The New York Knicks fans love Obi Toppin.
The public explodes at Madison Square Garden when the 6-foot-9-inch sophomore power forward gets on the court or scores.
If he is not in the game, people chant his name because they want to see him play.
Toppin is averaging 15.7 minutes, 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds this season. Will he see more playing time soon? I asked coach Thibodeau.
“You get what you deserve,” he answered.
What does the coach think about Obi’s progress?
“I am never satisfied, always hope he can do more,” Thibodeau said.
“I love him. He’s a great guy, great teammate. He works extremely hard, continues to get better. He’ll get what he earns and I love the way he’s playing.”
How hard is it for a coach to be firm in his choices while the public is loudly asking to see some players on the court?
“We love our fans. There’s no other place you’d rather be. This is the best place in the league to play. Everyone knows it,” Thibodeau explains.
“They’re passionate about the team. They’re living and dying with us at every game and we have great appreciation for that. We love that they’re into the game. We have to give them something to be proud of. That’s why it gets back to the competitiveness, the will to win. You don’t have to make every shot, but you do have to play well here.”
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[…] is still fighting to earn big minutes with the New York Knicks. He has an average of 7.3 points and 15.1 minutes per game this season, but he often sets the NY […]