Even though Obi left the Knicks for the Pacers during the summer, another member of the family Toppin could soon join the New York squad, since Jacob strives to earn its place there in full training camp.
Recruited by new York a few weeks before his big brother’s departure for Indiana, the 23-year-old winger currently only has an “Exhibit-10” contract for training camp, and he must therefore fight to obtain a “real” contract.
“ I am someone who must deserve and seek everything in my life, nothing has been given to me. So I consider that I have to come every day, perform in everything I do and give 100%. That’s really what I’m focusing on », he explains in the columns of the New York Post.
Tom Thibodeau is under the spell
For the moment, we can say that Jacob Toppin is doing what is necessary to convince his managers to keep him beyond the training camp. During the Knicks’ first preseason game, for example, he accumulated 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 10 minutes of play against the Celtics…
“ I like him a lot, I like his energy, he comes every day with a lot of concentration », Judges his coach, Tom Thibodeau. “ He’s still a little rough around the edges, there are things he needs to work on, but he’s a hard worker, so he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. He brings a lot of energy, there’s a defensive component to him, he likes contact, grabbing rebounds in traffic, running, that kind of thing… He needs to develop a certain form of consistency in his shooting and he works really hard on it. »
It is precisely the defensive qualities of Jacob Toppin which risk allowing him to stand out, despite competition from Duane Washington Jr, Charlie Brown Jr. or even Ryan Arcidiacono.
“ I have the feeling that I can bring a lot to the defense and can defend several positions. I’m very versatile on this side of the floor, but I’ll obviously do whatever the team asks of me “, he specifies.
A different profile from his brother
In profile and in career, Jacob Toppin therefore has little to do with his big brother Obi and that is perhaps not worse, the 8th choice of the 2020 Draft having never managed to make his mark in New York.
“ We are two different people and we are obviously going to be different players », rightly warns from the start the one who, for his part, was not drafted when he left Kentucky.
And Jacob Toppin then added, regarding his arrival at the Knicks the same summer that Obi packed his bags for Indianapolis: “ My brother goes his own way and I follow mine. Throughout this process, I tried to focus on myself, to be better every day and that’s what I did. This whole summer I just worked to become the best version of myself, every day. »
