Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Draft 2020 Prospect Profile: Obi Toppin

Obi Toppin NBA Draft 2020 Prospect Profile: Weaknesses

Obi Toppin’s weaknesses are almost all tied to his performance on the defensive end of the floor.

For as well-rounded and impressive as Toppin is offensively, he is the exact opposite of that on defense, and it really isn’t an exaggeration.

The biggest issue is Toppin’s inability to cover in the pick-and-roll game, which is tied to poor lateral quickness and stiff hips. It’s strange, considering that Toppin is so gifted athletically and has great size and length, but he was truly awful when put in screen-and-rolls at the collegiate level.

Another head-scratcher is Toppin’s complete lack of awareness on the defensive end of the floor; it isn’t all too different from some of the issues that Karl-Anthony Towns has. Both are extremely intelligent offensive players, usually making the correct pass and understanding timing and spacing, but they each space out often on defense and don’t often make the right reads.

Toppin is a decent shot-blocker and theoretically should improve in that area, given his size and athleticism, but his lack of awareness and failure to be in the proper position may limit his impact in that area.

The only other concern about Toppin is his age; he’ll turn 23 before the end of his rookie year. It isn’t a huge deal in the sense that he’s already so polished offensively, but it only illuminates the defensive issues and suggests that his ultimate ceiling simply isn’t much higher.

Then again, Toppin will have the opportunity to be mentored by a pro coaching staff, and it’s certainly feasible that certain aspects of his game — his outside shot, free throw shooting, and general on-court awareness — could improve in fairly short order.

Now, let’s consider his potential fit with the Timberwolves.