The Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson strategy — a critical layer of Mike Brown’s first season as head coach — has started to come into focus.
They anticipate monitoring the minutes of Robinson, who reportedly didn’t practice Wednesday due to workload management, and keeping him out of some games as a precaution during the regular season, according to SNY.
He was limited to just 17 contests during the regular season last year before logging another 18 in the playoffs, and even returning to the starting lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
After debuting Feb. 28, the Knicks would often limit his minutes, wouldn’t let him play both games of a back-to-back and operated with the caution necessary to keep Robinson in their lineup.
When healthy, Robinson established himself as one of the best offensive rebounders in the league and a key defender, even if those strengths were accompanied by brutal free-throw woes. He didn’t play — along with the rest of the starters — in the Knicks’ preseason game Monday, but Robinson collected 14 points across 44 minutes during their opening three exhibitions.
Robinson entered camp as an option to become the Knicks’ fifth starter, along with Josh Hart, and given Hart’s back injury — he hasn’t played since exiting the preseason opener, though he progressed to more on-court work and shooting, a team spokesperson said Wednesday — that has continued to linger, Robinson was presented with an extended chance to win the spot.
That would allow the Knicks to shift Karl-Anthony Towns to power forward and play the pair of 7-footers alongside each other, which is something that former head coach Tom Thibodeau experimented with at times last year.
But none of that potential matters if Robinson — in the final year of his contract — can’t stay on the court. Offseason ankle surgery in May 2024 prevented him from playing until February. He missed 50 games during the 2023-24 campaign with an ankle injury, too.
And that could lead to more caution from the Knicks moving forward.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
