Obi Toppin had a great preseason before scoring nine points in 23 minutes during his NBA debut on December 23, for 10 games.
Toppin has slowly returned to the rotation, even though he has only averaged around 13 minutes per game in his last five games, compared to the 23 he played in the opening against Indiana.
But the striker played well in Friday night’s massive win over the Cavaliers, scoring five points out of 2 for 4 with three rebounds, assists and a block. The Knicks overtook the Cavs by seven points while Toppin was down, which was his highest +/- of the season.
It was another small step forward for Toppin, but coach Tom Thibodeau said on Saturday that he liked the way the rookie performed on Friday, knocking down his first three times he hit two against Boston on Jan.17. .
“I think [the three-pointer] will be an important part of his game. He has that skill set, “Thibodeau said.” I thought he played very well yesterday. I thought our bench gave us a big push, but yesterday I thought he played very calmly. I thought he threw the ball when he was open and that he should have thrown the ball and passed the ball when he should have passed, and I thought he had made quick decisions.
“And I think he is making great strides in defense, which I think is fundamental for him and for us.”