New York Knicks rookie forward Obi Toppin is still getting his feet wet at the NBA level, but his mother insists that he must attack the rim and “kill”, a trait that made him one of the best prospects in the nation during his collegiate days at Dayton. Via Marc Berman of the New York Post, Roni Toppin voiced the desire for her son to play his usual game:

So he’s playing more the 3. I’d love for him to eventually get to that spot. But I know where he’s a killer. I know he’s just starting as a rookie. I love he’s getting on the court. I saw [Wednesday] he felt more confident than he did in the preseason games. I am going to trust the process and hope Thibs knows what he’s doing. But I know he’s a killer around the rim and I want him to go out and kill.

The Knicks youngster attempted seven 3-pointers in his debut against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, sinking just three of them. Not an awful percentage, but in comparison, Toppin attempted just over 2.6 three's in his final season at Dayton.

The 22-year old became a household name across the nation last season with the Flyers thanks to his ability to drive to the hoop and finish aggressively, eventually getting nabbed by the Knicks with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

It's no secret that shooting three's is a massive part of today's game, but Toppin's mother has been watching him play his entire life and knows exactly what makes him such an impactful threat offensively.

On a positive note though, all nine of Toppin's points in his regular-season debut did come from downtown, so there's definitely some potential there in his outside game.

Toppin's mother definitely has a point, but if he can have a more all-around skillset offensively, it's going to help the rookie get a lot more minutes with the Knicks this season under Tom Thibodeau.