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2020 NBA Draft Profile: Obi Toppin
- Updated: March 24, 2020
Obi Toppin was arguably the best player in college basketball this past season, and he could be the best prospect in the draft. (AP Photo)
Obi Toppin
Height/Weight: 6-9, 220 pounds
School: Dayton
Class: Sophomore
NBA Comparison: Aaron Gordon
STRENGTHS: The 6-9, 220-pound sophomore from Brooklyn burst onto the college basketball scene this season, making national headlines as early as the Maui Invitational, when he went for 25 and 24 in blowout wins over Georgia and Virginia Tech before putting up 18 points and 9 boards in an overtime loss in the championship game on the island.
Toppin already has NBA strength and length (he’s got a near 7-foot wingspan), and is powerful and athletic around the rim and in transition. He shot 63 percent from the field in putting up 20 points per game this season, and showed a nice touch in knocking down 70 percent of his free throws. He’s got a solid, repeatable shooting motion and shot 39 percent from 3 as well, cashing one of 2.6 attempts per game. He showed the ability to knock down 3s from deep, as well as all over the floor.
He’s a gifted athlete, a future Dunk Contest competitor, and has great mobility on both sides of the floor. He’s a solid defender, and showed a knack for blocking shots (1.2 per) which could become an elite skill for him at the next level.
WEAKNESSES: Like almost everybody else in today’s NBA, just how good Obi Toppin ends up being will come down to one thing: how consistently can he put the ball in the basket? If Toppin isn’t able to develop his three-point shot and expand to the NBA range, he’ll be a hell of a lot easier to guard. There aren’t a ton of 6-9 guys still in the league who can’t stretch the floor. He’s not a tremendous decision maker (he had a 1:1 assist-to-turnover ratio) and needs to improve his handle. He could also stand to improve his rebounding ability (7.5 per), as that could become a difference-maker in how he fares in the NBA.
BOTTOM LINE: This kid was arguably the best player in college basketball this past season, and he leaves campus as the best player in Dayton history. This year’s Flyers will be remembered as the best team in school history as well, as they were on the cusp of embarking on what could have been the school’s first-ever Final Four run. Toppin’s game fits the modern NBA, and he’s got plenty of upside. Because of his size, athleticism, mobility and shooting ability, it’s very unlikely he’ll become a bust. In fact, there’s a decent chance he could end up as the best player in this draft.
