Obi Toppin

Knicks: Taj Gibson returns, Nerlens Noel doubtful to play vs Magic

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knicks, taj gibson

Taj Gibson is expected to make his season debut for the New York Knicks Sunday night against the Orlando Magic.

Gibson missed the Knicks’ first two games after becoming a first-time father last Friday. Meanwhile, Nerlens Noel remains doubtful to play against the Magic. Noel has been nursing knee soreness though coach Tom Thibodeau hinted that he’s near to returning to the active lineup.

But even without their top two backup centers, the Knicks were too much for the rebuilding Magic. The Knicks set a franchise-record 24 three-pointers in a 121-96 victory over the Magic for their first 2-0 start in nine years.

“This is a very good Knicks basketball team. A very tough, physical basketball team,” Magic’s rookie coach Jamahl Mosley said after Friday’s embarrassing loss to the Knicks. “We got spread out a little bit too much… because (the Knicks) spread the floor so well. We talked about the guys that they have that are individually very talented. And they were, early on, were making the extra pass and knocking down shots.”

The Knicks’ offense had been juiced up by the addition of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier and their small-ball lineup during non-Mitchell Robinson minutes.

It will be interesting to watch how Thibodeau will balance his rotation once Gibson and Noel return.

Julius Randle and the much-improved sophomore Obi Toppin have played together for 23 minutes during the Knicks’ impressive 2-0 start. The Randle-Toppin lineups have outscored their opponents by 21.

Robinson has also been stellar since his return from a foot injury. The 23-year old center averages 8.5 points on a staggering 80 percent shooting from the field, 13 rebounds, 1.5 assists, one block in 31.5 minutes.

Against the Magic, the third-youngest team in the league whose roster’s average age is 24.7 years, there is no rush to bring back Noel.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks cast 3-point spell on Magic on historic night

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knicks

After teasing a new-look offense tailored to the pace and space era in the preseason, it only took two games into the new season before the New York Knicks shattered their three-point record.

The Knicks hit a franchise-record 24 three-pointers en route to a 121-96 rout of a young Orlando Magic team Friday night at the Amway Center.

Eight different players made at least one three-pointer as the Knicks are off to a 2-0 start for the first time in nine years. The Knicks’ first five field goals came from downtown, setting the tone for the record-breaking night.

The 24 three-point shots made broke their previous record of 20, which they did thrice (2011, 2013, and 2018), while the 54 attempts also eclipsed the 51 they threw up in a quadruple overtime loss to Atlanta Hawks on January 29, 2017.

They also made 24 3s in a preseason win against the Washington Wizards two weeks ago. This time, the Knicks made it official.

“I think it’s a reflection of the team playing for each other and just making the right play,” Thibodeau said. “We talked about it a lot of wanting to shoot more 3s, but we want them to be the right 3s. When the second defender comes, guys are making the right read.”

The Magic had no answer to the Knicks’ vaunted offense, which kept on poking holes in their porous defense.

The Knicks had a smooth sailing save for a Mitchell Robinson injury scare and a Julius Randle technical foul.

Robinson clutched his hamstring before Kemba Walker replaced him with 4:19 to go in the third quarter. But the 23-year old Knicks center, who was playing in his third game back from a fractured foot injury, returned to play five more minutes in the fourth quarter.

“It should be fine,” Thibodeau’s curt reply when asked about Robinson’s hamstring.

Randle flirted with a triple-double (21 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals) before a technical foul forced Thibodeau to take him out with 4:28 left and the Knicks leading by 32.

Randle shoved Orlando’s Wendell Carter, Jr. after the Magic forward knocked him down in a fastbreak play.

“The one thing that I could assure you is that if I play [Randle] too much, you’ll gonna let me know. If I don’t play him enough, you’ll gonna let me know. And the one thing I know for certain it’s never the right amount,” said a smiling Thibodeau eliciting laughter from the reporters.

Walker went 3-for-3 from downtown in the first stanza, where the Knicks seized a 20-point lead that swelled to as large as 34 in the second half. He wound up with 11 points while his fellow newcomer and former Magic Evan Fournier continued his red-hot shooting with four three-pointers and 18 points.

Obi Toppin picked up from where he left off. The sophomore forward scored 13 points — from fastbreak slams to corner three-pointers — in 24 minutes that electrified the large Knicks crowd who showed up in Orlando.

Veteran guards Derrick Rose and Alec Burks also came off the bench and kept the ball moving. They produced identical numbers — 12 points and seven assists off the bench. The Knicks recorded 34 assists on a staggering 50 percent (44-of-88) shooting from the field.

They will aim to keep their perfect start when the Magic visit them at the Garden on Sunday for a rematch at 7 p.m.

After a quiet season opener, Immanuel Quickley came off the bench and joined the three-point party. Quickley finished with 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, including 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.

“Everybody loves playing for each other,” Quickley said. “Everybody can make plays. We can all shoot, dribble, pass and we play for each other. That’s the Knicks culture. — play for each other, play hard every night and that’s gonna get the job done.”

So far, job well done.

Welcome to the new era of Knicks basketball.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks’ 2OT win over Celtics is ESPN’s most-watched Wednesday NBA opener in 18 years

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It’s fun being a Knicks fan these days.

The New York Knicks have solidified their status as one of the must-watch teams in the NBA after opening the new season with an epic double-overtime win over their old rival Boston Celtics.

According to Nielsen, the Knicks-Celtics classic was ESPN’s most-watched Wednesday NBA season-opening game in 18 years.

Evan Fournier’s red-hot shooting, Julius Randle, and Derrick Rose’s clutch plays were enough to withstand Jaylen Brown’s 46-point career night.

Their riveting showdown drew an average of 1.96 million viewers, which peaked at 2.87 million viewers from 10:30-10:45 p.m. ET.

The double-overtime classic drew a 3.5 rating in the New York market, making it the highest-rated national regular-season Knicks game telecast since 2017. The game also delivered a 4.0 rating in the Boston market.

Overall, Wednesday’s telecast, which also included the Denver Nuggets win over Phoenix Suns, became ESPN’s most-watched season-opening doubleheader since 2017. It drew an average of 1.74 million viewers, up 39 percent vs. 2020, up 10 percent vs. 2019, and up 22 percent vs. 2018.

The Knicks’ resurgence buoyed by their surprising, feel-good playoff run last season has inspired the league and its broadcast partners to put them on 22 nationally televised games, including Wednesday’s season opener. It’s the biggest jump by any NBA team in the last two seasons. In 2019, the Knicks only had three games on national TV while they had six during the previous pandemic-condensed season.

The Knicks will also have seven games on NBA TV in addition to their games on ESPN, ABC, and TNT.

Fox Sport’s Colin Cowherd summed up why it’s so easy to root for the Knicks.

“When you watch the New York Knicks play, I find them so redeemable and so easy to root for because they’re winners,” Cowherd said on his Fox Sports’ show The Herd.

The sold-out Madison Square Garden crowd was electric on Wednesday night. The building was rocked to its core after every Obi Toppin slam, Fournier three-pointer, Randle’s go-to move, and Rose’s dagger.

The Knicks’ culture and impression around the league had dramatically shifted when team president Leon Rose and coach Tom Thibodeau took over last year. The players have responded well to Thibodeau’s no non-sense coaching.

Judging by fans’ reactions and the Knicks’ box office appeal on national TV, it’s safe to say that New York basketball is back!

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Broadway Thriller: Knicks survive Celtics in double OT season opener

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evan fournier, knicks

When reporters asked Julius Randle what to expect in the New York Knicks season opener, there was something compellingly prescient about his answer.

“Chaos,” Randle said. “We’re expecting chaos.”

A chaotic final sequence in the regulation nearly cost them the game, but the Knicks regrouped and leaned on their preseason experience to pull off a 138-134 double-overtime win over old rival Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

It was the first season opener with multiple overtimes since the Knicks’ 118-117 triple-overtime win over the Grizzlies on Nov. 1, 2006.

“Every time before we go out [of the locker room], coach [Tom Thibodeau] always puts on the board, ‘find a way to win.’ They talk about us taking preseason seriously, but this is why we take it seriously so we can win games like this,” Randle said.

Their undefeated run in the preseason kept them sharp and mentally ready for a brutal opening game that needed 58 minutes of basketball to decide the winner.

Randle started the season proving that his All-NBA season was not a fluke. In a battle of All-Star forwards, Randle answered Jaylen Brown’s 46-point performance with a near triple-double (35 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, three blocks in 46 minutes) and clutch free throws in the second overtime. Randle became the first player in Knicks’ history to log in at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in multiple season openers, per ESPN Stats and Info.

Newcomer Evan Fournier validated the hefty contract he signed last summer. The Frenchman gunner scored a career-high 32 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 56 seconds remaining.

Derrick Rose showed that he can still close games more than a decade removed from his MVP season. He kept fighting through his shooting woes to hit the dagger — a floating banked shot off Dennis Schroder with 22.2 seconds left for the final tally. He wound up with nine points on 3-of-11 shooting and five assists.

It was a massive win against a conference rival that is projected to finish ahead of them in the standings.

But the Knicks had to earn it the hard way after blowing an 11-point lead late in the fourth quarter. They failed to protect a three-point cushion with 4.8 seconds left in the regulation when they seemingly forgot to foul.

“There was a slip but we did want to foul,” Thibodeau later said. “We got to work on it. We’ll learn from it.”

A Jayson Tatum slip caused a chain of reactions, leading to a wide-open Marcus Smart three-pointer that beat the buzzer to force the first overtime. Fournier went to double team Tatum that left Schroder open for the pass. Schroder found Smart as Kemba Walker, who had two costly turnovers inside the final 30 seconds, scrambled for defense.

Fournier atoned for his blunder with four triples in the two extra periods. After an underwhelming preseason, Fournier found his rhythm in his official Knicks debut. He shot 13-of-25 overall and accounted for six of the team’s 17 three-pointers.

The Knicks attempted 45 three-pointers, 34 in the regulation.

“I’ve never worried about him making shots,” Thibodeau said referring to Fournier. “To me, he’s proven throughout his career that’s who he is. It’s nice to see him and Julius build some chemistry together.”

The same cannot be said of Walker, who has yet to make his signature Knicks moment through four games dating back to the preseason. In this game billed as his official homecoming debut, Walker hardly had an impact with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting in 36 minutes. He had more turnovers (4) than assists (3) and watched on the bench in the second overtime.

“I think [with] Kemba, the more he plays with that group the more he gets into a rhythm,” Thibodeau said. “He’s got great instincts in the pick and roll. And I think we can take advantage of that even more than what we’re doing right now. So, we’ll continue to work on that.”

“Kemba and Evan are two terrific players. We’re excited about the possibilities.”

However, their performance in the first 28 minutes did not elicit excitement. The Knicks trailed by as many as 12 points. After a roaring 8-0 start buoyed by a couple of Randle’s three-pointers, New York fell into Boston’s trap.

They could not solve the Celtics’ switching defense that held them to only eight assists in the first half and forced them to rely on isolation plays. Jaylen Brown’s 25-point outburst in the first half, 20 in the opening quarter, compounded their problem.

Not until Thibodeau switched to his small-ball lineup again in the third quarter that they found an answer. Sans Nerlens Noel (sore left knee) and Taj Gibson, who just became a first-time father, Thibodeau leaned on the Toppin-Randle frontcourt to ignite their comeback.

After Toppin replaced Mitchell Robinson with 8:36 left in the third quarter, the Knicks outscored the Celtics, 28-15, to seize an 86-82 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

They pushed the pace, and the space they created gave Barrett enough room to operate. After a scoreless first half, Barrett uncorked 14 of his 19 points during that big run.

“It got us going. It got us into the open floor which was good. That group really played well together,” Thibodeau said.

Toppin then teamed up with Robinson at the start of the fourth quarter. Their back-to-back dunks opened up an eight-point lead for the Knicks, 90-82. Toppin and Robinson combined for 11 of the Knicks’ first 14 points in the fourth quarter.

A Schroder three-pointer cut Celtics’ deficit down to six. But Toppin’s alley-oop dunk over Payton Pritchard restored an eight-point Knicks’ lead, 100-92, with 8:58 left in the regulation.

The second-year pro looked every inch the lottery pick that he was hyped to be as he finally spread his wings. Toppin finished with a career-high 14 points in 28 minutes, the most he’s played since he entered the NBA. He added five rebounds and one block.

His breakthrough performance was a testament to Thibodeau’s player development acumen and his body of work with his trainer David Zenon in the summer.

Robinson delivered a monster double-double in just his second game back from a foot injury. The 23-year old center collected 11 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks against only two fouls in 35 minutes.

“I think we’re seeing just the tip of the iceberg with Mitch. I think Mitch is gonna be really, really good for us,” Thibodeau said. “RJ, in the second half, he was a monster. The thing that I liked was he kept his composure. He wasn’t rattled and just kept playing. He kept working in the game and then the game got going his way. So, it was really good to see.”

More than his offensive contribution, Barrett held his end of the bargain on the defensive end. He played a major role in slowing down Tatum, who bled for 20 points on 7-of-30 shooting, including 2 for 15 from downtown.

After a chaotic first half, the Knicks’ offense flowed like the Hudson river in the last two quarters and two overtimes with 19 assists.

Amid the chaos that reigned in the Garden in their season opener, the Knicks found harmony in their continuity, stability, and flexibility.

It’s going to be a long season. But the Knicks are equipped to battle chaos.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Kemba Walker is a huge fan of Immanuel Quickley

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immanuel quickley, knicks

When Kemba Walker signed with the New York Knicks, it meant there was another former All-Star point guard who would crowd Immanuel Quickley in the backcourt.

But Quickley did not see it that way.

“We added a guy, Kemba Walker, who can do it all, somebody I can learn from, compete with to expand my game. I want to be where he is eventually one day. So no better guy than Kemba Walker to come in — just like I learned from Derrick Rose, I can learn from somebody else,” said Quickley during the NBA Summer League in August.

It turns out the admiration is mutual.

Guesting on ESPN NBA insider Zach Lowe’s podcast on Friday, Walker revealed that Quickley is one of his closest Knicks teammates.

“I’m a huge fan of Quickley. I think he can be really special,” Walker said. “I think I can help him get his game to another level.”

Through the first three preseason games, Quickley’s playing time (19.3 minutes) stayed the same as last season (19.4 minutes).

Quickley’s shooting numbers (36.4 percent from the field, 30 percent from three-point territory) are down, primarily hurt by his last game where he missed all five shots.

With Walker resting, Rose started in his place, leaving Quickley the main target of the Pistons’ second unit defense.

But there’s an encouraging sign that Quickley could be up for a bigger sophomore season. He has improved as a table-setter with an uptick in his assists numbers (4.7 from 2.0 last season) as he has been getting more run as a point guard even when he’s paired with Rose for the most part.

The Knicks have made a conscious effort to let Quickley grow as a point guard starting in the Summer League that carried over in the preseason. Aside from Rose, Quickley has been learning the ropes from Walker, a four-time All-Star and a former All-NBA point guard.

“First of all, he’s just such a great kid. He asks a lot of questions,” Walker said. “He wants to be good and I love that about him. And he’s literally always in the gym like he is such a gym rat. I just see so much of myself in him. So I think he’s one of the guys who I kind of gravitating towards.”

While the preseason games are just a small sample size, and we shouldn’t be reading much into it, it’s different with the Knicks. Coach Tom Thibodeau has been treating it like the regular season. It’s safe to say that there’s a defined role for Quickley, and with a pair of former All-Star point guards to glean from, he can only grow from here.

Quickley wasn’t the only Knicks player that caught Walker’s eye.

“Another guy is Obi (Toppin). Obi is such a great kid. Another guy who is always in the gym,” Walker said. “It’s gonna be a big year for Obi. Obi is gonna be so great for us because he’s gonna do a lot of the small things for us.”

“And his personality is second to none. He’s such a great dude. He’s always smiling, always joking. And he brings energy. He’s gotten so much better and he’s always in the gym.”

Toppin had gotten so much hype as the most ready-made rookie when he entered the NBA. But without the benefit of a Summer League and the sudden rise of Julius Randle as an All-NBA forward, Toppin got lost in the transition. But Toppin’s confidence started growing after the All-Star break and when Rose arrived.

With Rose finding Toppin more in transition, he started to get comfortable and played solid in the playoffs. That spilled over to his first Summer League and the preseason games. Toppin looked more fluid and playing with more confidence.

Last year, Toppin averaged 25.4 minutes in the preseason and produced only 7.3 points on 37.9 percent shooting and 6.0 rebounds. In his first three preseason games this year, Toppin averages 9.7 points on 46 percent shooting and 5.7 rebounds despite playing just 18.9 minutes.

“Those two guys are always in the gym. And I know from experience that when you’re always in the gym, it always pays off for sure. Those are the two guys I can highly speak of,” said Walker.

Walker knows it because it’s the same route he took to add a solid outside shot to his arsenal and grew from a 30.5 percent three-point shooter on 3.4 attempts as a rookie to last season’s 36 percent on a career-high 8.2 attempts.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks beat Wizards with spellbinding ball movement and shooting wizardry

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knicks, obi toppin

The New York Knicks shot the lights out of Capital One Arena in a dazzling display of firepower to defeat the Washington Wizards, 117-99, Saturday night despite missing their All-Star Julius Randle.

The Knicks hit 24 of 52 three-pointers that would have broken their record 20 made three-pointers, which they did thrice (2011, 2013, and 2018), per Stat Muse. The 52 attempts also would have eclipsed their previous record of 51 attempts they recorded on January 29, 2017, against the Atlanta Hawks, according to Stat Muse.

Kevin Knox and Obi Toppin stepped up in the absence of Randle, who is expecting his second child. The backup power forwards dealt the Wizards the telling blows in each half.

Knox, who had fallen off Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, made the most out of the rare opportunity, scoring 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc and in the first half where the Knicks seized a 13-point lead. But the Wizards recovered from the early trouble and trimmed the Knicks’ lead, 59-55 at the half.

Toppin, who started in place of Randle, battled back from early foul woes and scoreless first half to lead the Knicks’ second-half breakaway. The 2020 eighth pick scored 11 points in the third quarter sparking an 18-2 run that broke the game wide open. His six-point cluster ended in a wide-open three-pointer at the 6:49 mark of the third quarter to put the Knicks in control from a tight 64-62 game.

“A lot of guys stepped in. I thought Obi played really well. I thought Kevin came in and gave us really good minutes,” Tom Thibodeau said. “So that was good to see. I like the depth of our team.”

The Knicks followed up their 26 assists in their preseason debut with 27 as their spellbinding ball movement, and shooting wizardry was too much for the Wizards.

Nine Knicks players hit at least two three-pointers each.

“It’s one of the things that we’ve worked hard at for the last two years and over the summer and also the guys that we’ve brought in,” Thibodeau said. “They’re very efficient at shooting them, so their shot profile is right and then making the right reads. That’s probably the most important thing. The ability to go off the dribble, attack the rim, and made the proper rim read, hit the open man. And when guys make the extra pass, we’re gonna have good rhythm threes.”

Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker added two three-pointers each. Rookie Quentin Grimes came in the final 1:46 and fired back-to-back three-pointers.

But on top of their much-improved offense, the Knicks’ defense hasn’t lost a step. They held the Wizards under the century mark and 38.2 percent shooting.

RJ Barrett led the Knicks in scoring with 18 points on 4-of-8 threes and four assists while shadowing Bradley Beal. The Wizards star scored 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting in 25 minutes. He was held to just three points in the third quarter and didn’t play the fourth quarter as the Knicks’ lead swelled to as big as 24.

Derrick Rose, who tweaked his ankle late in the game, was a perfect 3-for-3 from 3 and totaled 15 points and a game-high eight assists off the bench.

The pair of Taj Gibson and rookie Jericho Sims played solid in the middle for the second straight game, with Mitchell Robinson still recovering from a foot injury and Nerlens Noel nursing a sore right knee.

The 36-year old Gibson had eight points and six rebounds as the starter, while Sims pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds with seven points and three steals.

The Knicks will have a four-day rest before hosting the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at the Garden.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks: Obi Toppin gets his chance in Julius Randle’s absence

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New York Knicks, Obi Toppin

Obi Toppin will finally have his chance to show what he can do with an expanded role when the New York Knicks face the Washington Wizards Saturday night on the road.

Toppin is likely to start in place of All-Star Julius Randle, who skipped the trip to the nation’s capital due to personal reasons.

Randle also missed Friday’s practice. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau did not go into details but assured that “it’s for a good reason.” Randle’s wife, Kendra, is reportedly expecting to deliver their second child any time this weekend.

“We have good quality depth, and I want to get a look at some of these guys,” Thibodeau said.

He was referring to Toppin and Kevin Knox, who will split Randle’s minutes.

Toppin played with confidence and was fluid in the Knicks’ impressive 125-104 win against the Indiana Pacers in their preseason opener. He was one of the seven Knicks players who scored in double figures with 10 points and five boards.

Thibodeau was effusive in his praise of Toppin, who is getting more comfortable with his role.

“He’s gotten a lot better,” Thibodeau said. “He’s put a lot of extra time in. But I think more than anything, it’s probably the experience. I thought last year was difficult in some ways for him because of not really having the summer league, a fall, where you can grow into it. And he’s one of those guys that with repetition, he gets a lot more confident.”

Toppin was a late bloomer guy in high school before exploding in his last two years in college. After he looked lost early into his NBA rookie year, Toppin picked up steam in the second half of the season that crescendoed in the playoffs. He followed that up with a stellar Summer League stint.

“I think the game has slowed down a little bit,” Thibodeau said. “I like the way he played offensively. He wasn’t rushing at all and made good decisions. And he’s skilled.”

On the other hand, Knox is fighting to salvage his NBA career after falling off Thibodeau’s rotation last season. The 2018 lottery pick is on the last year of his rookie contract. Saturday’s game gives him a shot at impressing Thibodeau after missing the NBA Summer League due to COVID-19.

Knox scored four points on two aggressive drives after missing a three-pointer in their win over Indiana. He added two rebounds in four minutes of garbage time.

“[Thibodeau] really preaches if your shot’s not going in or having a bad shooting day, what else can you bring to the team?’’ Knox said after Sunday’s practice. “For myself, using my length, using my height and my body to really focus on rebounding and defending on the other end. I really feel I can guard 1-to-4. That’s what he really wants to see from me — locking in on that end.”

“He knows what I can do on the offensive end. He wants to see that defensive energy, the rebounding and really flying in transition and using my length all over the court.”

Meanwhile, Nerlens Noel is back in the lineup after resting against the Pacers. Thibodeau earlier said that a key rotation player would likely rest in each of their four preseason games. This Saturday is Randle’s turn.

Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo

Knicks News: See Mitchell Robinson’s new muscles, Obi Toppin’s worth-ethic is unmatched

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New York Knicks, Mitchell Robinson

The New York Knicks are patiently waiting for Mitchell Robinson to make a full return from a fractured foot last season. Robinson underwent two surgeries to correct fractures in his foot and hand, suffered at different points during the 2020-21 campaign. Despite his struggles, Robinson has worked diligently to improve his overall muscle mass and size this off-season, hoping for his newfound strength to translate to elevated performance on the court.

“I want someone to hit me in the chest,” Robinson told the media on Thursday.

mitchell robinson, knicks

Playing in just 31 games last year, Robinson averaged 8.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and shot 65% from the field. His small sample size doesn’t entirely tell a full story of his growth over the past three years, but he’s hoping to take a significant step forward this upcoming season after the team’s success under the leadership of Tom Thibodeau.

Robinson has been vocal about his increased strength, and he will have an opportunity to put it to the test on the regular season begins on October 19, which is just three weeks away.

The New York Knicks are expecting big things out of Robinson…and one of his teammates:

Another teammate who has been working this off-season diligently is second-year player Obi Toppin. Toppin struggled during his rookie season, posting just 4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and shooting 50% from the field over 62 games. He averaged just 11 minutes on the court at 22-years-old, one of the older rookies from the 2020 draft class. However, Toppin spent the entire summer improving, working on his shooting and isolation moves.

“Coming in here, especially coming off last year, I knew I had to improve a lot,” the forward said Wednesday. “So, coming in here every single day this summer, that was my motivation. Come in and just be better than what you were last year.”

Toppin’s best mode of getting on the court is by consistently hitting three-point shots and deploying solid defense. Thibodeau prefers players who can guard the perimeter and also drop into the paint to help clog driving lanes. Toppin had issues communicating and getting into the right position last season, but with a year of experience under his belt, growth is on the horizon.

Thibodeau noticed that Obi was putting in the extra effort, which is exactly what he wanted to see from the impending sophomore.

“For me, it’s more of watching the actions. Because oftentimes you get people who will say all the right things and do none of them,” Thibodeau said. “The actions tell me how important it is to him and he’s done all the right things. I think his actions reflect his priority. So I knew he was very committed to improve.”

When the Knicks drafted Toppin 8th overall in 2020, they knew his work ethic was unmatched, and he’s showing that desire early on in his career.

Grading the Knicks’ NBA 2K22 Ratings: Are they accurate?

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knicks

With the release of NBA 2K22 last Friday, we finally have our first look at the 2021-22 New York Knicks roster in 2K. This also means that Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes are playable for the first time ever. Let’s dive into these ratings and see if 2K got it right.

The Ratings

Julius Randle, 87

Can’t really complain about this one. Coming off the best season of his career where he won Most Improved Player(MIP), Randle has earned his place among the top ratings in the Eastern Conference. He should probably be at an 88 or an 89, but his performance in last year’s playoffs definitely played a factor in this year’s rating.

Grade: B

RJ Barrett, 83

This one was really surprising. Not because of how he isn’t higher, but because 2K finally decided to show RJ some respect. 83 is honestly a really great jumping-off point this upcoming season for the 21-year-old. The rating isn’t too low or too high, it’s perfect.

Grade: A

Kemba Walker, 83

Unsurprisingly, this is the lowest rating Walker has had since NBA 2K16. The 5-time All-Star had one of the worst seasons of his career last year and looks to bounce back on his hometown team. His dynamic scoring and playmaking abilities could transform the Knicks’ offense, leading to a ratings boost down the line. However, whether it be from his knee issues or just a regression of his skills, there is also a chance 83 isn’t the lowest we see his rating throughout the year.

Grade: A-

Derrick Rose, 83

After a terrific playoff series against the Hawks last season, D-Rose earned this 83 rating. Although he’s tied for the 2nd highest rating on the team, the former MVP will be coming off the bench this season. Look for him to make a real run at 6th Man of the Year and for this rating to stay pretty much the same all season.

Grade: A

Mitchell Robinson, 80

There’s no question about it: When the 7’0 Robinson is healthy, there are not many other players in the league who can match his level of athleticism and energy. However, he’s coming off multiple injuries, the latter of which saw him miss the final 26 games of the regular season, including the series against the Hawks. If he’s able to stay healthy, there’s little-to-no chance that this rating stays the same. For now, it does make sense after not playing half of last season.

Grade: B+

Evan Fournier, 79

This is the first one that’s way off. 2k has had a tendency in the past to underrate guards/wings that can score in a multitude of ways. Any guard they perceive to not be able to defend well and not have playmaking abilities will have a hard time getting a rating over 80, especially if they play for the Knicks. This one just doesn’t make sense, though. It could be due to the fact that the devs may have been taking his stats with Boston into account too much. Before his trade to the Celtics, Fournier was putting up almost 20 PPG in only 30 minutes per game. Fournier is at least an 82, maybe even an 83. The intangibles he brings on offense, including his shooting and finishing skills, are better than any other 79 in the game. This rating isn’t accurate at all.

Grade: F

Immanuel Quickley, 78

As one of the biggest steals in the 2020 NBA Draft, Quickley improved his rating from a 71 last year all the way up to a 79 by the end of the year. This is why this rating doesn’t really do it for me. To drop down a point after an entire offseason doesn’t make much sense. We’ll see how it unfolds for the second year from Kentucky, but there’s little doubt that he improves enough to get this rating over 80 by the playoffs.

Side note, Quickley is REALLY good at NBA2K.

Grade: C

Nerlens Noel, 78

As the defensive anchor of the Knicks throughout the final stretch of last season that culminated in the team making the playoffs for the first time in 8 years, Noel proved that he wasn’t your average backup center. Defensively, Noel is an incredibly reliable option off the bench. However, his offensive woes will always hamper any rating he’ll ever get from 2K.

Grade: A-

Obi Toppin, 76

If it weren’t for the competency and confidence shown by Obi Toppin at the end of the season last year, there’s a chance he’s nowhere near the 76 that he finds himself right now. The potential is clearly there, but will he find the ability to become more offensively dynamic? Only time will tell. But until we see him take a big leap, the rating he currently holds will stay the same.

The Rest:

Taj Gibson, 76

Kevin Knox, 72

Quentin Grimes, 71

Luca Vildoza, 71

Dwayne Bacon, 71

Miles McBride, 70

Overall, the Knicks have a team rating of 83, which is the highest rating they’ve had since NBA 2K14.

Knicks News, 9/4: Watch Obi Toppin workout video, Kemba Walker hits Yankee Stadium

by
New York Knicks, Obi Toppin

It might be considered the off-season for the NBA and New York Knicks players, but their youngsters continue to work diligently to improve their game ahead of the 2021-22 season.

This week, second-year guard Immanuel Quickley was working on his shot creation and ability to drive to the rim, but fellow teammate Obi Toppin was working on his game as well.

Toppin, who underwhelmed during his rookie season, averaging 4.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and hitting 50% of his shots from the field, is looking to improve his isolation moves and shooting prowess. His Summer League performance was far more promising, averaging 21 points over 35.1 minutes per game. He hit on 44.5% of his shots from the field and 34.3% from three-point range, indicating a 4% increase compared to his final numbers from last season. He also connected on 89% of his free-throw attempts, hauling in 8.3 rebounds, and picked up 1.3 steals per game.

With elevated numbers, Toppin is eyeing a more significant impact in the season ahead, mitigating fatigue for All-Star power forward Julius Randle. In fact, the Knicks could easily try to get both Toppin and Randle on the court at the same time, using the veteran as a small center and allowing Obi to operate out of the power forward spot.

His work ethic is one of the best on the team, representing one of the major reasons the Knicks elected to draft him eighth overall in 2020.

While Toppin spent his week training, new teammate Kemba Walker is getting back to his roots in New York. The Bronx native made a trip to Yankee stadium with rapper ABOOGIEWITDAHOODIE.

Walker, who is enjoying his old stomping grounds, signed a two-year, $17.9 million deal with the Knicks this offseason. After a tough season with the Boston Celtics, where he only featured in 43 games, the Knicks managed to snag him off the market on a fantastic deal that could elevate their team to a serious contender.

If Kemba can remain healthy and productive, the Knicks could have themselves one of the best point guard duos in the league. While both Walker and Derrick Rose have their fair share of issues, playing off one another and mitigating fatigue over an 82-game season could pay off in dividends.