The match has barely started when he already has his head in the clouds. From the first possession of the meeting between Pacers and Cavs, Obi Toppin went for a lobbed pass to finish in an “alley-oop” in front of his defender, a slightly asleep Max Strus.
This dunk was the first in a series carried out against the weak defensive withdrawal of Donovan Mitchell’s teammates. The former Knicks player notably offered himself a “Rider” a few minutes after his first climb to the circle.
“ I’m the type of player that’s going to be a little flashy on dunks, if I can. This boosts the energy of the supporters and our bench. A dunk like that can energize our team and help us improve. This is my way of playing “, describes the 25-year-old.
Beyond the dunks, the 8th choice in the 2020 draft had his best game in preseason, during which he started throughout: 17 points (6/9 on shots, including 1/3 from distance) and 9 rebounds . “ I’m working every day to get better defensively, offensively, whatever I can do to stay on the field and help the team win. I will continue to work », he sums up simply.
Rick Carlisle pushes him for the rebound
His coach Rick Carlisle was marked by his rebounding activity. “ Nine rebounds is great. We challenged him to be better at rebounding, to work on his defense. On almost all his days off, he watched videos, went to the field and worked. He’s a hard worker. He did a lot of good things tonight », Appreciates the technician who seems to want to keep him in his five, alongside Myles Turner.
Integrating the starters, which he has only experienced 15 times in three seasons with the Knicks, obviously suits him. Because Obi Toppin notices that he and his teammates get along well together, including off the field. “ We hang out together, we do things together. When you arrive on the field, it’s natural. We know each other like the back of our hand. The more time we spend together, the better the connection will be », he judges.
This connection necessarily passes through the master of acting, Tyrese Haliburton. “ I have a feeling that the relationship between Ty and the others will be good because he is a very good player. It will put people in a position to succeed. He’s going to make sure everyone is doing their job and is exactly where they’re supposed to be on the field at all times. », Finishes the former New Yorker, who took advantage of several balls from his leader.
| Obi Toppin | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | NYK | 62 | 11 | 49.8 | 30.6 | 73.1 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 4.1 |
| 2021-22 | NYK | 72 | 17 | 53.1 | 30.8 | 75.8 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 9.0 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 67 | 16 | 44.6 | 34.4 | 80.9 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 7.4 |
| Total | 201 | 15 | 49.2 | 32.5 | 76.6 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 7.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
