When the student becomes the master: How Obi Toppin gave Julius Randle the blueprint to break out in Game 2

At times this season, Obi Toppin was near unplayable, and Julius Randle a game-altering superstar. In these playoffs, it’s been Obi’s that’s shined in his minutes, while Julius had struggled to find his footing. Did Julius learn from Obi’s style of play, leading to his second half breakout in Game 2?

The New York Knicks employ two power forwards, comparable only in positional designation.  

Despite a mere 3-year age difference, they reside decades apart in the NBA hierarchy. One has already endured a lifetime of NBA drama in his seven-year, tri-city career; the other was drafted just a year ago into a stable and positive culture. One just completed an MVP-level season, won the Most Improved Player award, and provided the primary fuel that reignited a wheezing franchise; the other just completed an unconvincing rookie campaign lowlighted by a 6-game scoring drought, will not make either of the NBA All-Rookie teams, and had Knicks fans longing for Tyrese Haliburton. One wanted the ball all season, and if anything, occasionally held onto it too long and too much; the other spent much of the year lacking confidence, treating the ball like a hot potato. Both are currently making their playoff debuts against the Atlanta Hawks, but only one is excelling, and it isn’t the one you might expect.  

Obi Toppin, building off of an encouraging final regular season stretch, has displayed a new level of confidence with the basketball early in this series, expanding his game in ways he showed only in rare flashes prior to the playoffs. For two playoff games, Julius Randle has been the one resembling a lottery bust, struggling mightily with the increase in defensive focus and intensity that comes with playoff hoops, habitually holding onto the ball for way too long, and lacking the confidence to make definitive decisions. 

But Randle finally found himself midway through the third quarter of Game 2, just in time to propel the Knicks to a potentially series-saving win. What changed? Well, he started playing more like Toppin — constantly in motion, rapid in his decisions, and letting his stellar defense propel his offense. 

Julius started Game 2 in much the same way he performed all of Game 1 — too reliant on isolation, settling for extremely difficult midrange jumpers. 

Note how Reggie Bullock was just beginning to come screen for Randle to involve Trae Young in the action, something I pined for in my Game 2 preview. But Randle was too intent on breaking down Gallo himself, delving deep into his jab step game, stagnating the offense. 

When Bullock actually did come and screen for him, Randle continued his troubling trend of failing to attack Young, instead backing away, allowing Young to recover, then attacking his original man. 

Julius was clearly overthinking things, and it was paralyzing his decision making. The Hawks came out with the same exact defensive strategy they introduced in Game 1: Clint Capela would soft-double every Randle touch, and his primary defenders would force him baseline, daring him to shoot those jumpers. Randle continued to play right into their hands, meandering to that baseline instead of getting off the ball early, allowing Atlanta to load up on him effectively and take away his passing options:

Randle’s defense suffered as well. Instead of serving as the aggressor, actively switching onto ball-handlers and utilizing his rare combination of size and quickness, Julius sat back in between when his man went to screen, resulting in unnecessary miscommunications: 

His entire first quarter performance was sedate and lifeless.  He, and the Knicks, badly needed a jolt. Enter the other power forward, whose entrance used to induce a measure of panic, but now injects much-needed life. 

Obi went to work on the defensive end immediately, displaying the activity Randle had lacked to that point. He switched onto, then stymied, the ever-shifty Lou Williams, forcing a shot-clock violation.

Then, he pugnaciously attacked Danilo Gallinari, earning a trip to the free throw line. 

Note specifically how Obi went at Gallo, in direct contrast to Randle. No jab-steps. No fancy dribbling. He caught the rock, sprinted towards a teammate to force Atlanta into instant defensive communication, feinted the dribble hand-off, charged to the rim, and challenged Capela with reckless abandon. That sort of sudden, direct movement is the perfect counter to a defense loading up in the paint.

Anyone who watched Toppin during the regular season is all too aware of the adventure that was his corner 3-point shooting. Obi shot 29% from the closest three zone, which isn’t that horrendous, but about half of those misses were wild airballs. In short, he was throwing up prayers. Which is why the smoothness with which he caught and fired this corner triple in the second quarter was particularly eye-popping. 

Toppin was absolutely brimming with confidence, but New York was going to need its MVP to regain his form to win Game 2, and to compete in the series going forward. However, Randle’s early performance coming out of the locker room for the second half failed to inspire confidence. 

After canning a triple on the opening possession of the third, Randle again turned hesitant, passing up an open shot, then pump-faking on Capela multiple times under the basket before surrendering the ball to the perimeter. 

Rock bottom came on the next possession, when Randle again wandered aimlessly into the paint before rifling a pass to... nobody. Timeout Thibs.

MSG’s cameras remained on Randle as he walked off the floor and exhibited some frustration towards his teammates for not relocating to that spot around the arc. But watching the play, and considering his performance to that point, Julius plainly needed to accept responsibility for the mishap. It was time to show out, or go down 2-0.  Kenny Payne then approached Randle on the bench and said something that ticked Julius off. Whether it was the words of his close confidant Payne, or his own mental reset during the timeout, Julius emerged a different, more decisive player from that point on. 

He drilled a three without hesitation on the first possession out. 

He stopped playing with his food, dusting Galinari with a quick pump and go, then attacking Capela strong to the the rim instead of pump-faking, earning a trip to the line — kind of like Obi did. 

He brought the same renewed energy to the defensive end, finally switching onto, and absolutely blanketing Trae Young into a desperate fling off the backboard.

He caught and swept right past Gallo again, then navigated to the middle of the floor instead of settling for the baseline, opening up the passing lane for a Derrick Rose three. 

He came off the screen from Taj Gibson and immediately ambushed Capela to the rim again for a strong-handed layup. 

And to complete what was by miles his best stretch of the series, he saw Kevin Huerter in front of him in semi-transition, dribbled straight to one of his sweet spots at the right elbow, and finished over the ill-equipped defender with a pretty baby jumper.

By finally introducing himself to the postseason, Randle had brought New York back into the game, and back into the series. In came Toppin to replace Julius to start the fourth quarter — could the bench sustain it? 

In a single, glorious play, Obi answered with a resounding, energizing, explosive, HELL YES: 

Obi was supposed to be bad at defense. In this one defensive possession, he deflects Williams’ pass, flummoxes Huerter on a switch, switches seamlessly to John Collins when Collins screens for Huerter, then steps up in help on the Huerter drive for the rejection. When the ball changes possession, Obi is literally the farthest player from the opposite hoop. 

He then does what he was supposed to be good at. He runs really hard, and he runs really fast, and he beats every single player down the floor, and he calls for the lob, and he jumps really high, and he slams it home, and the Garden is his. 

Julius would close the game out in his newly-found aggressive style. He exploited a mismatch to get to the middle of the floor, before finding Bullock for a massive three.

He pounded another mismatch in Bogdon Bogdanovic into submission, forced the help to commit to him, and made a beautiful wraparound pass to Taj Gibson for the dunk.

Finally, he screened for Derrick Rose and actually rolled, received the pass on the move, and pulled out a euro-step around Capela that we had never seen from Julius before. This was the Julius Randle we had become accustomed to being unaccustomed to — constantly developing and growing before our very eyes. Game over. 

Just a couple of months ago, Obi Toppin could barely provide Julius Randle with a breather. His minutes were a disaster waiting to happen; the Knicks had to survive them until Julius could return to the floor. 

How poetic then, that Obi has returned the favor in the postseason. Not only by excelling on the floor and impacting winning, but by showing Julius the blueprint to succeed in the playoffs — be quick, be decisive, be confident, on both sides of the floor. The Knicks are lucky to have both power forwards clicking as they head to Atlanta for Game 3.