2020 NBA Draft
Entering draft night, the New York Knicks held the rights to the No. 8 and No. 23 overall picks in the first round of the draft. With the 8th pick, they decided to draft the high-flying and electrifying forward, Obi Toppin out of Dayton. Not only was Toppin one of the most exciting players to watch in college basketball before the eventual pandemic shutdown, but he led the Dayton Flyers to the No. 3 ranking in the nation, the school’s highest ranking since being ranked No. 2 in the 1955-56 season.
Toppin joins the Knicks as not just an extremely athletic forward, but an elite level transition player. He runs the court just as good, if not better than some of the best transition players currently in the NBA and is an insane vertical threat. The 6’7” forward can also be effective in the low-post even though he is not the strongest post-player.
Obi Toppin is not an elite level defender and most of his causes for concern at the NBA level revolve around his ability to play great defense, but his offensive game is what the Knicks fell in love with. You have to be able to score in today’s NBA and pass up on the opportunity to draft a guy who can develop into a great player to pair up with RJ Barrett was something the Knicks could not afford to do. Not to mention, Toppin will fill a lot of the empty seats that MSG has had during Knicks games over the years.
Later in the first round, the Knicks traded the rights to the #23 overall pick, Leandro Bolmaro, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the 25th overall pick, Immanuel Quickley, a 2023 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Mathias Lessort, the 50th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Quickley was one of the most improved players in college basketball last season and will look to fight for minutes in a crowded Knicks backcourt.
What Quickley brings to the table is the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, as well as a reliable defender. He possesses quick footwork and hands on the defensive end of the court and with his 6’8” wingspan, he is able to disrupt the passing lanes. The Kentucky guard is not the type of guard who will blow past defenders and finish hard at the rim but is a combo guard that excels at opening up the court. He will likely end up as an end-of-the-bench guy for the Knicks this season.
The Knicks also traded the 33rd overall pick in the second round of the draft, Daniel Oturu, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers later on. This pick had originally been traded to the Knicks from the Clippers as part of the Marcus Morris trade at the end of last season.
