Washington Wizards draft prospect highlight: Obadiah Toppin
By Keith Cork
Offense:
Offensively, Obi Toppin’s greatest appeal may be on the offensive end of the basketball. His effective shooting percentage is off the charts at 67.4 percent this season, and it’s buoyed by a nice clips of 39 percent from beyond the arc.
His ability to make the long ball is what should have the Washington Wizards knocking as he has shown the ability to spot up and knock down the three off drives, and that should fit in well besides the explosive offensive ability of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Even with a high usage rate at Dayton though, Toppin has proven to score the ball with efficiency, which is always an underrated skill and especially at the NBA level. He may not get as many touches with the Washington Wizards, so scoring with efficiency will be important if he hopes to make an impact.
He has the ability to score from the elbow and the post too, so he’s not just a player that hovers on the three-point line. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor too and makes quick decisions when he gets the ball.
He doesn’t have the speed to straight up burn you, but he’s smart and can take advantage of the recovering defense. In a league where teams find success with big forwards that have the ability to create their own shot like LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard, Obi certainly fits the mold of a potential star in this league on the offensive end.
His explosive ability to finish above people at the rim is fun to watch but also means an injury could derail his career like Blake Griffin, but that’s a risk that may be worth taking for his tremendous upside.