2019 NBA Draft: 7 Best Rim Finishers for Atlanta Hawks to Draft
By Chris Guest
Obi Toppin
Range: Late Second Round, Undrafted
A rather unheralded prospect, Obi Toppin of the Dayton Flyers produced a tremendous freshman campaign, which led to him being named the A-10 Conference Rookie of the Year while being named to the All-Conference and All-Rookie teams.
Beyond that, Toppin’s chiseled 6-foot-9, 220-pound frame looks NBA-ready right now. After undergoing NBA-level strength training, it seems that he would be able to immediately impact the game on both ends going forward. That’s why it is strange that he is not featured on many draft boards at this juncture.
For the merits of this article, Toppin was one of the best rim finishers in the country in the 2018-19 season – ranking 12th with a sterling 80 percent clip around the rim on 61.3 percent frequency per Bart Torvik.
Toppin mostly relied on his strength to finish at the rim, leading to a Dayton school record 83 dunks. Though the majority of Toppin’s scoring came around the rim, his overall scoring numbers were a picture of efficiency.
Per KenPom, Toppin ranked 6th in the country in effective field goal percentage (68.4%), 8th in true shooting percentage (69.2%) and 28th in two-point field goal percentage (67.6%). Though a flawed stat, Toppin was also #1 in Sports Reference’s offensive rating in the A-10 at 123.2.
Toppin is not getting a ton of draft buzz, and with the deadline for rescinding names from the draft coming soon, Toppin might pull out. If he does not, however, the Atlanta Hawks could have a steal on their hands in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft or via an undrafted Two-Way Contract.