NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball goes first in 2020 NBA Redraft

Obi Toppin took the world by storm in his final college season, one of the nation’s best players on an expected 1-seed. He was an offensive powerhouse, scoring everywhere around the rim. Even if he lacked star potential, his polished offensive game was expected to translate to the next level immediately.

At first it was nowhere to be found. Toppin struggled to adjust to NBA defenses, and even with his interior gifts he shot just 49.8 percent from the field. He tried to develop a perimeter shot on the fly to earn minutes alongside Julius Randle on the New York Knicks.

Where Toppin did impress was on defense, where he proved to be a solid addition in the midst of an elite ecosystem. In fact, by the time the postseason rolled around he had earned a consistent spot in the rotation, and was an overall positive player for the Knicks as a rotational forward.

The Miami Heat went for bench frontcourt help in November, and this time around they go for a player in Toppin with more upside than their original pick, Precious Achiuwa. The theory of Toppin is still hazy, but if he can improve his outside shot and maintain the defensive numbers he could still be an NBA starter.