New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson remains without a clear timetable for return from a broken right foot, according to head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Robinson will follow the advice of the Knicks medical staff regarding his return date and is at risk of missing the home opener on October 20th against the Boston Celtics.
“There’s really no timetable. When he’s ready, he’s ready,” Thibodeau said. “We talk to the medical people every day, we talk to Mitch to see how he’s doing. I think it’s important for us to have the big picture in mind for him.”
Robinson had successful surgery to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot in March of 2021. His combination of athleticism and dexterity is what makes his game so unique, so it’s no surprise the Knicks remain cautious with the rim-protecting 7-footer.
“There’s a progression to what he’s doing,” Thibodeau said. “Eventually, he’ll be cleared to do all the non-contact, then one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three…Once he clears a step he’ll go to the next one. He’s making a lot of progress.”
Many anticipated the big man to be on the court come opening night, so the uncertainty regarding his return date stemmed questions about any setbacks in his recovery. Thibodeau denied that there have been any setbacks.
“No, we just want to make sure it’s completely healed,” Thibodeau said. “When you’ve been out the amount of time he has, he’s got to get the conditioning up to speed first.”
Too much muscle for Mitch?
Speaking of conditioning, Robinson had a not so low-key flex on all of us when asked about his added strength in the offseason.
It’s fair to wonder how this added weight will impact his game, though. Robinson captioned a picture in June listing himself at 275 pounds. He weighed 223 pounds his rookie season.
His ability to run the floor, catch lobs in transition and block three-pointers is what makes his game special. All things that were surely made easier by his lighter frame. And how will his surgically repaired foot respond to the added weight?
At this point, the Knicks have bought ample time for Robinson to ease back into action with the offseason re-signings of Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson, so there’s plenty of time to find out in practice how he will perform.
Robinson’s Growth Physically & Mentally
Robinson himself is eager to find out how the added strength will impact his game. The broken foot gave him time to bulk up but he still hasn’t recovered enough to use the strength on-court and take contact.
“I want someone to hit me in the chest,” Robinson said. “I feel like it’s going to increase my game. I’m not going to be able to get pushed around like last year, and my rookie year.”
Robinson admitted growth in maturity this offseason as well. He said this summer he finally listened to the nutritional advice of the Knicks’ training staff, unlike past summers.
“They’ve been all in my ear telling me you gotta do this, gotta do that. As far as nutrition and what to put into your body. At first I used to be like ‘I’m not listening to that,” Robinson said. “But I did it and I see a big change and I just fell in love with it. Now I can’t stay out of the weight room. First two years I was like ‘man I don’t want to lift, I just want to go shoot,’ but I look great, so.”
Maximizing Recovery Time
Concerns aside, coach Thibodeau likes that Robinson made the most of his recovery time with the strength conditioning. It shows him that Mitch was doing all he could given the circumstances of his foot injury.
“The thing that I like about what he did is he maximized the time. What were the things that he could do, and he did them.”
It should be noted that Robinson reiterated there have been no setbacks in his recovery, though he admits he will listen to the advice from the experts about a firm return date. He left his status for opening night at MSG up in the air.
“I need listen to them [Knicks medical staff]. I’m putting all my trust in them. Even though I know I want to go out there and play, I’m going to be smart about it and let them handle it.”
How do you think Robinson’s added strength will impact his game? In what ways will it be a positive and a negative? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors and recaps heading into training camp and the 2021-22 season! In case you missed it, catch KFTV’s 2021-22 Season Preview with Special Guest Alan Hahn where they name Mitchell Robinson as the X Factor for the Knicks this season!
