Mitchell Robinson has been a steady defensive force for the New York Knicks in the middle. He made things easy for the Knick guards and tough on opposing offenses inside the restricted area. Unfortunately, Robinson suffered a season ending foot fracture against the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night, March 27th. The Knicks immediately lost the next five out of six games after Robinson’s foot injury. Teams immediately felt more comfortable attacking the paint against a Knicks squad that’s missing the presence of the 7’0” shot blocking rim running phenom in Robinson. The intimidator in the middle for the Knicks has demonstrated his ability to move the needle for a New York Knicks team currently looking to get into the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 NBA season under former Head Coach Mike Woodson who recently accepted a head coaching position at Indiana University

Knicks gave internal consideration to extending Mitchell Robinson’s contract in the 2020 offseason.

Photo Credit: Kathleen Malone – Van Dyke

According to Ian Begley of SNY, the Knicks were considering locking up Mitchell Robinson to a 4-year $53 million dollar contract even before an actual landing of a separate free agent. The Knicks decided not to pull the trigger on a separate free agent signing during the 2020 offseason, however, the fact the Knicks were prioritizing locking up Robinson to a four year deal in the early part of the 2020 offseason speaks volumes on how highly respected Robinson is by the Knicks front office. Of course Robinson’s injury will impact contact negotiations, however, Knicks maintain strong interest in locking up Robinson for the foreseeable future.

Adam Glanzman-Getty Images/AFP

Knicks Arguably Have the Leading Top Two Defensive Centers in the League on the Same Roster!

It’s phenomenal what the Knicks front office have been able to put together for defensive minded genius in Tom Thibodeau. Coach Thibs must feel like he’s in basketball heaven with the amount of versatility the Knicks roster possesses defensively even with injuries. This kind of roster construction which emphasizes depth and interoperability within Thibodeau’s preferred lineups, is extremely critical for the Knicks going forward. Leading the rim protection department for the Knicks has been Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson when healthy.

Life After Mitchell Robinson’s Successful Foot Surgery.

Tweet above was Robinson after his first injury this season against the Washington Wizards with the fractured hand. Mitchell Robinson underwent successful surgery to repair his fractured foot at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, New York, the same exact hospital that repaired Kristaps Porzingis’s torn ACL in 2018. Robinson is now with his teammates contributing to the camaraderie night in and night out as the Knicks continue to battle for playoff seeding without the prized shot blocker. Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson have filled the gap at center tremendously during Robinson’s absence. The Knicks are in good hands due to their front office’s savviness between former CAA powerhouse Leon Rose and the most well connected man in the entire basketball landscape in William Wesley also known as ‘World Wide Wes’.

The trainer of Mitchell Robinson and Anthony Davis, Marcell Scott, not to long ago denied rumors of Mitchell Robinson not being happy with the Knicks organization. Mitchell Robinson respects the Knicks organization and it’s basically inevitable that the Knicks will work out a contract extension during the 2021 NBA Offseason.

Overall, the Knicks future looks sturdy in terms of being a top defensive team for years to come with a healthy Mitchell Robinson being the defensive anchor. Rim protection is obviously critical for the Knicks stifling defensive style of play under Head Coach Tom Thibodeau. Leon Rose, William Wesley, and Scott Perry could have another beautiful opportunity to add to the Knicks via draft or free agency this up coming offseason in the summer of 2021. Leon Rose and the Knicks have plenty of wiggle room in the 2021 NBA Draft with two first round picks and a very early second round pick in the holster along with a late second rounder recently acquired in the Iggy Brazdeikis and Austin Rivers deal. It will be interesting to see the maneuvering that’ll take place by Leon Rose and company in a loaded draft class filled with talent. Most likely the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks will be making the playoffs, resulting in two mid to late first round selections. Rumors reveal the Knicks being interested in Baylor University’s deadly backcourt in Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler, however, it’s way too early to tell how draft decisions will play out. It wouldn’t be surprising if acquiring solid point-guard playmaking along with shooting from the pick & roll is prioritized in order to maximize Mitchell Robinson’s potential offensively. Adding a point-guard that can score and distribute will add another dimension for opponents to deal with, similar to the Utah Jazz’s center and point guard duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

 

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