Golden State Warriors NBA Draft: Why Dubs should pass on Obi Toppin

Defense

For as athletic as Obi Toppin is, you would think he is an elite defender.

However, that is just not the case. Yes, players can always blossom into all these things later in their career, but the Warriors need someone who can do these things now if they want to get back to the Finals.

At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, Obi Toppin has all the tools to be an elite defender. In college, he has yet to show that.

Freshman season at Dayton was a tough one defensively for Toppin, averaging under a steal and a block per game. Sophomore year was much of the same, although he did bump the numbers up to one steal and block a game.

It is concerning when your defense doesn’t show up in a weak conference. The next best team in the Atlantic 10 conference was Richmond, who many people don’t even know about.

I think Obi Toppin can be a great player, but I think he is very limited, not someone the Warriors could use right now. Golden State needs someone that would help propel them to the championship once again.

It doesn’t feel like that’d be Toppin.