Knicks Lose Obi Toppin For At Least 2-3 Weeks After MRI
Get ready for more lineup changes for the constantly shifting New York Knicks depth chart.
On a night when head coach Tom Thibodeau introduced his latest effort at a nine-man rotation, New York lost forward Obi Toppin to a knee injury. While immediate x-rays at Madison Square Garden were negative, Toppin underwent an MRI on Thursday and was revealed to have "sustained a non-displaced fracture in his right fibula head." He will be out for at least two-to-three weeks and will be re-evaluated after that period.
Toppin, in the midst of his third season, had appeared in all 25 Knicks games thus far and lasted eight minutes in the 113-89 win over the Atlanta Hawks, hitting 1-of-3 from deep before leaving. While the 24-year-old and eighth overall pick of the 2020 draft has often struggled to gain consistent minutes in Thibodeau's regular rotation, he was meant to be a part of the boss' latest effort to streamline the New York lineup, one that eschewed Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose. Toppin averaged 7.7 points and a career-best 3.8 rebounds in just over 17 minutes a game prior to Thursday's news.
The Knicks (12-13) were able to overcome the loss of Toppin thanks to a brilliant outing from Julius Randle, who put in a 34-point, 17-rebound double-double (earning a season-high in the latter). Randle's medical departure could be an opportunity for fellow first-rounder Reddish to work his way back into the rotation: while it was hinted that his representatives were seeking a trade after playing only seven minutes a weekend back-to-back, Reddish denied seeking one in the aftermath of last night's win. Reddish was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.
New York returns to action on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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