Obi Toppin's latest explosion for the New York Knicks raised the question whether head coach Tom Thibodeau should play him more. However, for Thibs, the answer is simple: he has to earn it.
The second-year forward was phenomenal for the Knicks in a losing effort against the Toronto Raptors, bagging a double-double of 19 points and 1o rebounds off the bench. He played 24 minutes in the contest and was 6-of-14 from the field, although it ended in vain as New York fell 90-87 to the Canada-based franchise.
After the contest, Thibodeau was naturally asked about Toppin's playing time. Prior to Friday's contest, the no. 8 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft was only averaging 15.6 minutes per night, scoring 8.3 points on top of 36 rebounds. However, according to Coach Thibs, he wants to see consistency from Toppin and all Knicks players before they get to play more significant minutes.
“If he plays well, he plays more, it's that simple. You have to earn what you get,” Thibodeau said, per Knicks Videos.
For what it's worth, Obi Toppin doesn't seem to have any problem with Tom Thibodeau and his system. He is behind Julius Randle in the Knicks' pecking order, so he knows he needs to work harder and better for him to get his opportunity.
The 23-year-old also emphasized that he trust Thibodeau and his decisions, especially since the veteran coach has been in the NBA as long as he can remember.
“Coach Thibs is a great coach. He’s been doing this for a very long time. He knows what he’s doing. He’s a lot more experienced and he knows a lot more,” Toppin shared.
With the way he played against the Raptors, Obi Toppin seems poised to get an increased playing time moving forward. However, as Thibs said it, he needs to show up night in and night out to cement his place in the rotation.
"If he plays well, he plays more, it's that simple. You have to earn what you get."
– Tom Thibodeau on Obi Toppin's role pic.twitter.com/s6qlRq6FtL
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) December 11, 2021
Follow Us
Subscribe