3 things Obi Toppin needs to do for New York Knicks to have a breakout 2021-22 NBA season

#2 Obi Toppin needs to improve his rebounding

New York Knicks Obi Toppin #1 going in for a layup

Similar to his defense, Obi Toppin struggled to rebound in college. Compared to his contemporaries, Toppin averaged 29 minutes a game and only brought down 6.6 rebounds. He is a 6’9” 220-pound power forward, and you would expect a little more of an impact on the boards from someone that size.

Toppin faced that same struggle in the NBA, with just 2.2 rebounds a game in his 11 minutes. Again, Toppin’s competition outrebounding him, with Noel and Gibson having over nine rebounds according to per 36-minute stats, while Toppin’s was just 7.3.

It is clear based on Obi Toppin’s Sumer League that he looks to improve in that area. Despite being in the Summer League, Toppin averaged 8.3 rebounds in 35.1, which is an improvement on his per 36 stats last season. Just about any progress could get him more minutes based on how explosive he can be on offense.

#1 Obi Toppin can extend his range

New York Knick Obi Toppin dunking in the Slam Dunk contest

Obi Toppin is a gifted athlete, and there was a reason he was selected to participate in the Slam Dunk contest last season. If Toppin can expand his range a little in the NBA, his offensive game could become too good to sit him no matter how he rebounds or plays defense.

A big key to unlocking his whole game would be expanding his range. In Toppin’s final year in college, he did shoot 39% on 2.6 attempts per game. However, in the NBA, his percentage dipped to 31% on just 1.4 attempts. Furthermore, Toppin took a three almost 50% of the time he was shooting, only taking 3.4 shots a game. In his final season in college, he was taking just 12.8 shots a game with 2.6 attempts from three.

If Toppin was maybe a little more conservative with this three-point shot, perhaps he could have seen more minutes with better percentages. Both Noel and Gibson combined for a total of 0.3 three-point attempts per game. That could have been the skill that pushed Toppin into a more prominent role in the regular season last season, but he was cold from behind the arc.

In the Summer League, Obi Toppin looked like a much better and more conservative shooter. Out of his 18.3 attempts per game, only 5.2 were threes, and he made them 34%. If his percentage can stay the same going into the season, it would be a much-welcomed improvement.