How Will Obi Toppin Get Back Into Knicks' Rotation After Injury?
Having re-donned gameday apparel, third-year New York Knick Obi Toppin has been described as "situational." But which situation would host his return to the floor?
Already facing scrutiny about his minutes in his junior campaign ... the eighth overall pick was playing only 17 minutes a game before a knee injury interruption on Dec. 7 ... Toppin is now dealing with trade rumors that could add to the Knicks' already-packed first-round pick cabinet. But the immediate concern becomes what the Knicks will do with him in the meantime.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau hinted before Toppin's return to the active roster on Wednesday against San Antonio that the team would "ramp (Toppin) up" in practices before giving him any sort of consistent minutes. But Thibodeau also hinted that he might take his time when it comes to re-inserting anyone into the nine-man rotation, even if it's the third-year, top-eight pick.
"We have a nine-man rotation, and we could have an injury; we could have foul trouble; we could have illness. It has to be fluid. But the most important thing is the team playing well, so if the team is playing well, we can’t sacrifice that," Thibodeau said, per SNY. "The team has to be put first. Everyone has to sacrifice for the team ... for some guys, it’s starting; some guys, it’s shots; some guys, they may not be in the rotation. But things can change very quickly."
To Thibodeau's point, the Knicks (22-18) are 10-5 since Toppin left Dec. 7's win over Atlanta after a collision with Aaron Holiday and are currently engaged in a four-game winning streak, the longest in the Eastern Conference. His evolving rotations have at the very least run on an "if it's not broke, don't fix it" approach, but any Toppin re-insertion would immediately take a backseat if and when RJ Barrett (lacerated finger) is able to return.
Even though previous exiles like Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose have made sporadic appearances in recent New York showings (insertions brought about by injuries to Barrett and Jalen Brunson), Cam Reddish remains nailed to the bench. Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims have spelled Mitchell Robinson in the post, effectively taking Toppin's minutes over.
That, of course, will only lend further credence to the idea that Toppin's days in New York are numbered. The Indiana Pacers have reportedly expressed interest and they have the desired extra premier picks that the Knicks have reportedly desired in pursuit of a true, established superstar. Unless Toppin sees an immediate uptick in minutes, his status and prescience will remain a question as the Association approaches the one-month marker before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
In the meantime, Toppin and the Knicks return to Madison Square Garden on Monday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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