Welcome to Takes Time, a new recurring article type on The Strickland where a couple of Stricklandites will parse breaking news and rumors as they happen and offer some instant reaction hot takes in a Slack conversation style. In today’s edition, James Marceda (Lames) and Shwinnypooh take on the rumor from The Strickland and Knicks Film School’s own Jonathan Macri that the Knicks are zeroed in on Obi Toppin as their pick at No. 8 (if he’s available, that is).

Lames  2:41 PM
Knicks fans soiled their collective diapers yesterday morning after The Strickland's Jonathan Wacri reported in his newsletter that a "league source" told him if Obi Toppin is available, he is “100%” going to be the choice for the Knicks at No. 8. Should these fans grow up and walk their asses to the toilet, or are they right to cry until Mommy shows up with a wet wipe to make it all better? 

Shwinnypooh  2:43 PM
If the handpicked coach for your new regime is Tom Thibodeau, do you think your no-brainer target with the eighth pick would be an offensively-gifted, defensively-hopeless big man?

Lames  2:44 PM

AND FURTHERMORE, I don't believe a GOD DAMN THING I read "this time of year" (pre-draft).

What incentive is there for people to tell the truth? ANSWER ME!!!

Shwinnypooh  2:47 PM
Not a whole lot! Maybe they love Obi Toppin, but I'd be pretty fucking shocked if that were the case. It's probably worth it to consider who they haven't been linked with very much publicly. It seems interesting how little smoke there's been at all about their interest in Killian Hayes.

Lames  2:49 PM
I don't remember any specifics because my mind is a mess in the memory department, but I'm almost positive the Knicks haven't been strongly linked to any of their draft choices of the past however many years.

You've gotta be able to pull a few examples out of your ass, though.

You were born for that kinda thing.

Shwinnypooh  2:53 PM
They were very strongly linked with Frank and RJ leading up to those drafts, and the Knox stuff started leaking the day or two after he SONNED Miles Bridges in a workout.

Lames  2:54 PM
I SUPPOSE I phrased that poorly, so let's try again: how many OTHER random assholes were they linked to, especially this early in the draft process?

Shwinnypooh  2:54 PM
Probably a bajillion?

Lames  2:54 PM
Exactly.

My main thing is, everyone lies this time of year.

I'm sure Macri's source loves and respects him, but that doesn't mean he's not full of shit, OR that he's not being misled by someone who's giving him the Knicks' "inside scoop."

Relatedly, if you were the source, wouldn't you delight in the opportunity to pull Macri's strings like a puppet master? I know I would.

I would be the king of disinformation. 

I'd never stop lying.

EVER!

Shwinnypooh  2:56 PM
I also don't know that any of the hires that Leon Rose has made to the front office or the coaching staff have been telegraphed very hard. Obviously hiring Thibs was seen as fait accompli, but Kenny Payne? Walt Perrin? Frank Zanin? Johnnie Bryant? Brock Aller? Not really.

I'm not saying they definitely wouldn't want Toppin, but again, you don't hire Thibs, and then with your first lottery selection hand him a big man who would probably make KAT look like fucking prime Hakeem defensively.

Lames  2:57 PM
Anything is possible, for sure. I'm not here to tell you that it's definitely not going to happen. But I AM here to tell you that there's an easy way to read this as a smokescreen.

We all know the Knicks need a point guard.

What if the Knicks are also aware of this need and are trying to entice others into picking Obi Toppin so that the point guard of their choice falls to them?

Certainly seems plausible.

Or one of the wings, even.

If you're hoping Guard X or Wing Y falls to you, it's probably in your best interest to pump up Obi.

Shwinnypooh  2:59 PM
And to do it, you'd certainly make sure to use somebody like Wacri who has MASS APPEAL.

A man of the people.

Lames  3:00 PM
Strongest agree possible. You've gotta leverage that star power.

You'd be a fool not to manipulate Macri, IMHO.

Shwinnypooh  3:01 PM
On a somewhat unrelated note, I've gotta say the coach-speak we've been getting from Thibs so far is so much better than the coach-speak we got from Fisher, Horny, Rambass, and Fizfuck. Elite worthless coach-speak has been a nice change of pace.

I know it doesn't mean anything, but god dammit I love it and am eating it all up. So pumped to be completely wrong about this and hate Thibs' guts halfway through his second season!

Lames  3:03 PM
Never gonna happen! Thibs is our King of the North, or whatever.

A true hero.

A Richard Jewell, so to speak.

Shwinnypooh  3:05 PM
Great. Good talk. I guess where I stand on this is that, if the Knicks pick Obi Toppin I'll hate it, but then totally talk myself into it. That said, I think this rumor is some Grade A bullshit for smokescreen purposes.

Lames  3:06 PM