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Update, Dec. 12 — Toppin has been joined by G RJ Barrett in health and safety protocols, the team announced Sunday. So Toppin and Barrett will be out for the foreseeable future, unless they can register multiple negative Covid-19 tests within 24-48 hours. That means the Knicks won’t have either player for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Bucks.
The New York Knicks announced forward Obi Toppin will be out Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks due to health and safety protocols. Toppin is the latest player to enter the protocols and becomes part of a large contingent of players being sidelined.
The Knicks have fallen off significantly since the beginning of the season but Toppin has emerged in his second season with the team. He’s averaging 8.7 points and shooting 53.0 percent from the floor, which are both significant improvements from last season.
With Toppin out, look for RJ Barrett and Julius Randle to get more minutes at the forward spot. Alec Burks and Kevin Knox could also get minutes with Toppin out, although the latter has seemingly fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. The Knicks could also opt to go bigger, with Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson manning the frontcourt and Randle playing the small forward position.