Obi Toppin has struggled of late, shooting just 32.6 percent from the field and an awful 11.8 percent from downtown over his last eight games, but Knicks fans continue to clamor for more playing time, arguing that the sophomore would improve his game with more opportunity.
But in those past eight games, Toppin has averaged just over 10 minutes per game, and hasn’t played more than 11 in his last three appearances. When asked about the outlook for Toppin’s workload, head coach Tom Thibodeau suggested that Toppin’s role likely won’t change much down the stretch of the regular season.
“It's not necessarily just what's best for Obi, it's what's best for the team,” Thibodeau said. “I want him to continue to improve, do the things that he’s done well, and build on that. When the bench goes in, I thought that was one of our strengths at times when we were intact, and he’s a big part of that. When we had Derrick [Rose] and Alec [Burks] and [Immanuel] Quickley and Obi, that group functioned really well together. They give you a little bit of everything. Obi’s athleticism really stands out with that group.”
Toppin, one of the Knicks’ most dangerous weapons in transition, thrived with Rose on the floor, as the veteran point guard liked to push the pace and find Toppin for transition buckets or in the pick-and-roll when the Knicks were in their halfcourt offense. Before Rose’s injury, Toppin was shooting 53 percent from the floor and looked to be much more in rhythm. Now, with Rose coming back and New York seemingly sliding out of the playoff picture, many Knicks fans would like to see youngsters like Toppin get more playing time to see what they have in their younger pieces. But Toppin is leaving that up to Thibodeau.
“I trust coach Thibs, I trust the coaching staff, everybody in the front office,” Toppin said. “Whatever decisions they make for playing time, I'm cool with. I’m glad I'm here, glad I get to work with these guys, and I have a lot of fun doing it. Whatever decisions they make for playing time, I trust their decision.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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