Knicks finally get Mitchell Robinson back as he's activated for Grizzlies game
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It had been nearly 10 months since Mitchell Robinson was last in uniform for the Knicks and nearly 15 months since he underwent the first of two surgical procedures on his left ankle, both of which necessitated lengthy rehabilitations. And finally, Friday night against the Grizzlies, Robinson was added to the active roster.
And just in time, it seems, as the Knicks head down the final six weeks of the regular season with an assortment of bumps and bruises, in need of help on the court in terms of depth and defense.
Just ahead of game time Friday, the Knicks announced that Robinson would make his season debut and that Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, both of whom were questionable, were in, too. That gave the Knicks the most complete team they’ve had all season, missing only Ariel Hukporti, who underwent surgery to repair a meniscus tear suffered Wednesday.
Robinson entered the game with 7:17 left in the first quarter as he went in for Towns. He had four points and two rebounds in 6:35 in the first half.
Robinson’s teammates, who have seen him on the practice court working out and pushing for this return, were happy not only to have him back on the court but to have him in the locker room as pressure mounts down the stretch.
“The basketball part, I [couldn't] care less right now,” Jalen Brunson said after the Knicks' morning shootaround at FedEx Forum. “Just seeing how hard he’s worked to get back to where he is now, I’m really excited for him. Like I said, I [couldn't] care less about the basketball. I just like seeing the person happy and excelling.”
Robinson has never been a star piece for the Knicks, and right now, he likely won’t even be a starter, instead returning to action in limited duty and serving as a backup, as he did last season. But the Knicks don’t need Robinson to pick up some scoring load or, on that end of the court, serve as anything more than a rebounder.
With Hart and Towns, Robinson could give the Knicks an imposing rebounding lineup.
“I think it adds a lot,” Tom Thibodeau said. “Obviously, it’s a different dimension to our team with Mitch. And Josh has the versatility of [playing the] two, three, four. I think they play well off each other. They complement each other and the rebounding component is huge.”
It is on the other end of the court where the Knicks have dropped through the rankings this season. They entered Friday 21st in defensive ranking — an unusual place for a Thibodeau-coached team — and Robinson could have an immediate impact on that.
When Robinson was displaced in the starting lineup by Isaiah Hartenstein last season, there was little drop-off in rim protection. Towns has elevated the Knicks' offense this season but has not provided the defense that the Knicks have featured for years.
The Timberwolves traded for Rudy Gobert to pair with Towns, and the Knicks, thanks to patience rather than a trade, can do the same now with Robinson and Towns.
The defense was supposed to be anchored this season by the pairing of wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, but that hasn’t come to fruition yet. The Knicks rank 29th in the NBA in blocked shots per game, ahead of only the Miami Heat, and the return of Robinson could cover for some of the failings.
“Him just being another defensive anchor,” said Deuce McBride, who has played longer for the Knicks than anyone but Robinson. “I feel like the effort he brings can always cover up a miscommunication. So for him to block somebody at the rim or talk to somebody through a rotation is always big.”
“He helps a lot,” Brunson said. “Obviously, defensively he’s one of the best protectors around the rim. He grabs a ton of rebounds. I think his presence is underrated in the locker room. Just really excited for him to be back.”
Just what the Knicks can get from Robinson right now remains to be seen. He has sat out all of this season as well as all but 16 games last season after suffering a stress fracture in his left ankle in early December 2023.
“You know, first game back, so it’s hard to say,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, games are a lot different than practices. But just he’s a vet, so I think he understands exactly who he is. Play to your strengths, Go as hard as you can. Short stints. His timing will come around, but the defense, anticipating that being there right from the start.
“[Conditioning], it’s different. Obviously, you can condition on a bike, you can run on a court, you can practice, but the games are different. The physicality of an NBA game is different.''
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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