Knicks’ Obi Toppin may be demoted in NBA playoffs
NY Post
The first round of the playoffs might be the tale of two Knicks rookies.
Though combo guard Immanuel Quickley will likely have prominent role off the bench, Knicks lottery pick Obi Toppin may see his minutes reduced, The Post has learned. Atlanta is expecting less of Toppin as a backup power forward and more minutes from starter Julius Randle and backup center Taj Gibson.It was only a three-second glimpse, but Matt Rempe, finally, showcased offensive strides. The ones he started talking about in the preseason — after a summer’s worth of work — and kept doubling down on, even when he fluctuated in and out of the Rangers lineup and shuttled back and forth to AHL Hartford.
In a different time, in a season to come, we may be inclined to wax poetic about the way this one played out. In a different time, in a season to come, the Nets will be seeking to stack wins and not losses, will be fighting for playoff seeding and not for a few extra ping-pong balls in the draft lottery this spring.
The NBA has an All-Star Game problem. Despite Adam Silver’s efforts to inject juice into the February showcase — including a format alteration to the 2025 game that is too confusing to attempt to understand before it’s inevitably changed again — there’s little interest in watching teams eschew defense for a series of layup line highlights. That also means the most entertaining part of the NBA All-Star Game is just like the Pro Bowl — debating over who should get a spot.