Mitchell Robinson carrying the Knicks upon his return would certainly help, but don't count on it
The Knicks' Mitchell Robinson dunks during the second half of Game 6 in an NBA first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 2, 2024, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
Here are some facts that we now know about Mitchell Robinson, some of them very promising.
Let’s start with the positive.
Robinson, when he’s healthy, is an elite rim protector and one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA. In theory, he is exactly what the Knicks are missing — a 7-footer who has the skills to be a complementary piece alongside All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and come off the bench to give Towns some much-needed relief. Robinson, who hasn’t played all season after undergoing ankle surgery over the summer, has been cleared for contact though no timetable has been given for his return.
Now, let’s sort through some other facts that might want to give even the most over-enthusiastic Knicks fans some pause.
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Robinson has played in just 90 of 218 games. He missed 50 straight games last season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle. Including Wednesday night’s game against Atlanta, he has missed 54 games and counting this year after having to undergo surgery on the same ankle this past offseason. Two days ago, in his first contact with reporters since undergoing surgery, Robinson made it pretty clear that he is going to be cautious about his return this time.
Put these two sets of facts together and it seems wishful thinking, bordering on delusional, to believe that the 26-year-old Robinson’s return is the very thing that can push the Knicks past the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
That’s not to say that the Knicks wouldn’t be a better team with a healthy Robinson on the floor. It’s just not something they can count on.
Judging from comments he made to reporters, it seems very unlikely that Robinson is going to charge out of the gate and be available next week when the team returns from All-Star break.
What does seem much more likely is that OG Anunoby — who missed his fifth straight game Wednesday with a toe injury — will be back on the floor. All this makes next week's game at Cleveland a very interesting one as it would be yet another chance to finally get a win against an elite team.
So far this season, the Knicks are 0-5 against Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Boston — the three teams with the best records in the league. As far as their Eastern Conference rivals go, the Knicks' two losses to Boston have been by margins that are beyond embarrassing. In their one loss to Cleveland in the third game of the season, however, the Knicks fell apart in the fourth quarter and lost, 110-104.
For all the fretting over the nasty loss to the Celtics, the Knicks were guaranteed heading into Wednesday night’s game against Atlanta to finish with their best record percentage-wise heading into the break since 1996-97 when they were 34-14 (.708).
Not bad for a team that opened the season with only one starter — Jalen Brunson — who had been in the starting lineup to open the season the year before. Not bad for a team that opened the season with two players — Mikal Bridges and Towns — who were playing their first game in a Knicks uniform.
Add to that the fact that it often takes time for Tom Thibodeau’s teams to jell and fans should feel a little better about this team’s potential down the stretch. Last year’s Knicks won 14 of their last 18, including their final five games of the season.
Yes, it would be a boon for the Knicks to have a healthy Robinson down the stretch and in the playoffs. The Knicks could use him on the boards, they could use him on defense and they could certainly use him when they face teams with two bigs (Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) like Cleveland.
“I think they complement each other,” Thibodeau said of Towns and Robinson. “One guy, rim protection, pressure on the rim, offensive rebounding. The other guy is comfortable away from the basket. KAT has proven to be able to play with all types of different centers. He’s comfortable at the power forward position. He's comfortable on the perimeter. So, I like the versatility of that.”
Yes, it all sounds very promising — if it happens.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
