The New York Knicks are without Mitchell Robinson for a minimum of three weeks. Can the Knicks hold on while he is out?
In the second quarter of Wednesday’s loss against the Wizards, Mitchell Robinson headed to the locker room after fracturing his right thumb on a jump ball. He did not return, and on Thursday, the Knicks PR team reported that Robinson would miss at least three weeks after successful surgery to repair his thumb.
If it feels like Mitchell Robinson breaks a bone or sprains an ankle every season, that’s because it’s practically true. The big man has struggled to stay healthy over the course of an 82-game season. Last year’s 72-game effort was encouraging, but unfortunately, Mitch’s luck ran out.
Robinson might be the most impactful player in New York’s starting five. Even though the Knicks rank sixth in offensive rating (115.0), they rank dead last in assist percentage (54.7) and 24th in true shooting (56.3). The big man’s 4.3 offensive rebounds per game are crucial to giving the Knicks’ offense much-needed opportunities to score. On the other side of the court, he plays a vital role in Coach Tom Thibodeau’s defense by protecting the basket and deterring other teams’ drives to the rim.
Overall, per Cleaning the Glass, the Knicks are a +11.2 in net efficiency rating with Robinson on the court. So his presence will be missed.
Time will tell if New York can maintain their place in the standings without their defensive anchor. In their first game since the injury, the Knicks allowed 139 points in a loss against the Atlanta Hawks, including 62 points in the paint—17 more than they give up on average. The lack of an experienced shot-blocking presence allowed Atlanta’s guards to get to whatever spot they wanted to.
The next game wasn’t promising, either. The Raptors scored 37 points in the first quarter and 39 in the fourth en route to a 125-point performance in their win over the Knicks on Sunday. The coaching staff failed to make the necessary adjustments to give New York an advantage in the matchup. After hitting his first four threes in the game, Obi Toppin only saw three minutes of playing time in the second half. Cam Reddish, who would match up well with Toronto’s length, received another DNP.
The next stretch of games will be a battle as well. The Knicks will face contenders like the Celtics, 76ers, Cavaliers, and Nets before the all-star break. Even mediocre teams like the Lakers and Magic have enough talent to give the Knicks problems, especially without Robinson.
Moving forward, centers Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims will have to step up. Both centers, 24 years old, struggle to gain position on the defensive glass. Sims shows promise as a rim protector who can switch on the perimeter but still fouls too often. On offense, they actually replicate Mitch’s offensive rebounding quite well. Hartenstein, however, has struggled to make shots even from close range, shooting .485 from the field.
In some situations, Coach Tom Thibodeau should revisit some Julius Randle-Obi Toppin lineups, which he flirted with a few times during the season before Toppin’s right calf injury. Hopefully, those lineups can bolster the ball movement and reduce the hero ball offense they’ve relied on heavily throughout the season. But asking Thibs to adjust his game plan is like pulling teeth.
Can the Knicks survive without Robinson? It’s possible, but the offense and defense will have to play more team-oriented basketball if they want to maintain their playoff seeding.
P.S: And for all you tanking hopefuls out there, only three games separate the projected #8 pick (Portland) from the #19 pick (Knicks), according to Tankathon. So, uh…there’s your silver lining in case things go south.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out Knicks News, where CP, Alex, and Michael Scotto discuss the trade rumors and Mitchell Robinson’s injury!
