The Popular Pick: Obi Toppin, F, Dayton
I looked at several different mock drafts from multiple sites and three prospects seemed to be constantly projected going to Atlanta, but the one I kept seeing the most was Obi Toppin. After a stellar second season at Dayton that saw him average 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 39 percent from 3, it’s not surprising why Toppin is a projected top five pick by most analysts.
But I’m not sure I agree with the notion of him being the best selection for the Hawks at six or believe he’d be a great fit for what they need.
Toppin without question is very offensively talented and physically has an NBA body combined with plus athleticism. He’s a swing forward who can shoot the three well off the catch, score in the post, has solid playmaking ability, and is a very good rim roller.
It’s easy to see how fun an offense with Trae Young at the helm, shooting 3’s from mars while having John Collins and Toppin off horns sets, rolling to the rim waiting to annihilate any lob passes could be.
The issue I have with Atlanta taking Toppin with the sixth selection isn’t an indictment of how I feel about Obi as a player, but more so how he fits with the Hawks. I think they already have a player in Collins who does what Toppin does, but probably better. Adding him could cut into Collins’ production and alter his role with the team, which I’m not sure is what the Hawks need right now to get better.
They also traded for Clint Capela this past February, another reason why drafting Toppin wouldn’t be ideal. For a team that is 24th in opponent effective field goal percentage (54.3%), 29th in opponent second chance points per game (15.0), 30th in opponent points in the paint per game (53.6), 28th in defensive rating (114.4), and 30th in points per game allowed (119.7), I’m not sure adding a shaky defender in Toppin is the answer.
