Toppin described as ‘freak athlete’ by one Knicks teammate

Already, Toppin’s impact is beginning to be felt in New York.

“Obi Toppin is beyond a freak athlete, like beyond a freak athlete,” Knicks guard Austin Rivers told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s going to be really good. I obviously didn’t get to play against him last year but just seeing him in here, my God.”

First-year Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said the Knicks were somewhat surprised Toppin fell to them with the No. 8 pick because there was one team ahead of them they thought might draft him.

Thibodeau said Toppin, who signed his first pro contract on Nov. 23, is about as ready as a player can be to play in the NBA because of his energy, shooting ability and overall skillset.

“We thought he would be a good fit for us,” Thibodeau told reports on Tuesday. “We liked his overall talent. We liked the fact that he would be ready to play right away. The big thing for him was the shooting piece of it, the way he can stretch the floor. That will be a big plus for us. The defensive part of it will be something we have to work on. We have to do that as a team. His ability to play multiple positions and put the ball on the floor and make plays, that’s a big asset in today’s NBA.”

One of Toppin’s new teammates is guard RJ Barrett, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Barrett said he and Toppin have been working out at the same time every day and have been connecting.

“Great dude,” Barrett said. “He’s a hard worker, for sure. Very talented. Very athletic. Very versatile. I’m excited to have him on our team. I feel like we’ll play well together.”