New York Knicks: 3 players to avoid selecting at No. 8 in the NBA draft

2. Obi Toppin

There’s a pretty big chance that Obi Toppin is not available when it’s the Knicks’ turn to draft. Some mock drafts have him going inside the top 5, while some had him falling around the midpoint of the lottery. However, no one has Obi falling later than No. 8.

Toppin is an incredibly athletic prospect with a pure knack for scoring the basketball. And now that we’ve covered the positives, let’s head over to the more negative aspects of his draft profile.

When the 2020-21 NBA season starts, Toppin will be almost 23 years of age. While he seems to be an NBA-ready type of player, he seemed to struggle quite a bit while defending other players both on the perimeter and inside the paint.

His slow movement, in addition to him being undersized as a 6’9” power forward, ultimately creates a defensive liability with literally no room for improvement. In a league where power forwards no longer live in the paint, Toppin is bound to be eaten alive by the Siakams and the Antetokounmpos.

One could compare Obi Toppin to Julius Randle. A fine offensive game and a ton of defensive struggle due to being undersized. Maybe the Knicks will look to add a Julius Randle to their team in the draft. Oh, wait…