Obi Toppin had a career night on Friday against the Washington Wizards, and the New York Knicks youngster knows the biggest reason why.

The second-year forward exploded for 35 points in the contest to lead the Knicks to a 114-92 win. He also recorded four rebounds, one assist and two steals in a major confidence-booster for him.

After the contest, Toppin opened up about the win and what led to his significant production. It's quite simple for him, actually, as he finally got the trust and the opportunity to make mistakes without the fear of being taken out.

“I definitely feel a little bit more relaxed now, knowing that I'm not coming out if I make a mistake. Having that opportunity's helping me a lot,” Toppin shared, per New York Basketball.

Obi Toppin has largely played a backup forward role behind Julius Randle throughout the season. There were even times he was behind rookie Jericho Sims in the depth chart, which was certainly a massive hit in his confidence.

But with Randle out due to a quad injury, Toppin finally got the opportunity he's been waiting for. And he's showing head coach Tom Thibodeau that he deserves a bigger role with the team moving forward. Prior to Friday's contest, he has also started in the Knicks' previous three games and averaged 20 points in that span–all while shooting above 53 percent from the field.

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Whether or not his comments were a shade to Thibodeau, it is a clear message that all he needs is the opportunity and playing time to prove that he can impact winning as well. While Coach Thibs has always emphasized earning your minutes, it hasn't really been an effective tool in terms of developing talent.

The young players need to be trusted, and base on what Toppin is showing, that is something that Thibs might want to look at as the Knicks enter another disappointing offseason filled with more questions than answers.

Fortunately, the closing stages of the season has provided the Knicks some hope that the future looks bright for them if they develop their young players properly.