Knicks rookie Obi Toppin was able to carve out more minutes on Saturday as All-Star Julius Randle‘s backup thanks to his improved long-range shooting touch, as he went 3-for-4 from deep, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Toppin scored nine points in 8:38 of game action for a 120-103 New York victory over the Raptors. He earned a commendation from Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.
“Obi has been practicing great, I thought he played great tonight,’’ Thibodeau said. “He puts a lot of time into his shooting. He’s coming back at night. He’s grooving his shot so I think he’s gaining confidence. He’s practicing well too when we do practice. His concentration has improved. So he’s an important part of the second unit.’’
There’s more out of New York:
- After the Knicks whiffed on signing free agent superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the summer of 2019, the team has recovered admirably with an intriguing core duo, per Steve Popper of Newsday. New York pivoted by signing forward Julius Randle to a now-bargain three-year, $63MM deal that summer and selecting RJ Barrett with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has helped strengthen that core. “I wanted to see where he was conditioning-wise, get to know him a little bit,” Thibodeau said of Randle. “He’s our engine, and he’s been a great leader right from the start.”
- Knicks second-year forward Barrett supports coach Tom Thibodeau as a Coach of the Year contender for the 2020/21 season, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. With Thibodeau’s addition, the Knicks are currently riding a season-high nine-game win streak to a 34-27 record and own the East’s No. 4 seed. Thibodeau has clearly been instrumental in the development of Barrett and Randle. “We all believe in Thibs,” Barrett said. “He’s done a tremendous job in how he’s turned everything around. The way he has us playing hard every single night and we’re getting wins. The whole staff, every day, we’re working hard, just pushing us. It’s a great feeling. I’m sure the fans see how hard we’re working and having them in the Garden has been great overall.’’
- Starting Knicks point guard Elfrid Payton is losing playing time to key reserves Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Yesterday, Payton logged his second-lowest minutes total (14:44) in a game in which he was available this year. Vorkonuv wonders if Thibodeau will at some point switch out Quickley or Rose to start, though both players have been excellent bench cogs.
Randle is top 10 player in the nba
The following players are not
Tatum
Butler
Simmons
Paul
George
Booker
Let’s be honest
Why stop there? Durant, Harden, Embiid are out a lot. Giannis can’t win in the postseason. James is over the hill. Davis can’t win without James. Curry doesn’t have as good a record as Knicks this year.
If you think about it Randle may be the best player in the NBA. Good call.
You’re right, most of those players (if not all) are not top 10 guys.
Jokic, Embiid, Giannis, Lillard, Doncic, Kawhi, Steph, and Harden are all in the top 10. If LeBron, KD, and Davis could stay healthy they might be too.
As a Sixers fan, Ben is absolutely not a top 10 player. Top 2 or 3 defenders? No doubt about it.
Randle top 10? Slow your roll. Not even sure if he’s top 20. Still, NYK fans have reason to be excited.
Can we start a petition? If so How many signatures would we need?
Is Jules Randle a top 10 player?—Not even a lifelong Knicks fan such as myself would go that far.
But is he better than, say, Jayson Tatum *this* year? Let’s see:
Randle: 24/10.5/6 – .452/.416/.805
PER 20.1 – BPM 3.9
Tatum: 25.8/7.4/4.4 – .455/.385/.865
PER 20.8 – BPM 3.6
Tatum with the edge in points, FT%, slight edge in PER. Randle with the edge in rebounds, assists, 3P%, slight edge in Box +/-
I think you could make a decent case to give Randle the nod based on his playmaking this year. NY’s offense is essentially a function of him being able to create for himself and others. Tatum, for all his iso skills, is still jab stepping a few too many possessions away (altho in his defense most of teammates belong in a dustpan this year).
Apparently Tatum is doing it while using an inhaler before each game due to Covid. Had a rough go when he first came back.
In Thibs we Trust ……. have been saying it since day 1. Thibs and Randle are two biggest reasons Knicks have turned it around. Only the first yr of the rebuilding. So I’d say it’s a great start. Nice to see Toppin playing. Quickly is not ready to start, neither is Rose. Both are best as backups. Rose can spot start if needed. He is best, and a weapon as third guard. No need to push him after injuries now. Knicks will find a starting PG next yr. And add another 20pt scorer. Those are the next steps to build a contender. Don’t know if Knicks would consider trading up draft for Mitchell. But he could start for us and fits nicely. Otherwise they can sign or trade for one. I still want Dinwiddie, he’s a perfect fit. He knows NY and can play with Rose too. Imo he’s a perfect addition.
Crazy how now the media National and local. Are all jumping on the Knick wagon. When these are basically the same players they were bashing daily last yr. Just like the KP trade they all trashed. It’s what has rebuilt this team Randle, Quiclky, Rose, Noel, Bullock Payton all here cause cap space from trade. Plus we have the two picks coming. And 50 mill in cap space coming too. Shows you what a stable FO and coach can accomplish. Cause there hasn’t been stability here since JVG left. It’s about time and it feels good.
Knicks is one of the most exciting young teams out there. Solid 2021 and promising future. Go Knicks!