Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t planning on elevating Obi Toppin into the starting lineup and now he can’t.
After his career-high for points and rebounds in Friday night’s loss to the Raptors, the Knicks announced Toppin entered COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Saturday.
Toppin will miss Sunday’s game against the Bucks. The new NBA rules allow a player to be reinstated before the mandated 10 days away from the team if they have two negative tests 24 hours apart.
Thibodeau made two starting lineup changes this month and he is done for the moment. The Knicks are 1-5 since officially demoting starting point guard Kemba Walker for Alec Burks. Walker has not played a single minute in the six games. They are 1-1 since changing centers, elevating Nerlens Noel and putting Mitchell Robinson on the second unit.
The Knicks coach likely will let this marinate as the almost fully loaded Bucks invade the Garden for a Sunday matinee.
“We got to keep working,’’ Thibodeau said of the new alignment. “It’s how the team functions. We’ll see how it works. There’s a lot of interchangeable parts between our first and second unit. It’s not the starters and the bench. There’s different times they’re mixed and matched. It’s in totality. There’s things [Burks] can give us I really like. As a group, we have to play better.’’
Burks had his worst game as a starter in Friday’s 90-87 loss in Toronto, where he scored a single point while missing all seven shot attempts.
Meanwhile, Toppin was a dunking machine in scoring a career-high 19 points with 10 rebounds, but shot 1-for-5 from 3-point range. Now he’s shelved.
Asked about a Randle-Toppin frontcourt, Thibodeau said Saturday before the COVID reveal:
“[It’s] very good offensively. Defensively, we lose the rim protection and rebounding. You’re sacrificing that part of the game which is critical. But I like the speed and the way they are playing. That group played really well together.’’
Toppin’s situation may be less-is-more despite social media clamor he should play extended minutes. After a nondescript rookie season, Toppin is looking like a lottery pick — making this latest development disconcerting.
The Knicks are 1-1 against the defending champion Bucks (17-10), but this is their first game against all three of their stars — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday. Middleton missed both previous meetings because of COVID-19.
“It’s a great challenge,’’ Randle said. “We know what Giannis brings to the table. And Khris, we know how valuable he is and Jrue, obviously. They’re a very good team and [are] playing very well defensively. They have a lot of shooting on the floor. They can attack. They’re a tough team, defending champions. They’re going to be a great challenge. We have to come in with the right mindset.’’