solely under the discretion of the teams. Some teams have already availed. But some, like the Knicks, have yet to use the exception rule. The hardship exemption under the CBA rules allows teams to exceed the 15-man roster limit in times of need (when multiple players are out because of injury or illness).

The league and the National Basketball Players Association still have to agree to the new proposed plan before it takes effect.

If the new plan gets approval, the Knicks would have to add players even if Rose and the first few Knicks under protocols return to the lineup.

Obi Toppin, their first player to test positive, could clear health and safety protocols two days from now. Under the current health and safety protocols guideline, players who test positive should be sidelined for at least 10 days or record two negative COVID-19 tests in a 24-hour period before they can resume basketball activities.

Toppin entered the health and safety protocols last Dec. 10 after their game in Toronto. The infection quickly spread around the team. RJ Barrett, rookie Quentin Grimes, Kevin Knox are the other three Knicks players in the health and safety protocols. At the same time, MSG analyst Clyde Frazier and sideline reporter Rebecca Haarlow also tested positive.

The NBA and NBPA have also agreed to stricter measures amid the spike of COVID-19 cases. On Thursday, the league issued a memorandum that requires players and Tier 1 personnel to wear masks at all times with only two exceptions: during on-court basketball activities for players and head coaches during games.

The league will also ramp up testing during the holidays. From Dec. 26 to Jan. 8, players and staff will be tested on game days except for those who received their booster shot 14-plus days earlier or recently recovered from the virus.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks lose RJ Barrett due to COVID protocols, leaving team shorthanded Vs Bucks

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The New York Knicks were already gearing up to face a formidable competitor in the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday afternoon, but things aren’t getting any easier with RJ Barrett being placed in protocol for coming in contact with a positive Covid case.

The Knicks will be incredibly shorthanded on Sunday, with Barrett being ruled out at The Garden and second-year power forward Obi Toppin joining him on the COVID-19 health and safety protocols list. Starting guard Alec Burks was also ruled out due to personal reasons. That makes three impact players OUT for New York against arguably the best team in basketball.

Toppin has been earning significantly more minutes in recent days, posting a season-high 24 against the Toronto Raptors in the team’s most recent defeat. Toppin contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs up to this point.

Losing both Barrett and Toppin will force head coach Tom Thibodeau to supplement their losses with reserve talent. Expect to see a smaller floor with additional guards like Immanuel Quickley and even Quentin Grimes.

Players that could see added minutes include Quickley, Kevin Knox, Miles McBride, and Grimes. Considering Barrett’s spot as a primary shooting guard in the starting five, replicating his 6’4″, 214-pound frame is rather difficult off the bench. Knox is the closest at 6’7″ and 215-pounds, but he is a poor shooter and features as a small forward.

Against Milwaukee, the Knicks don’t stand a chance, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating this season, averaging 27.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game. Since the Knicks last played Milwaukee, they also gained back Khris Middleton, who is adding 18.2 points at 5.1 assists on average.

This is a Bucks team with all of their firepower and the Knicks losing two essential pieces, so if you’re a sports bettor, smashing the over on Milwaukee might be a strong move.

Knicks: Obi Toppin enters COVID-19 protocols after career game in Toronto

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After his career game in Toronto, New York Knicks‘ second-year forward Obi Toppin returned home and was quickly greeted with bad news.

The team announced Saturday afternoon that Toppin had entered the health and safety protocols. The dynamic reserve forward became the first Knicks casualty of the still ongoing pandemic this season.

Based on the league-mandated health and safety protocols, Toppin will miss 10 days unless he could yield at least two negative PCR test results from samples collected at least 24 hours apart.

Toppin will miss the Knicks Sunday matinee game against the rejuvenated defending champion Milwaukee Bucks.

It’s a dampener as Toppin has started to carve an integral role with the second unit that crescendoed Friday night in Toronto. He played like the lottery pick he was projected to become in the Knicks’ 90-87 loss to the Raptors. Toppin scattered 19 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes, all career-highs, as he energized the Knicks, who almost completed a comeback win from a 20-point deficit.

Toppin played longer than usual as the Knicks centers Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson only combined for 35 minutes, leaving 13 minutes for a small-ball lineup.

New York coach Tom Thibodeau was effusive in praising Toppin’s performance, but he made it clear that he’s not ready yet to give him an expanded role.

“He’s worked hard. He’s always been a confident guy,” Thibodeau said of Toppin. “There’s still a long way to go. But his progress has been steady. Overall, I’m very pleased with him.”

Toppin is primarily serving as Julius Randle’s backup. Randle is averaging 35.3 minutes. But Toppin’s infectious energy off the bench and confident play has earned him spot minutes next to Randle in small-ball lineups.

“[Obi’s] got to work at being an all-around player. And I see that work every day. I see how he approaches it. He’s a great worker, a great kid. So I’m not surprised that he’s improving. If he plays well, he plays more. It’s that simple. You have to earn what you get,” Thibodeau said.

Against the Raptors, Toppin dropped eight points in the second quarter, where the Knicks quickly wiped out Toronto’s 20-point lead. In the second half, he played from the final 2:12 of the third quarter up to the 3:40 mark of the fourth quarter. He scored nine and grabbed five rebounds during that stretch.

Asked about his decision to pull out Toppin and play with only Randle as the big man down the stretch, Thibodeau said it was a tactical adjustment.

“It was basically [because] they were playing zone [defense] and so we thought we got behind a little. We wanted to add more shooting onto the floor. But overall, I thought [Obi] did a lot of great things. That’s how we got going — running the floor, hustling, his all-around play. I thought he really did a good job for us.”

Toppin doesn’t have any issue at all with the short leash. His mindset, he said, is to give 110 percent every time he steps on the court and inject passion and energy into the team.

“Whatever happens with minutes, with playing time like I said coach Thibs is a great coach. He’s been doing this for a very long time,” Toppin said.

[Thibodeau] knows what he’s doing. He knows who got to be in the game at what time. He has a different feel for the game than we do so because he’s a lot more experienced.”

After the team’s light practice on Saturday and before the bad news broke out, Thibodeau expounded on Toppin’s playing time situation despite the online clamor from the fanbase to give him more minutes. Toppin’s play with the second unit has been one of the few silver linings amid the team’s recent struggles.

“[It’s] very good offensively. Defensively, we lose the rim protection and rebounding. So you’re sacrificing that part of the game which is critical but I like the speed and the way they’re playing. I thought that group really played well together. Our bench came in and gave us a big lift,” Thibodeau said.

While he’s not ready yet to give Toppin an expanded role, Thibodeau reiterated how he values the 2020 eighth overall pick.

“He’s young and he’ll continue to get better. So there are still things he needs to improve upon but he’s made great strides. I’m very pleased with him. He adds a lot to the team. He’s a very important part of the team. I expect him to continue to improve,” he added.

Last season, Toppin played well in significant minutes during the start of the preseason until a calf injury caused him to miss six games. His confidence dipped, and he looked lost when he returned. It took him until the second half of the season to find his footing, and he has never looked back since last year’s All-Star break.

If Toppin misses an extended period, Taj Gibson is expected to step into his role with the second unit. It remains to be seen how this setback will affect Toppin’s situation when he returns.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

 

Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau details how Obi Toppin can earn more playing time

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With just moments left in the contest against Toronto on Friday evening, New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau pulled Obi Toppin from the game.

The second-year forward had a career night up north, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds. He was undoubtedly the team’s best player during the game, justifying his presence in the final moments.

Some might say it was unreasonable that Toppin wasn’t involved in the final play, which ended up being a three-point shot from RJ Barrett that careened off the rim.

After the game, Thibodeau details how Toppin could enjoy more playing time in the future, after spending 24 minutes on the floor against the Raptors, a high this season, excluding the double-overtime win against the Boston Celtics to open the year.

“If he plays well, he plays more, it’s that simple. You have to earn what you get.”

Clearly, Toppin is earning more action on the floor, posting back-to-back double-digit point games with 12 combined rebounds and just two turnovers.

The Dayton product has become electrifying in transition, especially with fellow draft mate Immanuel Quickley leading the offense down the court. His abilities to find open lanes and drive the baseline have become a focal point for the Knicks on offense, but his shooting still remains a liability, connecting on just 19.6% from three-point range this season.

However, that’s not for lack of practice, as Obi has been extremely proactive with his work off the court.

“I see that work every day, I see how he approaches it. He’s a great worker, great kid. I’m not surprised that he’s improving,” Thibs said.
The reality for Toppin is simple, his 15.6 minutes per night on average are a result of Julius Randle hosting the top power forward slot. Thibodeau has been trying to get Randle and Toppin on the floor at the same time to maximize their skill sets, which are vastly different, especially in transition and isolation.
While Thibodeau clearly didn’t roll with Toppin in the final moments, the second-year player responded positively, indicating that his head coach knows all.

“Coach Thibs is a great coach. He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows what he’s doing. He’s a lot more experienced and he knows a lot more,” Toppin shared.

Nonetheless, coming off what are the best games of his career, Thibs has no choice but to feature him in a more prominent role moving forward, especially if the Knicks want to be a more fast pace team relying on energy and effort rather than Randle posting up in isolation and trying to carry the load.

Have the Knicks finally cracked the code with Obi Toppin?

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Despite an unfortunate loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday evening, the New York Knicks enjoyed a career night from second-year forward Obi Toppin.

Toppin, who has been relishing more minutes as of late, posted 19 points and 10 rebounds in the defeat over 24 minutes, his highest total in the month of December. In fact, 24 minutes was the most he played since opening night against the Boston Celtics in the Knicks’ double-overtime win.

It is clear that head coach Tom Thibodeau is factoring in Toppin more frequently due to his incredible athleticism and fantastic stamina. Toppin exerts maximum energy and effort whenever he’s on the floor, chasing down loose balls and being proactive with his runs to the basket. Against Toronto, he shot 43% from the field but once again struggled from deep, hitting on just 20% of his shots.

This season, Toppin is shooting 54% from the field and just 19.5% from three-point range, a disappointing number that needs to improve moving forward. However, New York has finally cracked the code on his usage and production, focusing on transition basketball.

Luckily, the Knicks’ two best players in transition are Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, who work splendidly off one another. Quickley has become a fantastic facilitator for Toppin and his electrifying dunks.

Quickley has also enjoyed significant minutes with the second team, earning 20+ in every game this month, including a 38-minute outing against the Chicago Bulls on December 2. Whenever Quickley is on the floor, the Knicks have more energy, but Thibodeau has also looked to pair Toppin with fellow power forward Julius Randle.

As the team continues to build confidence with one another and develop chemistry, it’s clear they are experiencing deficiencies with communication and positioning. They simply lack the fundamental flow on offense and find themselves crashing to the basket or falling back without any attempt at an offensive rebound. Toppin showcased his utility in the paint, with his eight defensive and two offensive rebounds against Toronto.

Not only was Obi’s 19 points a season-high, but his 10 rebounds as well, hopefully turning a new chapter on his dominant transition play. Nonetheless, until he can improve his shooting abilities and efficiency from beyond the arc, he will remain a one-tool player that makes up for a lack of defensive efficiency with a high work rate. In the meantime, the Knicks may have cracked the code on curating an impact, but he still has a lot of developing left to do.

Raptors 90, Knicks 87: Obi Toppin’s career night not enough to stifle Toronto

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The New York Knicks dropped their second consecutive game on Friday evening, despite a phenomenal effort by second-year forward Obi Toppin. The Knicks were recently blown out by the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but a stellar defensive effort wasn’t enough to stifle the Toronto Raptors, who entered the game with a 4–9 record at home.

The Knicks scored just 87 points in the game, finding themselves down by double digits in the second quarter after recording just 14 points in the first while Toronto posted 31.

By all accounts, this game was well beyond reach in just the first half, but the Knicks held Toronto to just 19 points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Their resilience still wasn’t enough to record a victory, shooting an awful 26.5% from three-point range and 35.8% from the field.

Overall, this was another inconsistent offensive performance for New York, gaining just one point from Alec Burks over 37 minutes, as the starting guard shot 0 for 7 from the field and 0 for 3 from three-point range.

In fact, only two starters recorded double-digit points, including Julius Randle with 13 and RJ Barrett with 19. The entire Toronto starting five scored double-digit points, including 24 from Gary Trent Jr. and 17 from Fred VanVleet. VanVleet posted 11 assists in the game, acting as a primary facilitator, while Scottie Barnes and Pablo Siakam combined for 27 rebounds.

The Knicks, on the other end, relied on Julius Randle and Obi Toppin as their primary rebounders, combining for 24. Toppin enjoyed a career night, posting 19 points over 24 minutes. The transition game with Toppin was lucrative, especially with his draft buddy, Immanuel Quickley taking the ball down and giving Obi opportunities for electrifying dunks.

The New York Knicks can’t find their shooting from down-town:

However, it was their three-point shooting that doomed them from the beginning, as Evan Fournier posted the best numbers, hitting 3 of 7 shots from deep. Ultimately, the absolute dud from Alec Burks proved to be the difference, representing an anomaly over his past few games.

Burks has scored double-digit points in six consecutive games before Friday night’s loss to Toronto. He’s still shooting 42.5% from three-point range this season, so he should bounce back in the short term.

Nonetheless, this was a winnable game for New York against Toronto, especially holding their opponents to just 90 points. Tom Thibodeau will be disappointed about this loss, as the Knicks have now dropped five of their last six games. They have a tough matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks coming up on Sunday afternoon, who are currently on an impressive winning streak.

Knicks’ Obi Toppin deserves more minutes, but why is Thibs holding back?

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The Knicks have lost three of their last four games, but things could be a lot worse if not for the second team stepping up and supplementing the deficiencies of the starters. With chemistry and fluidity issues plaguing the first unit, veteran point guard Derrick Rose and young guard Immanuel Quickley have picked up the slack on the other end.

However, second-year forward Obi Toppin has made a lowkey Impact this season as a transition scorer and elevated defender. Over the past five games, he’s recorded double-digit point production in two of them, despite the lack of minutes. In the Knicks’ most recent loss to the Orlando Magic, Toppin secured 14 points, two-assist, five rebounds, and shot 66.7% from three-point range.

Based on his recent performance, Toppin deserves more action and opportunities to showcase his talents and development. When head coach Tom Thibodeau was asked about Toppin earning more minutes, his response was rather vague and team-oriented.

“It’s all based on performance,” Thibodeau said via SNY. “It’s not an individual thing. It’s a team thing. It’s how the team is functioning and there has to be a balance to offense and defense. That factors into it as well.”

At this point, it seems as if Thibodeau is trying to force the starters to play at a better level, which is understandable given the massive contracts the front office dealt out this off-season. Both Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier have been incredibly streaky and inconsistent this year, but Thibodeau can’t start making significant changes and replacing starter minutes with Obi just yet. He needs the starters to be playing at a high level, which would ultimately lead to Toppin earning more minutes in blowout games and rest situations.

However, Thibodeau has begun to dabble with different player combinations to try and break the negative trend developing with the first team. Their lack of chemistry and ball movement has become apparent, and Toppin offers elite athleticism stretching the court and making plays in transition.

The best usage of the Dayton product is in combination with Quickley — the duo has developed outstanding chemistry early in the season. Quickley has an entirely different repertoire of attributes, but his press defense has given the Knicks a bit more efficiency in guarding the perimeter. Toppin still lacks on defense and doesn’t have the agility to match Quickley’s strong suit off the ball.

If Obi can add more muscle mass/interior positioning and contribute more as a rebounder in the paint, that is where he will convince Thibodeau for more playing time. The Knicks need to re-identify themselves as a defense-first team that also contributes quality scoring production, but at this point in time, they simply aren’t recognizable compared to their 2020–21 season.