Assistance is on the way in which — and never a second too quickly.
Knicks heart Mitchell Robinson continues to make strides in his restoration from a second surgery-inducing stress fracture in his left ankle. Whereas he hasn’t been cleared for contact, head coach Tom Thibodeau expressed optimism concerning the progress the seven-footer has made.
“He’s just working individually right now. [He] hasn’t been cleared. There will be a progression, too,” Thibodeau stated earlier than Friday’s matchup towards the Minnesota Timberwolves. “It starts with 1-on-0, which is really where he is right now, but he hasn’t been cleared for contact yet. So that will be the next phase: 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3, 4-on-4, and then 5-on-5.”
Robinson hasn’t performed since Recreation 1 of the Knicks’ second-round playoff sequence towards the Indiana Pacers. His troubles started in December 2023 throughout a matchup towards the Boston Celtics, when he took a “wrong step.” That led to surgical procedure and sidelined him for greater than three months. Robinson returned to play 10 of the ultimate 11 regular-season video games, solely to worsen the damage in a bruising first-round sequence towards the Philadelphia 76ers. He went down for good within the playoff opener towards Indiana.
Now, Robinson’s return looms massive for a Knicks crew that wants reinforcements on each ends of the ground.
New York ranks bottom-10 in opponent factors within the paint per recreation, a obtrusive weak spot for a crew aiming to contend for a championship. Robinson’s elite rim safety — each in blocking pictures and deterring guards from attacking the basket — might drastically enhance this metric.
Rebounding has additionally been a problem. Regardless of Karl-Anthony Cities and Josh Hart’s excessive motor on the glass, the Knicks sit within the bottom-10 in rebounds per recreation and rank 18th general in offensive rebounding. Final season, with Robinson anchoring the paint, New York was No. 1 in offensive rebounding and fifth in whole rebounding. His return might restore the crew’s dominance on the boards.
Robinson additionally addresses a dimension problem that groups like Atlanta, Detroit, and Houston have exploited via physicality. Standing at a official seven ft tall, Robinson brings a presence that might assist New York fight the bruising fashion of sure opponents. Pairing him with Cities in a supersized lineup might open new prospects, particularly given the success Cities noticed taking part in alongside Rudy Gobert in Minnesota.
“That’s obviously a possibility because we feel like Karl’s comfortable doing both, playing both positions,” Thibodeau stated Friday. “So we feel like that’ll be an added weapon for us.”
Robinson’s return doesn’t simply bolster the beginning lineup, it provides flexibility to Thibodeau’s rotations. He might anchor the bench alongside Treasured Achiuwa, offering a stronger defensive presence whereas Cities shifts to a scoring position for a second unit that ranks useless final in factors per recreation this season.
Nonetheless, Thibodeau stated he’s targeted on the current and hasn’t delved into the specifics of how Robinson will match upon his return.
“No. Just day to day,” Thibodeau stated. “I was very pleased with how he’s approached the rehab: very diligent, working hard. [He’s] doing all he can every day, working on his conditioning. So he’s done a good job. I have to focus on what we have to do with the team right now, who’s available, and preparing for each game. But he’s done a really good job.”
Robinson’s conditioning has been a focus throughout his restoration. Regardless of the challenges of surgical procedure on a decrease extremity, he has maintained a lean body, weighing in at 268 kilos in response to a social media submit on Thursday.
“He’s done a really good job,” Thibodeau stated. “Obviously he’s in the pool a lot, so he’s doing that type of stuff and on a bike — the low-impact stuff — and obviously diet’s a big part of that as well. And he’s lifting, he’s doing a lot of things like that. Whatever he can do, he’s done, which is good. He’s making good progress.”
TOWNS SIDELINED AGAIN
Whereas Robinson’s return presents hope, the Knicks are nonetheless navigating a rocky stretch with out their beginning heart. Cities missed his second straight recreation Friday with a sprained proper thumb, an damage sustained throughout a dunk try towards the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Cities is anticipated to return and play via the damage, however Jericho Sims began in his place for the second consecutive recreation towards the Timberwolves.
For now, the Knicks should climate the storm with out Robinson or Cities. However with Robinson’s progress and a measured strategy to his rehab, assistance is on the horizon. The query is whether or not the Knicks can maintain the road till he’s able to step again on the courtroom.
