After missing all season while recovering from offseason ankle surgery, New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson finally made his season debut Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. It was not long before Robinson showed exactly what the Knicks were missing.
Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson posted a strong season debut against the Grizzlies
Robinson played in just 12 minutes but recorded six points and five rebounds in that action. Additionally, he was a team-high +11 in the time he was on the floor, as he helped anchor their defense and provided them with the size and rim protection that they haven’t had all season.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau praised Robinson for his performance in his first taste of action this season and is looking forward to seeing his progress as he gets his conditioning back into form.
“The first game back, for the amount of time he’s been out, I thought it was really, really good,” Thibodeau said (h/t ESPN). “We’ve been seeing it in practice, too. So this is the next step.”
The Knicks will need a healthy Robinson the rest of the way
The Knicks are going to need Robinson to stay healthy, especially after losing backup big man Ariel Hukporti to a meniscus tear. The second-round rookie out of Germany underwent surgery to repair the tear and is expected to be reevaluated in 4-to-6 weeks.
Furthermore, Karl-Anthony Towns has not provided the best interior defense a center could give, so Robinson’s services will be very welcome considering he provides rebounding and rim protection. The Grizzlies did outrebound the Knicks by a wide margin 58-35, but they are a strong rebounding team overall, making it a tough draw for Robinson’s first game of the season.
As Robinson gets himself acclimated with the current system and regains his conditioning, he will look much better on the court. Nevertheless, it is encouraging that he provided a strong performance right away.