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They say the NBA season – even a shortened 72-game campaign – is a marathon. Obi Toppin has to hope his record conditioning pays off in his rookie season.
Toppin, the eighth pick in the draft last month, revealed he had the highest score in the franchise’s conditioning test, which consists mostly of running drills.
Apparently, the 6-foot-9 Dayton dunk machine didn’t need a summer league and its workouts to get in shape.
“I have the impression that when I entered this establishment, [assistant coach] Kenny Payne prepared me for the games to come, ” Toppin said on a Zoom call Thursday. “I feel like I am who I am, that I want to grind, that I always want to earn, I just feel like I’m still doing the job. When the conditioning time comes, it’s like I’m automatically ready for it.
“When I go there, I do my best to get the best score. I always ask what is the highest score to be able to beat it. We did a conditioning test, and I asked which was the highest score, and I had to beat it. I believe I am the highest person in the conditioning test.
Good conditioning doesn’t necessarily mean Toppin will shine in his rookie year, but it’s often a major issue with freshmen making the jump to the NBA. But Toppin is 22 and is probably a step ahead of some of the 19-year-olds in this rookie class.
Toppin’s defense has been a concern among scouts and probably the main reason he slipped to No.8. But with Tom Thibodeau on top of the game, Toppin isn’t worried – and even thinks it is an underrated facet of his game.
“I feel like with my athleticism, my speed, the way I move my body, I understand my body and I understand what I need to do to improve myself and take my game to another level, so I am shut in. Toppin said. “I’m on another level, I’m not in college anymore and I’m locked into what I have to do to be great.
Most of the mock drafts since August assumed Toppin was heading for the Cavaliers at No.5, with the franchise keeping him in Ohio, where he played for Dayton.
MSG Network’s Wally Szczerbiak told the Post that the Knicks were “very lucky”. Toppin fell to 8th place.
“On draft night I knew there was a chance I could be picked up by anyone,” Toppin said when asked if he thought he was headed for Cleveland. “I got caught in New York, it was a blessing. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. I love where I am right now. I’m at home. I’m with a good group of guys, a good group of teammates, everyone in the office. Everyone here is amazing and I’m happy to be where I am. ”
Toppin told The Post’s Steve Serby he thinks he has a solid shot at being Rookie of the Year, and other NBA pontifiers agree he’s more ready than most rookies. But on Thursday, he said he didn’t want to dwell on it.
“It’s really a blessing that people are saying this, but at the end of the day I take it day in and day out,” he said. “Hopefully at the end of the day I will achieve all of these goals, but I won’t be able to do it without the guys around me.
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