Bo, if you get the YouTube’s where you’re at, check out Toppin both cause Dayton was really fun this year and I’d like to hear how Toppin does for you vis-a-vis the eye test.
The article was nice to Ball. He has a nice package to build on and if he’s survived Dad, he can probably hand the weeble and wobble of Berman and Dolan and their influence on the life of the team.
I like Deni, Toppin, Okongwu as guys to plug right in. Deni to start as SF on day 1.
I hear beefs about Toppin’s D, some about reaction time (slow hips, high stance a la Amare) more or less offset by smarts and anticipation that lets him get on and off ball blocks and make spectacular passing lane plays. He’ll need to work on his lower body and stance a lot to reach his potential. The more concrete beef is that at 6’9” 220-225, he gets bullied by real size centers. I don’t see us asking him to do that unless he at some point packs on some weight to his core and thighs.
Offensively he’s kind of an Amare-Tatum hybrid on the college level. The guy plays with energy & feel and he gets buckets.
Okongwu is an advanced and mobile player for his size who just needs to get his 3 stroke on to be a solid long term starter. Unlike anyone on our team but Mitch he can rim protect. Unlike Mitch, he can score on the move from a bunch of spots letting him either give a different look at center or form a super defensive interior by playing him with Mitch.
In Deni you’re getting a Multitool SF.