DENVER – When Mitchell Robinson heard about the stress fracture in his ankle, his reaction was visceral.
“Oh, I threw a bad one,” Robinson said.
As it turned out, this was yet another health issue, his third surgery since joining the Knicks, and his second in the foot area.
In this case, Robinson said he felt mild discomfort during a game in Boston on Dec. 8.
He underwent an X-ray and was cleared to continue playing (he logged about five more minutes after the X-ray), but received a depressing phone call as a result of the subsequent re-examination.
“I was finally feeling like I was gearing up for the top of my career, and before I knew it….
Out indefinitely due to stress fracture.
And I was annoyed.
“I’m like, oh, I’m trying to figure out how to prevent that from happening, the best way I can,” Robinson, who broke his silence Thursday, told Traveling Beat reporters. “And it’s like one thing after another. I was finally feeling like I was getting in shape for the top of my career.
Eventually, Robinson decided to play again.
He couldn’t walk for a while and then couldn’t run.
He returned to full practice on Wednesday, more than three months after reporting his injury, and although he insisted he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to play in an actual game, he’s still worried about “the (medical staff) throwing me curveballs.” However, they are certainly looking forward to the playoffs.
“Oh, sure,” Robinson said, “that’s the time to play.”
The roster is much different than the last time Robinson played. RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes are gone, replaced by OG Anunoby, Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic. Mr. Robinson may also have lost his early job.
Tom Thibodeau hinted that Isaiah Hartenstein will remain in the lineup at center even with Robinson’s return, crediting Hartenstein with emerging in the role.
Robinson said he would take on any role. As Thibodeau noted, Hartenstein is limited in time while dealing with Achilles pain, so the two centers will be splitting time regardless.
“Anything that helps the team, I’m willing to do anything,” Robinson said. “(Can) do the same things we did in the first unit, offensive rebounding, setting screens, rolling, pressure on the rim. Same things.”
To that end, Robinson is especially excited to play alongside OG Anunoby, and assuming he plays again, he will likely log enough time to straddle the first and second units.
“He’s active. He’s not afraid to take chances,” Robinson said. “He might make a mistake here and there, but that’s OK. He’ll pick up most of them.”
And even if Anunoby misses a steal opportunity, Robinson, who was an All-Defense candidate before the injury, will likely clean up under the basket.
“If he doesn’t understand, I can make up for it,” Robinson said.
However, it is still only a theoretical combination. Robinson is close to returning, but Thibodeau declared Wednesday that the 25-year-old “will have to be in touch for a while” before he plays.
Incidentally, Anunoby returned to full practice after undergoing elbow surgery on March 7, but missed two more games before returning on March 12.
Thibodeau said Anunoby is out again with an “inflamed” elbow, and the forward is “day-to-day.”
There’s a lot of moving parts, but at least there’s a final medical clearance left before Robinson’s return.
“I’m just waiting for them to give me the OK,” he said. “I don’t want to go out and repeat the same thing.”
