2020 NBA draft profile: What can be expected of Obi Toppin?

NBA draft profile: Obi Toppin’s weaknesses

Whenever a player who looks as good as Toppin does early in his career comes into the league, there’s always going to be questions regarding his ceiling. In reality, Toppin’s skill set gives him a head start on many other prospects, and he’ll have the same opportunities to grow and get even better. His game is as complete as it comes right now, but the main weaknesses shown come on the defensive end.

The quickness that his game presents on the offensive end isn’t quite matched defensively. On the defensive end, his slow feet can be targeted by opposing offenses. This will leave him struggling against smaller players on switches, and faster forwards too.  His frame along with his stance makes it hard to get down low against his matchups which will make it harder for him to stay in front of them.

At 6’9″ he will be a bit of a mismatch for the league’s taller centers, so will be better suited against fours in the post. In college Toppin’s explosiveness on offense sometimes translated on the opposite end, as he played successful help defense, which resulted in blocked shots and stops. This is going to be hard to emulate in the NBA against bigger, taller opponents.

The fact that he is so explosive above the rim on offense should provide hope for how he’ll be able to cope from an athleticism standpoint on defense in the future. He’ll certainly be able to work on these areas, hopefully becoming a much more active player on the defensive end. Toppin’s age, at 22-years-old, is the only other thing that stands out, as he is a few years older than some other prospects in this draft. But all in all, this makes him a more experienced player. Also, Dennis Rodman was 25 when he was drafted and he didn’t have a bad career.