NBA insider | Tobb who voluntarily left the Lakers verified that choice is greater than effort
NBA championships are the long-cherished wish of all NBA players, and many people have never achieved this dream in their entire lives. Retired are Malone, Stockton, Iverson, Maddie, and current veterans are Paul, Harden, Horford and others. For the championship, Durant joined the Warriors, James changed teams three times, and Thomas Bryant easily won the championship with only one selection, he should be the typical representative of choice over effort.
In the 2017 NBA Draft, Tobb was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 42nd pick in the second round. He played just 15 games in his rookie season, averaging 1.5 points in 4.8 minutes per game, and on July 1, 2018, the Lakers cut Toub.
On July 3, 2018, the Washington Wizards announced their adoption of Tob. He then played four seasons with the Wizards, the best of which was in the 20-21 season, where he averaged 14.3 points in 27 minutes per game. In fact, the few games in which he performed well had the figure of Wei Shao, which shows that Tob needs to partner with a good defender who can pass.
On July 6, 2022, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Tobb on a 1-year salary contract. Returning to the Lakers again, Tob seized the opportunity, especially after the thick eyebrow injury, Tob started 25 of 41 games, averaged 21.4 minutes per game, averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, shot 65.4% from the field, 44% from three-point range, and shot a career-high percentage and three-point field goal percentage.
But after the comeback of thick eyebrows, he was beaten into the cold palace. Here I want to give Tob a grievance, Hamm's employment is really a problem, Tob has proven himself, after the thick eyebrows comeback, Hamm can reduce Tob's time, but it can't be completely used at once. Let's just say that you can't let Tob play 5 and start with thick eyebrows, at least give 15 minutes per game should be fine, but unfortunately Hamm's habit is to catch a person and use it hard until it hurts.
Without playing time, he was naturally dissatisfied with Tob, who urgently needed to prove himself, so he took the initiative to propose a trade. On February 10, 2023, the Nuggets traded from the Lakers to Toub with Davin Reid and three second-round picks (2025, 2026 and 2029), and it was this trade that gave Tobb a championship.
After the Nuggets won the championship, Toub was very excited. During the live broadcast, he held the champagne and said excitedly: This is unbelievable! Thank you Pelinka for trading me from the Lakers to Denver to be part of this team. Win this championship and enjoy this championship champagne with my teammates. Now I can say that I am a total champion!
In fact, there aren't many opportunities to play in the Nuggets' Toub. He played 18 games during the regular season, averaging 11.4 minutes per game, scoring 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting just 48.5 percent from the field. In the playoffs, when Jokic was off, the head coach let Gordon play as a center to play a small team, and Toub barely played a chance, he only got 1 appearance, played less than a minute, and no statistics came in.
The Nuggets didn't have James and Wilson to pass the ball to him. Everyone on the Nuggets team can receive assists from Jokic, except for Toub, who is in the same position, and his teammates can't see him when he has an open space. His efficiency in singles with the ball dropped significantly, and with the lack of protective frames on the defensive end, he gradually lost playing time with the Nuggets. He played just one game during the playoffs, playing just 29 seconds.
It can be seen that the Nuggets are not a place for him to stay, but he has a championship ring in his hand and experience in a championship team, which is very beneficial for his next contract. According to BR's analysis, the Nets will strengthen the center in the offseason, and Toub is one of the Nets' favorites and believes that his new contract will be settled.
Although Tob is a small figure in the NBA, he is not willing to be mediocre and strives for progress. I believe that this championship experience will help his career development.