NBA: A way-too-early reassessment of the top 10 picks in the 2020 draft

Pick No. 8 (NYK): Obi Toppin, F

New York City. The Big Apple has been rotten to its core (aka James Dolan) for as long as I’ve been watching basketball. The New York Knicks got a new front office and a new coach this offseason. Their latest attempt at restarting the franchise. Tom Thibodeau is running out a unit that plays hard on defense and has a couple of real playmakers in RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. They’re 9-12 and in the mix for the play-in tournament. All things considered, that is a genuine improvement from the Knicks.

The Obi Toppin pick is another strange one from NY. Not that they couldn’t use another young wing in the mix, just about every team could. Their best overall player is on a near-max contract and plays power forward. The best young player is best as a wing or SG. For a team that wants to make the playoffs, what they really needed was a new general at the guard position.

The Knicks and Suns were always in the annual ‘who has the worst starting point guard in the league’ award until the Suns traded for Chris Paul. The Knicks may have found an answer with Immanuel Quickley later in the draft, but you know who they could have had? Tyrese ‘god#%@$; Haliburton. Just reread my thoughts on him in the last section because I will not repeat myself.

Toppin is averaging 4.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game. His splits are .420/.261/.778.

Verdict: The Knicks are smarter this year but they messed up this pick. Beyond Toppin’s agent sharing an agency with the Knicks’ head executive (lololol), there is no fit I see here. Knicks take Haliburton and they’re looking like a 7-8 seed.