Originally Posted by Flyers98
Josh hart is objectively, based on body of work to this point, a better NBA player than Obi Toppin (although they don't play the same position), which is why a playoff team was looking to add Josh Hart, and trying (maybe not that hard), to trade Obi Toppin.
I love Obi and want him to do well but how can you say if his minutes were X his stats would be Y? If Obi played 30 minutes a game, he would be playing against starters who have watched tape and game planned for him, he would have to play defense and rebound, (not saying that is his fault given his roll now, but if you play 30 minutes you aren't just standing on the perimeter looking to get a fast break). Alot of things would be different. Part of the problem is that Obi just isn't the phenom he was in college in the NBA. There was nobody who did what Obi did when he was in college, but in the NBA he is a "poor man's Kevin Durant" and tons of guys have the athletic gifts and motor that he does.
I also don't get how you can say that Thibs is "discrediting" Obi's performances. What does that even mean? Does he go into press conferences after Obi has a good game and say that the guy defending Obi had an off night or that Obi got lucky? He is not Phil Jackson, I sincerely doubt he was the final decision maker on the Hart trade.
I get the frustration for guy we all like and want to succeed, but this just isn't reality. Reality may well be that there isn't a significant roll for Obi on the Knicks because their system and/or coach suck but it certainly isn't because the coach has some axe to grind or hates Obi, at least from where I am sitting.
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Not sure you've really been watching this for the last 3 years like I have.
"I also don't get how you can say that Thibs is "discrediting" Obi's performances. What does that even mean? Does he go into press conferences after Obi has a good game and say that the guy defending Obi had an off night or that Obi got lucky? " Yes, he's actually made comments like this in the past such as "see, Obi got 33 minutes and he only scored 18 points and 7 rebounds" (sic).
I do get the impression that for whatever reason, Thibs just doesn't like Obi. He's actually made comments about how he doesn't care about "flashy dunks", etc... As I've said before, Obi was defensively weak his first year; since then, he's tightened up his defense significantly and while not a defensive "stopper", he's no worse than anyone else on the Knicks team.
"I love Obi and want him to do well but how can you say if his minutes were X his stats would be Y? If Obi played 30 minutes a game, he would be playing against starters who have watched tape and game planned for him, he would have to play defense and rebound,"
When Julius Randle was injured late last year, Obi got a lot of mins the last 5 games and I'm pretty sure he scored: 20, 20, 19,35 and 42 points the last 5 games - all against quality opponents - that's good enough of a sample size for me.
