Articles and discussion on the 2020 NBA draft and Obi Toppin
Didn't think this really fit in the in-season article thread. From the Athletic first NBA Mock Draft:
28. Boston Celtics (via MIL)
Obi Toppin | 6-9 forward/center | 21 years old, sophomore | Dayton
2018-19 stats: 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 66.6/52.4/71.3
Toppin declared for the draft last year, and sources told The Athletic that there was some interest in him as a second rounder if he had stayed in. He returned to Dayton, though, and blew up a bit this summer. He was one of the standout performers at Nike Basketball Academy, outplaying a number of highly ranked bigs in the process. The big thing with Toppin is that — while he’s a bit undersized for the position at 6-foot-9 without great length — he’s just an absolutely monstrous athlete for a center. It’s easy to envision him in a role similar to what Richaun Holmes is currently occupying for the Kings: a guy who rolls extremely hard to the basket and finishes efficiently far above the rim, catching lobs and dump-offs in a variety of pick-and-roll actions. He’s also not a bad passer, capable of operating in some dribble-handoff settings.
Is that probably more of a backup center role? Yeah, it is. But at No. 28, you’re typically very happy to get a center who can play at this level. I think Toppin can do that, even in spite of defensive concerns. On the downside, he really doesn’t have the size to be a true rim protector, and he’s not the most fluid mover because his hips are a bit stiff and his feet a bit slow laterally. But he has to hope the team that drafts him will be able to account for that for 20 minutes a night in specific lineup constructions that work to suit his terrific offensive skills.
Didn't think this really fit in the in-season article thread. From the Athletic first NBA Mock Draft:
28. Boston Celtics (via MIL)
Obi Toppin | 6-9 forward/center | 21 years old, sophomore | Dayton
2018-19 stats: 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 66.6/52.4/71.3
Toppin declared for the draft last year, and sources told The Athletic that there was some interest in him as a second rounder if he had stayed in. He returned to Dayton, though, and blew up a bit this summer. He was one of the standout performers at Nike Basketball Academy, outplaying a number of highly ranked bigs in the process. The big thing with Toppin is that — while he’s a bit undersized for the position at 6-foot-9 without great length — he’s just an absolutely monstrous athlete for a center. It’s easy to envision him in a role similar to what Richaun Holmes is currently occupying for the Kings: a guy who rolls extremely hard to the basket and finishes efficiently far above the rim, catching lobs and dump-offs in a variety of pick-and-roll actions. He’s also not a bad passer, capable of operating in some dribble-handoff settings.
Is that probably more of a backup center role? Yeah, it is. But at No. 28, you’re typically very happy to get a center who can play at this level. I think Toppin can do that, even in spite of defensive concerns. On the downside, he really doesn’t have the size to be a true rim protector, and he’s not the most fluid mover because his hips are a bit stiff and his feet a bit slow laterally. But he has to hope the team that drafts him will be able to account for that for 20 minutes a night in specific lineup constructions that work to suit his terrific offensive skills.
