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Top Knicks draft pick Obi Toppin prepared for restart during pandemic

Dayton's Obi Toppi drives to the basket against St. Louis forward Jimmy Bell Jr. during the second half of an NCAA basketball game in Dayton, Ohio, on Feb. 1. Credit: AP/Tony Tribble

The Knicks embarked on a new era Friday night in Detroit, guided by new head coach Tom Thibodeau. The team is trying to find its way through the pandemic that raised fears and left them out of the bubble restart to last season.

But one newcomer on the court burdened by the expectations of the long-struggling franchise is Obi Toppin, the latest lottery pick to be tasked with trying to raise the level of the Knicks.