The Brooklyn boy finally gets to see his star on Broadway.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a super-max deal with the Bucks on Tuesday – which rules him out as a future Knick – Leon Rose’s club may need to grow its own star.
And maybe it will be Toppin, eighth pick in last month’s draft making his Garden debut on Wednesday against the Cavaliers in the home opener of Knicks’ preseason.
Yes, it’s without fans, but all eyes will be on the 6-foot-9 forward scoring that became a dunk machine in Dayton.
“It’s going to be great,” Toppin said on a Zoom call on Tuesday. “I’m from here. I’ve watched the Knicks all my life. My family has been a fan of the Knicks since I wasn’t even born. I get the “The chance to go on the field with these guys and compete against another team, that will be great. I can’t wait for that time to come.”
Toppin estimates that he attended five games at the Garden as a child, but his grandfather had season tickets.
“He went to every game,” said Toppin. “You go out to dinner with him and he will tell you a thousand stories that he went there.”
The Knicks were hopeful – but not very sure – that Toppin would drop to No. 8 in last month’s preliminary release. In nearly all mock drafts, Toppin went to the Cavaliers at No. 5, where he continued his Ohio career.
Now Toppin faces Cleveland, who took on Auburn defensive wizard Isaac Okoro, who exceeded expectations with his early shots. Okoro averaged 16.5 points in his first two games, hitting the game winner in his debut on Saturday. Okoro will even defend Toppin on Wednesday.
“We loved Obi,” Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said Tuesday. “It was one of the best lunches and conversations I’ve had with a prospectus in a long time. His personality, the way he goes about his business. There were questions we asked him in the interview and it was always about the team first. It was never about him – as good as he was in Dayton. He never cared.
“He cared about his team and teammates. We wish him all the best for moving forward. He has a set of skills that you see early on that we saw. He was a great boy. ”
Toppin is grateful the Cavs passed him on so he can be with his hometown.
“I love playing against anyone,” said Toppin. “It is a blessing to be in this position to play against any NBA team. ”
Indeed, Toppin did not even have an offer for a Division I scholarship after graduating from Ossining High in Westchester County. His NBA debut went fantastic during an active 11-point performance off the bench in Detroit on Friday.
However, the Pistons made adjustments and made it more difficult for Toppin during Sunday’s rematch. Toppin was only 1-of-9, made a few hasty passes and shot just 1 of 6 from the 3-point line – two of his attempts were from 30 feet.
“I’m not very comfortable shooting the 3, not the Steph Curry range, but I’m very comfortable shooting the 3,” said Toppin.
Coach Tom Thibodeau believes that Toppin has already learned a valuable lesson from the two games in Motown.
“Probably the most important thing about being a professional is that there will be ups and downs,” said Thibodeau. “The first game was probably a bit easier. The second game he got more attention. He can play well without shooting well. Again, he can score in a number of different ways. He’s a great boy, a great worker. You might not win every game and if you don’t win of course that’s what you’re trying to do, I want you to learn. He took a good look at himself, what he could do better. He came in, he studied, he worked hard, and he had great practice [Tuesday]. ”
Toppin needs to learn how to read the various defenses teams throw at him now that he’s a focal point as a 22-year-old rookie.
“Those two games gave me a sense of what it’s like against NBA guys for the first time,” said Toppin. “I hadn’t played in a real NBA game. I’ve played against NBA guys, but when you’re on the field you see a lot of different things and you feel a lot of different things. The pace of the game. You know you have to run because there is someone else who can hit you across the court. You just need to know what things will help the team win offensively and defensively. I’ll get better at it. ”