New York Knicks: 3 must-watch storylines this season

1. Will Obi Toppin slowly edge out Julius Randle?

If it were up to the Knicks fanbase, the decision would come at a lightning speed. The fans appear to want  Obi Toppin to be the centerpiece of this rebuild, as he is considered one of the biggest steals in this year’s draft and the most “NBA-ready” one amongst his peers.

When your highest-paid player is not a good fit for the starting lineup, it only makes sense to look for potential trades for him. Randle, still at 26, would have some trade value, given that he is on a fairly appropriate contract for his contribution, with a team option for next season.

Due to the fact that being recipients of bitter news has become a daily sequence for Knicks fans, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Thibodeau favor Randle during these first preseason games.

Randle has started in all of the games so far, ultimately getting more playing time than Toppin each time out. Even though that could be bait to other teams, it should still worry the average Joe that’s just looking for a reason to cheer in front of the TV.

So what makes Obi such a wanted prospect amongst New Yorkers? Well, first of all, Toppin is a born-and-raised in Brooklyn and grew up adoring the–at the time–Knicks stars like Latrell Sprewell.

Secondly, Obi possesses a unique skill set that can only be described as “Amar’e Stoudemire with shooting ability”. Toppin is the kind of player that can ignite the crowd, which will hopefully be back at Madison Square Garden as soon as possible.

Randle, on the other side, has shown his incredible ball-hogging abilities throughout his first season as a Knick and is obviously not cut out to be the first scoring option on any team. Stepping to the post, only to back up like a truck has haunted every dream around NY.

Should Toppin have a strong start to the season, even if it means coming off the bench, then the front office will be faced with a serious dilemma. It’s a dilemma that can only be sorted out by dealing Randle to another team, if they wish to please their adoring fans.