The New York Knicks have been good at defending the paint this season, even with Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel having a slow start.
The New York Knicks are 8-6 after defeating the Indiana Pacers in what felt like a classic 90s matchup. But for tonight, they take on the Orlando Magic, and thank goodness Mitchell Robinson will be available.
It’s been a slow and rough start for the Knicks at the center position this year. Mitchell Robinson is battling nagging injuries while getting used to his added muscle mass (it feels like he has missed more matchups with all the injury scares, but he has only missed one game). Also, Nerlens Noel has only played two games this season — Noel went down with a sprained knee in the most recent matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers after having a masterful defensive performance against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Yet even with all the early struggles at center, New York has still protected the paint. According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Knicks allow the fifth least shots 6 feet or less around the rim and the fourth-lowest field goal percentage – that’s 29.9 percent frequency and 60.4 field goal percentage, respectively. Furthermore, the Knicks are ranked eleventh in rebounding with 46 rebounds per game – Warriors are first with 48.6 rebounds per game. So altogether, this has been a collective effort from every center, but mainly Robinson and Taj Gibson since both have been the most available and played the most.
Regardless of the success from the center position, though, it is concerning that both Robinson and Noel’s health is always in question. And the reason both shot blockers’ health is a concern is because of the team’s priority to have rim protection. As Tom Thibodeau has been preaching, rim protection is key to New York’s defensive success. And we saw how important that was last season considering the Knicks had the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA — New York had a 107.8 defensive rating.
Mitchell Robinson continues to battle injuries while the Knicks are winning
Now, as I said earlier, Mitch will be available for today. But how healthy and mobile will he be? The Knicks’ coaching staff took him out of the game to rest his sore ankle after all.
Well, after listening to Robinson’s presser, he’s in good spirits and is ready to compete today. He discussed how his ankle was sore but that he’s still able to move and play on it.
During the interview, Robinson alluded to that his nagging injuries are because he hasn’t found the right shoe – he’s busted three sneakers already. And the reason for him breaking so many sneakers is because all the shoes he has tried can’t support the unique insole the team medical staff has provided him — the insole to protect his foot after breaking it last season.
Mitch is clearly still trying to get right as he works back from last season’s injury. And with the added weight, Mitch has more of a challenge because he isn’t used to playing with so much muscle mass.
For instance, Robinson brought up that his body hasn’t caught up with his mind yet. Translation: he’s thinking the game at a fast level, but his reaction time isn’t there because his body isn’t used to all the weight. But the good thing is that Mitch said that his stamina is starting to improve and that he lost ten pounds — he’s down from 280 pounds to 270 pounds. So we should start seeing the high-flying center we are used to soon.
This is a big season for Robinson because this is the final year of his contract. After missing most of last season, New York’s front office is using this season to evaluate Mitch as a player. So as Robinson continues to get into a rhythm, there is some faith that the big man can turn it around. Of course, he needs to be healthy to do so. But Mitch is demonstrating that can battle through lingering injures.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. In case you missed it, catch the KFTV panel discussing the key moments to the Knicks’ victory over the Indiana Pacers.
