Report: “Minnesota Loves Obi Toppin”

[Baseline81]

The Athletic Agent Poll

• “The kid I’ve been in love with is Obi Toppin. You want to talk about a kid who checks every box for teams. He might fall a bit because of his age.”

Hard to take this seriously when it says "every" box yet his defense is known to be quite suspect. And that was on the collegiate level.

[Jedzz]

The Athletic Agent Poll

• “The kid I’ve been in love with is Obi Toppin. You want to talk about a kid who checks every box for teams. He might fall a bit because of his age.”

Hard to take this seriously when it says "every" box yet his defense is known to be quite suspect. And that was on the collegiate level.

His defense is suspect to you because you read it or heard it from someone that writes reviews about sports. Here is another guy that writes about sports saying he checks all the boxes.

Towns in college shot 3s at .250. He shoots 40% now in NBA. He didn't take many in college and it just wasn't his role. However defense was supposed to be a strong aspect for him coming out of college and yet it's maybe his one weakness in the NBA.

Then you have players like Vassell who's college defensive instincts are claimed as "natural" and "high level" team and individual defense. He also shot the ball really well in college. Yet we have sports writers and evaluators saying he is outside top5 or 10, and we have realGM Wolves fans saying they would prefer players projected for mid to late frp before him. Then they claim hate on some players because of their college defense.

It's all pile of doggy doo. Watch their film and take on an opinion for youself. Don't listen to all these others' opinions.

[Rookie-Mistake]

This.

I recently watched a Rosas Q&A

https://youtu.be/OxwIpmg2x_E

Very interesting.

The Athletic Agent Poll

• “The kid I’ve been in love with is Obi Toppin. You want to talk about a kid who checks every box for teams. He might fall a bit because of his age.”

Hard to take this seriously when it says "every" box yet his defense is known to be quite suspect. And that was on the collegiate level.

His defense is suspect to you because you read it or heard it from someone that writes reviews about sports. Here is another guy that writes about sports saying he checks all the boxes.

Towns in college shot 3s at .250. He shoots 40% now in NBA. He didn't take many in college and it just wasn't his role. However defense was supposed to be a strong aspect for him coming out of college and yet it's maybe his one weakness in the NBA.

Then you have players like Vassell who's college defensive instincts are claimed as "natural" and "high level" team and individual defense. He also shot the ball really well in college. Yet we have sports writers and evaluators saying he is outside top5 or 10, and we have realGM Wolves fans saying they would prefer players projected for mid to late frp before him. Then they claim hate on some players because of their college defense.

It's all pile of doggy doo. Watch their film and take on an opinion for youself. Don't listen to all these others' opinions.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using RealGM mobile app

[IceManBK1]

Watch on YouTube

very gifted offensive player..he did avg 1.0 stls and 1.2 blks per game..so he played a lil defense.

[Jedzz]

This.

I recently watched a Rosas Q&A

https://youtu.be/OxwIpmg2x_E

Very interesting.

Appreciate you sharing that. Listening to it now and Rosas answering a question about evaluating deeper range shooting of prospects mentions seeing catch and shoot as easier than off dribble. This is something a number of people here like to bring up often. However I have one point to make about that. This team, for years, haven't had good catch and shoot players. All Wolves have had for years are hesitators when handed good passes that bought them a free second and a good look, and guys that pull it down and step in, and in either case just overall horrible at making them.

Players that can get their own off the dribble obviously are a notch up on the talent scale. If that's what your team really needs, by all means rate players off that and target it. But your team needs many more catch and shoot capable palyers that don't hesitate and that can make these shots. Afterall, the offense is meant to create tons of these scenarios for catch and shoot shots. So if there is a number of those in this draft with great numbers as catch and shoot guys, I wouldn't knock them for it. It's a key need for this team as well. Did anyone not see how an undrafted second year Duncan Robinson helped carry Miami in a number of playoff games and different series just off catch and shoot makes? Especially when we already have Dlo. One question posed to Rosas later was somewhat just that, what does having Dlo change how you look at needs for guards and maybe guards that need to be able to create etc. I often feel like people are claiming we need something based on what that team didn't have for so long. But that is one thing that changed alot at the deadline.

[Jedzz]

Watch on YouTube

very gifted offensive player..he did avg 1.0 stls and 1.2 blks per game..so he played a lil defense.

That clip has a few defensive plays, steals, saw him closing the gap on an open 3pt shooter and he gets there fast and gets up and the player misses. 19:50 a huge rejection. He's one of the players I've talked about as having the offense ready early so he can be a positive for the team early and just have him directed to start working on defensive focus once here. That's part of his development and focus. Versus drafting projects on both ends with all hope resting in projections entirely, or drafting a defensive only stud with a broken shot that will take years to learn to shoot if ever.

[Domejandro]

Dude, you are calling it nonsense, but I don’t see you actually watching the games and providing analysis.

Obi Toppin was legitimately a disaster defensively in college. That isn’t a debatable thing, he was genuinely bad as a defender.

[Baseline81]

Dude, you are calling it nonsense, but I don’t see you actually watching the games and providing analysis.

Obi Toppin was legitimately a disaster defensively in college. That isn’t a debatable thing, he was genuinely bad as a defender.

Exactly, this isn't a group-think scenario. Anyone can go and watch clip after clip of Toppin's questionable defense at Dayton.

[Norseman79]

Toppin would be a pick that would make me not watch the Wolves for a while. As in not until a major trade is made or until Rosas is gone. I see nothing in his game I want. I would take Achiuwa over him straight up and if the scouts can't see this crap,no wonder we are ****. Honestly,how damn hard is it to just pick the best player, Wiseman/Edwards/Ball. If the whiny bit*h Towns doesn't like it,grow a set and trade his ass, and he can take DLo with him. This whole organization needs a cultural makeover in a drastic way. I was hoping that was what Rosas and Saunders were trying, and I will give them this year, but if stuff doesn't change, we need a full gut, bottom to top, rebranding, new owners all of it. Yeah I am on a rant, but Toppin is the pick this **** organization would have made in the past. I don't care if Wiseman/Edwards/Ball ends up being a bust, you could at least see why they took him. We trade back and end up with him around 7-10, I won't like it, but I live with it. If we take this kid in top 4-5, I will lose my mind

[Midw35t]

Defensively, Toppin looks like the first time you put ice skates or rollerblades on a child.

[Neeva]

Toppin would be a pick that would make me not watch the Wolves for a while. As in not until a major trade is made or until Rosas is gone. I see nothing in his game I want. I would take Achiuwa over him straight up and if the scouts can't see this crap,no wonder we are ****. Honestly,how damn hard is it to just pick the best player, Wiseman/Edwards/Ball. If the whiny bit*h Towns doesn't like it,grow a set and trade his ass, and he can take DLo with him. This whole organization needs a cultural makeover in a drastic way. I was hoping that was what Rosas and Saunders were trying, and I will give them this year, but if stuff doesn't change, we need a full gut, bottom to top, rebranding, new owners all of it. Yeah I am on a rant, but Toppin is the pick this **** organization would have made in the past. I don't care if Wiseman/Edwards/Ball ends up being a bust, you could at least see why they took him. We trade back and end up with him around 7-10, I won't like it, but I live with it. If we take this kid in top 4-5, I will lose my mind

Toppin’s pr team is definitely trying to raise his draft stock but I don’t see it working on GMs. I think he will drop like a rock like Brandon Clarke did on draft night. I think he will have a good rookie season though (like Clarke) because he will also be 3-4 years older than most of the other rookies.

[KGdaBom]

My apologies to you and anyone else I might’ve offended with my language. It just gets so old to read all of the criticisms of players like Wiseman and Toppin from certain posters when they blatantly continue to ignore the HUGE red flags about the players they like, notably Ball and Edwards.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It didn't necessarily offend me, but you aren't going to make friends and influence people with references to licking that part of the anatomy.

Speak for yourself, I thought it was hilarious.

Yeah, but you're not one of the people being accused of the licking.

[urinesane]

Watch on YouTube

They start talking defense at 19:15 in the video.

I like how he thinks about things here and his focus on being straight up on defense. He also shows accountability for his mistakes and seems like he wants to improve. Not that he will be an awesome defender, but I think the mindset and framework to build into a decent defender is there.

If you watch the whole video, he seems to have pretty strong recall of the plays/scenarios they are going over which I think speaks to a strong BBIQ.

[Jedzz]

Dude, you are calling it nonsense, but I don’t see you actually watching the games and providing analysis.

Obi Toppin was legitimately a disaster defensively in college. That isn’t a debatable thing, he was genuinely bad as a defender.

Are you watching us?

[Jedzz]

Toppin would be a pick that would make me not watch the Wolves for a while. As in not until a major trade is made or until Rosas is gone. I see nothing in his game I want. I would take Achiuwa over him straight up and if the scouts can't see this crap,no wonder we are ****. Honestly,how damn hard is it to just pick the best player, Wiseman/Edwards/Ball.

Don't hold back. Tell us what you really think.

[thinktank]

Watch on YouTube

They start talking defense at 19:15 in the video.

I like how he thinks about things here and his focus on being straight up on defense. He also shows accountability for his mistakes and seems like he wants to improve. Not that he will be an awesome defender, but I think the mindset and framework to build into a decent defender is there.

If you watch the whole video, he seems to have pretty strong recall of the plays/scenarios they are going over which I think speaks to a strong BBIQ.

I know a lot of b-ball fans in the Dayton area and they say Toppin works harder than anyone and they expect that he’ll improve on that end.

[Baseline81]

I know a lot of b-ball fans in the Dayton area and they say Toppin works harder than anyone and they expect that he’ll improve on that end.

That phrase gets tossed around a lot, especially close to the draft. Not saying Toppin doesn't, but when I hear that I generally let it go in one ear and out the other quickly.

In the DraftExpress video with Tyrese Maxey, he basically says that with his reason for doing the two-a-day workouts.

[thinktank]

I know a lot of b-ball fans in the Dayton area and they say Toppin works harder than anyone and they expect that he’ll improve on that end.

That phrase gets tossed around a lot, especially close to the draft. Not saying Toppin doesn't, but when I hear that I generally let it go in one ear and out the other quickly.

In the DraftExpress video with Tyrese Maxey, he basically says that with his reason for doing the two-a-day workouts.

Yep. Nevertheless, Toppin has already demonstrated improvement.

He used to not shoot threes. Then he added that to his game, for example.

Just saying, the b-ball minds in Dayton say this guy has a great work ethic.

You can ignore that if you like.

[Domejandro]

The concern is that Obi Toppin benefitted a substantial amount from playing center in college, which makes the transition a lot shakier. I am not inherently opposed to trading down and selecting him, but there are definitely risks.

[Jedzz]

The concern is that Obi Toppin benefitted a substantial amount from playing center in college, which makes the transition a lot shakier. I am not inherently opposed to trading down and selecting him, but there are definitely risks.

Like the benefits of Ball choosing to avoid college competition and avoid measurements for combine, etc. Might as well not even play. People will assert you are still viable for #1 overall if they don't have much to see.


It's the hard working players that succeed at this next level. Can't wait to find out which ones have it and which ones were nothing but a hive mind dream.