Knicks' Mitchell Robinson excelling at rim protection as last line of defense
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson blocks a shot by Portland's Matisse Thybulle on Sunday. Credit: AP/Adam Hunger
When it was over, the talk was not about who was missing.
Rather, it was about who has returned. And how he has affected his team.
“He’s an elite pick-and-roll defender,” Tom Thibodeau said of Mitchell Robinson on Sunday night after the longest-tenured Knick helped his team to a 110-93 win over the Trail Blazers at the Garden. “His anticipation at the rim, he can cover up for mistakes.”
Robinson is in his 13th game of the season after missing the first 4 1/2 months after recuperating from left ankle surgery performed last May. On Sunday, he contributed far more than his stat line of two points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in 14 minutes would suggest.
Just ask Josh Hart.
“Getting Mitch back allows us to be more aggressive on the ball,” Hart said of Robinson, who was plus-19 in the win. “Obviously, he’s back there, and being able to block shots and deter shots allows us to be more aggressive on the ball. The last month and a half, he’s been a monster defensively. Blowing up screens, blowing up handoffs, like a free safety on that back side.”
Against Portland, the Knicks (47-27) forced 14 turnovers that they turned into 18 points. Ten of the Trail Blazers’ 14 turnovers came off steals. The Knicks also finished with 10 blocked shots.
“Mitch’s defense was a huge factor in the third quarter,” Thibodeau said. The Knicks outscored Portland 29-20 in the third to wrest control of the game from the Trail Blazers, who led by eight at the half. “The ball pressure, the rim protection. When you have somebody like that out there, then everybody gets more aggressive. [OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges] are playing at a very, very high level. [Hart] did all the things he normally does. I thought Delon [Wright] gave us great minutes. And then I thought our bench was really good. Looking at what Mitch brought to the game, what Precious [Achiuwa] brought to the game, Landry [Shamet], Tyler [Kolek], it was huge for us.”
That was particularly true on the defensive end in the second half, when the Knicks limited the Trail Blazers to 35 points and 14-for-44 shooting.
“We played better defense. Played harder,” was Hart’s analysis when asked the difference between the first and second halves. “It was that simple. It took us a little while to get started. Six o’clock game. I think we forgot. When seven-thirty hit, we [started] playing.”
That they did. Which is something the Knicks have done since Robinson has returned.
In the 15 games since Robinson made his season debut in the 114-113 win over the Grizzlies in Memphis on Feb. 28, they rank seventh in the NBA with 18.8 points per game off turnovers, and their 8.9 steals is fifth in the league.
“When we can get turnovers and stops like that and translate those to points,” Karl-Anthony Towns said, "that’s when we’re at our best.''
