This dude could not guard a three-legged turtle. That being said, I hope I am wrong and kid develops for us. It will be entertaining either way.
Not now.... it's too early hahaha... let's wait until after the first week of the season.
Ira@ 11/19/2020 4:00 AM
I like this quote -
“I learned a lot about Coach through this pandemic,’’ Toppin said of Thibodeau. “I understand he’s a defensive coach, and that’s one of my biggest things I need to work on. He’s going to make sure that I lock in and make sure that I become great one day. I feel like if I get that defensive scheme down, I’m going to be a really good player one day, a really great player one day.’’
Nice to hear he’s been working out with Knox- think the plan behind drafting him was to restore knox’s confidence by having the opposing team target Toppin instead of him
He looks great on the offensive end, I’m just very worried about the defense and the fact we don’t have a PG (the eternal Knicks mantra) to set him and Mitch up. Hope he does well!
Welpee@ 11/19/2020 8:06 AM
What is going to be frustrating moving forward is the thought that fans get locked in on their evaluation of a player and won't budge no matter how well Toppin plays. It will be more about being right than really giving the kid a chance.
Toppin seems like a solid kid, knows his weaknesses, wants to be here and seems committed to be the best player he can be. We may all have our opinions about his ceiling, but I'm confident he's going to give us his best.
Even though every pre-draft site makes it seem like half these guys will be great, the reality is only three to five players will ever become all-stars and maybe one or two will become hall of famers. And with pick #8 the odds are probably even lower. Considering where we drafted, I'm not sure what else we could've asked for. I would've preferred Lewis, but I'm comfortable with the pick. Let's see what happens. Remember, we now are looking at trades and free agency. The most important thing is how all of this will mesh once the dust settles.
Chandler@ 11/19/2020 8:08 AM
Couple of more points to consider with Obi.
he was at 8 because of his defense. if he was better at D we would not get him so let's stop lamenting that aspect
he will not be (and need not be) the defensive backbone or rim protector. If we play him at 4 I thnk he'll be fine. I have to imagine Tbibs was part of the equation. and we should focus on net advantage -- will he abuse the opponent on the other end
he plays with some swagger and hopefully has a bit of a chip on his shoulder
MS@ 11/19/2020 8:12 AM
Most kids don’t really play defense in college with the exception of a small few.
Amare was one of the worst defenders I’ve ever seen and he dominated for years. Teams are going to be destroyed with him and Mitch in the paint and Mitch can cover up a lot of mistakes. We have a good coaching staff, just need to find a way to get Randle out of here ASAP!
Allanfan20@ 11/19/2020 8:12 AM
I am happy we got Obi and I am leading the bandwagon but he’s still absolutely awful on defense. I would put him on the bench to start the season and have him shoot for taking Randles’ spot by improving his defense. If he can’t then he’s barely going to be able to stay on the court anyway, no matter how good his offense is.
Damn, if we can get FVV, that would be glorious.
Uptown@ 11/19/2020 8:13 AM
Welpee wrote:What is going to be frustrating moving forward is the thought that fans get locked in on their evaluation of a player and won't budge no matter how well Toppin plays. It will be more about being right than really giving the kid a chance.
Toppin seems like a solid kid, knows his weaknesses, wants to be here and seems committed to be the best player he can be. We may all have our opinions about his ceiling, but I'm confident he's going to give us his best.
Even though every pre-draft site makes it seem like half these guys will be great, the reality is only three to five players will ever become all-stars and maybe one or two will become hall of famers. And with pick #8 the odds are probably even lower. Considering where we drafted, I'm not sure what else we could've asked for. I would've preferred Lewis, but I'm comfortable with the pick. Let's see what happens. Remember, we now are looking at trades and free agency. The most important thing is how all of this will mesh once the dust settles.
Yeah, I hear you. That's the nature of today's blogging/forum/internet fans. They want to be right more than anything. Either way, in 2 consecutive drafts, we got guys who actually wanted to be here...They embraced everything about the franchise and the city. Very happy with this pick.
Uptown@ 11/19/2020 8:26 AM
fishmike wrote:guy can be a star.... perfect fit for the young guys. Inside outside game. Can shoot it and fly to the rim. Monster scorer out of the box. Amare/LJ caliber scorer. Put him next to Mitch and you have one of the most athletic above the rim front courts duos around, and obviously their lack of offense/defense compliment each other nicely
I could not be more thrilled with Obi at pick 8. We did lost the lottery and got lucky.
Yup...We called this yesterday, hours before the draft! Obi was one of the top 4 prospects in this draft so to get him @ 8 is Great value! Obi and Mitch will form one of the most explosive, front courts in the league. You can argue that each of them is top 5 in terms of athleticism at their perspective positions. If Dennis Smith Jr returns with a healthy body and mind, all of a sudden we just got very athletic...
GustavBahler@ 11/19/2020 8:34 AM
Thibs might be bringing Mitch and Obi off the bench at the same time, so they can work on forming an effective tandem. Toppin might not be ready to start day one, defense being one reason. Then start them when the time is right, and they've moved some veteran bigs ahead of them.
Allanfan20@ 11/19/2020 8:44 AM
GustavBahler wrote:Thibs might be bringing Mitch and Obi off the bench at the same time, so they can work on forming an effective tandem. Toppin might not be ready to start day one, defense being one reason. Then start them when the time is right, and they've moved some veteran bigs ahead of them.
Who starts at center? Portis?
GustavBahler@ 11/19/2020 8:47 AM
Allanfan20 wrote:
GustavBahler wrote:Thibs might be bringing Mitch and Obi off the bench at the same time, so they can work on forming an effective tandem. Toppin might not be ready to start day one, defense being one reason. Then start them when the time is right, and they've moved some veteran bigs ahead of them.
Who starts at center? Portis?
We also have Gibson (With Thibs in Chicago)
SupremeCommander@ 11/19/2020 8:59 AM
for everyone bent out about Toppin's d, this fact should really put your mind slightly at ease:
Since the 2010-11 season, Trae Young and Zion Williamson are the only other underclassmen to average at least 20 points while also having a box plus/minus of at least 11.7
Being deficient on defense is as damning when the other team is constantly on their heels because they can't stop you
GustavBahler@ 11/19/2020 9:05 AM
SupremeCommander wrote:for everyone bent out about Toppin's d, this fact should really put your mind slightly at ease:
Since the 2010-11 season, Trae Young and Zion Williamson are the only other underclassmen to average at least 20 points while also having a box plus/minus of at least 11.7
Being deficient on defense is as damning when the other team is constantly on their heels because they can't stop you
Thibs being the coach, I'll be surprised if Obi starts with so-so D. Believe the bar will be higher. But as you said, the offense might be strong enough to make Thibs more willing to overlook defense thats a work in progress. Hitting his 3s, might do it.
martin@ 11/19/2020 10:02 AM
MS wrote:Most kids don’t really play defense in college with the exception of a small few.
Amare was one of the worst defenders I’ve ever seen and he dominated for years. Teams are going to be destroyed with him and Mitch in the paint and Mitch can cover up a lot of mistakes. We have a good coaching staff, just need to find a way to get Randle out of here ASAP!
All of this
martin@ 11/19/2020 10:04 AM
SupremeCommander wrote:for everyone bent out about Toppin's d, this fact should really put your mind slightly at ease:
Since the 2010-11 season, Trae Young and Zion Williamson are the only other underclassmen to average at least 20 points while also having a box plus/minus of at least 11.7
Being deficient on defense is as damning when the other team is constantly on their heels because they can't stop you
It's weird, does Trae play a lick of defense? And he is undersized for a position that is constantly in attach mode. But everyone in Atlanta LOVES him and the team is building around him.
