Despite not playing throughout the season, Mitchell Robinson had still been a bit panacea for Knicks fans. Every time someone mentioned the lower defense of the team, the answer, inevitably, was a version of “Wait until Mitchell Robinson returns!” Reductive, without a doubt, but in his debut in the season during the exciting victory of New York 114-113 over the Mephis Grizzlies on Friday, Robinson showed virtually all the ways in which he can help further boost Knicks towards a championship in this postseason.
Robinson played only 12 minutes while continuing to accumulate his wind after recovering from ankle surgery, placing six points, five rebounds and an assistance. However, the number that really stands out is that the Knicks were a better more-11 team in their minutes. Let’s look at some significant ways that Robinson’s return can take New York to the next level.
Offensive rebounds
Anyone who has seen the absolute blows of the Knicks gave the Cleveland Cavaliers in their 2023 first round series, includes how shocking Robinson can be in the offensive vessel. During that series, it had almost so many offensive rebounds (29) as the center of the Jarrett Allen cavs had total rebounds (37). While Robinson only knocked down one on Friday’s return to the court, he also obtained the fingertips in a few 50-50 balls that will probably continue on their way once their conditioning rises to the par.
At 7 feet and in the list of 240 pounds (it looks even larger than that), Robinson is simply a monster of a human being. When the ball goes up and he decides to go looking for him, a tremendous strength and impeccable technique is required to prevent his goal. Just look how the center of the Grizzlies Brandon Clarke, not exactly a small man, moves through paint like a paper doll by Robinson while collecting the offensive rebound. I miss the setback, but those are going to go in an overwhelming majority of the time once again is in shape (do not forget that Robinson establishes the NBA Field objective precision record at 74.2% in 2020).
Last season, with Robinson playing 31 games, the Knicks led the NBA with just over 13 offensive rebounds per 100 possessions. This season, there are 22 with just under 11 per game. The offensive rebound has disappeared from the identity of the Knicks, and Robinson is exactly the person to help bring him back.
Tire protection
As impregnable as Karl-Anthony Towns has been offensively this season, you can’t avoid the fact that Jackson Jr. is not exactly as a tire protector. Towns is located in the 23rd percentile to defend the shots in the basket, according to Synergy Sports, 62 in the NBA for any player with at least 100 possessions of this type.
In the last Semi-Llena season of Robinson in 2022-23, he qualified for the 65th percentile in defense on the edge, not quite elite, but certainly a great improvement on cities. These statistics also include shots that No taken simply due to Mitchell’s presence. We saw some of them on Friday night, including this work where Ja Morant works on what would otherwise be a routine float from the dotted line, but Robinson scares him. Instead, Morant goes to the corner, where Desmond Bane has its attempt at 3 points blocked by OG Anunoby.
Cities are simply not bringing that level of intimidation at the defensive end.
Another advantage with Robinson is the effort level. For a big man, he can actually move quite well, so when you combine that with a solid engine that you get plays like this, where Santi Aldama runs from his original 3 -point place despite being under the free throw line when he catches the ball.
The Knicks allow the ninth more point in the painting of any NBA team This season, which is not a good omen for the playoffs. Robinson is an antidote for that, and will drastically change the defensive makeup of the equipment if it can remain healthy.
Vertical spacing
Almost the only negative thing you can say about cities as an offensive player is that he is not the most dynamic vertical athlete. Enter Robinson, essentially the threat of prototypical lob that persists in the place of Dunker in most possessions ready to punish any big man who deceives him to help in Jalen Brunson units or one of the other perimeter scorers of the Knicks. Look here while taking an Easy Anunoby downloader in Friday’s victory in Memphis, then shows good composure and touch to finish the tray.
With the amount of equipment that is loaded in Brunson in the painting, Robinson should obtain at least three or four LOB opportunities per game, a source of easy cubes that New York really does not have without him.
It is also Atlético enough to do a little work in the perimeter as a gift center. On Friday, he made a great reading about a Draymond green -style QB guard that led to an open lane and a casual dos -hands. This was actually his first basket of the season.
Of course, this will not become the offensive set of bread and butter of Tom Thibodeau, but the fact that Robinson is capable of making such a game (and ending) at least gives another aspect to the Knicks.
Kat safe
Towns has been a warrior this season, losing only six games, but it is always good to have a ready -made support for which you feel safe by pulling for minutes. Especially with the knee injury to Ariel Hukporti, the Knicks are simply low with large bodies, and Robinson will help Thibodeau to rest a little easier if Towns is forced to waste time.
The other problem with cities, of course, are missing problems. For his career, he has averaged 3.6 fouls for play in the playoffs, he is often heading to the early bench for that. That is exactly what happened on Friday night, when Robinson was forced to enter the game just before the seven -minute brand of the first quarter after Towns picked up his second fault.
Before Robinson’s return, the only other option in addition to Hukporti was to put Achiuwa in the center, but the net rating of the team has decreased by almost nine points per 100 possessions with him on the floor this season. Compare that with Robinson, who raised the net rating of the team in 6.5 points in its last healthy season in 2022-23.
Towns will be essential for any possible extended playoffs career of the Knicks, but it is a luxury to have a confidence backup like Robinson if the problems of offspring are raised again to raise their ugly head again.
