It’s well-known that the New York Knicks have struggled on defense this season. Through 54 games, they hold an excellent 36-18 record but are tied for 18th in Defensive Rating at 113.9. Teams without top-ten defenses rarely win championships, especially without an extraordinary amount of offensive talent. Tom Thibodeau’s group is an incredible offense, but they don’t quite fit that description. So, the Knicks likely have to make significant improvements on that end to be a true title contender, and they’re running out of time before the playoffs. Luckily, they’re getting back a player who should be a major solution to their problems.
Mitchell Robinson’s Return Fixes the Knicks Defense
Mitchell Robinson has been out since suffering a foot injury in the 2024 playoffs. He’s still recovering from surgery that has kept him out for nearly a year now, but Robinson’s return seems imminent. With the seven-footer finally practicing and taking contact, he should be able to take the floor soon after the break. Although there’s no guarantee the longest-tenured Knick will remain healthy, as he’s one of the most injury-prone players in the league, his presence alleviates so much pressure on the team.
Robinson Solves Defensive Flaws
It’s no secret that the Knicks have a flawed roster. Offensively, they’re built close to perfectly, but they leave a lot to be desired defensively. Structurally, it’s simply too easy to score on them when two of their five core players are poor defenders. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been mercilessly attacked by opposing stars all season, yielding disastrous results. The main reason for the “Knicks can’t beat elite teams” narrative has been their inability to deal with those mismatches. Before the break, Jayson Tatum terrorized Towns in switches en route to a Celtics blowout, bringing the Knicks’ record against the league’s top-three teams to 0-5.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t just been Tatum, Shai Gilegous-Alexander, and the Cleveland guards exposing this hole. Players all over the league have had field days with this Knicks’ defense, from Trae Young to Cade Cunningham to LeBron James. Against these inferior teams, New York’s offense is just so great that they can overcome it. Once the playoffs start, they won’t be able to anymore.
Mitch Gives Thibodeau More Options
For this reason, Tom Thibodeau will be thrilled to have Big Mitch back in the lineup. Thibs should consider starting and closing with Robinson on the floor, but if not, he will still play around 25 minutes a night. Sliding KAT to the four gives him a much more achievable role defensively, allowing him to guard a bigger forward in the post, which he thrives at. It will also give Brunson/Towns great help at the rim when they are forced into mismatches. Both Oklahoma City and Cleveland have questionable shooters that Robinson can help off of to be a rim protector, cleaning up messes for his weaker defenders. However, Boston’s five-out lineup keeps defenses spread out, which could be an issue even with Robinson on the floor.
New York will attempt to use Robinson as a help defender by sticking him on the opponent’s worst shooter. He is also capable of guarding ball-handlers on the perimeter in switches better than Towns. Ultimately, the Knicks’ defense will have a much better chance of getting enough stops for their offense.
Knicks Must Regain Gritty, Physical Culture
For just the second time in Thibodeau’s five years, the Knicks have lost their identity (2021-22). Thibs is known best for his teams’ relentless effort defensively and on the glass, but they’ve lacked that energy. Of course, some of this is unavoidable when the roster shifts so much towards offense, but at their core, this franchise is built on toughness. Robinson’s return should encourage a rebound to that mentality, as he embodies it as much as anyone on the team. Any group that has Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Miles ‘Deuce’ McBride, and Robinson should be an incredibly physical, hard-nosed unit, and Knicks fans are craving a return to that.
Photo credit: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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