Knicks’ approach to managing Mitchell Robinson’s playing time is becoming more defined

Mitchell Robinson’s Role with the Knicks Under Scrutiny

The Knicks are starting to rethink their approach to Mitchell Robinson as Mike Brown embarks on his first season as head coach. They plan to carefully monitor Robinson’s playing time, especially since he missed practice recently to help manage his workload. It’s likely he’ll sit out of a few regular-season games as a precaution, as noted by SNY.

Last season, Robinson only played in 17 regular-season games but managed to participate in 18 playoff games, returning to the starting lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. After making his season debut on February 28, the Knicks frequently limited his minutes, particularly during back-to-back games, focusing on maintaining his health and availability.

When in form, Robinson showed himself to be one of the league’s top offensive rebounders and a solid defender, despite some ongoing struggles with free-throw shooting. He didn’t play in Monday’s preseason game, alongside other starters, but he did score 14 points across the first three exhibition matches.

Initially, Robinson was viewed as a candidate to join Josh Hart as the Knicks’ fifth starter. However, with Hart dealing with a lingering back injury, Robinson has been given more opportunities to prove himself. That could potentially permit the Knicks to shift Karl-Anthony Towns to power forward, creating a duo of 7-footers, a strategy that former coach Tom Thibodeau occasionally tried last season.

However, all of this hinges on Robinson’s ability to stay healthy. He underwent ankle surgery in May 2024, which delayed his return to the court until February. In the previous season, he missed a whopping 50 games due to ankle issues.