Feb 28, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) dunks during the first quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Knicks Center Could Have Increased Role on Offense

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Mitchell Robinson has had no issue making his gripes with the New York Knicks' offense known in the past.

The longest-tenured Knick's made a career out of setting screens, fighting for offensive rebounds and deterring intruders at the rim, a typical list of duties for gritty non-spacing centers within his archetype. After spending years occasionally implying his feeling overlooked within Tom Thibodeau's scheme, he might finally have a chance to put up the numbers he'd like this fall.

Gone is the Knicks head coach of five years, and in comes another two-time Coach of the Year winner in Mike Brown. He's only been practicing with the team for a few days but already sounds pumped to do what Thibodeau never did in further integrating Robinson into New York's scoring.

He spoke on Robinson's presence as an above-the-rim threat, referring to him as "one of the best in the league" within his underutilized picking, rolling and finishing niche.

"I could throw three alley-oops a game to Mitch - you just close your eyes and throw it up there," he said.

Mike Brown calls Mitchell Robinson one of the best vertical threats in the NBA:

"I could throw three alley-oops a game to Mitch - you just close your eyes and throw it up there" pic.twitter.com/Ug19nbCEFi
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) September 25, 2025

Speaking with such optimism on a player coming off of a career-low 5.1 point per game average may sound like a strange use of Brown's time, but his lack of on-paper production gets to his point of utilizing all of the resources at his expense. Robinson didn't do much outside of the dirty work during Thibodeau's half-decade stint, one of many quirks that contributed to his demise. He rode his stars for everything they had to give, but rarely experimented with his tertiary contributors.

Jalen Brunson received more on-ball reps and scoring looks than any other Knick during his previous three years in New York, and though Brown's attempting to delve into Brunson's offensive role looks to keep the ball moving more than it has in the past, he's not looking to take away from the star's impact.

Their lead ball-handler is the best pick-and-roll orchestrator the Knicks have in the starting lineup, and that's where the coach sees Robinson adding another element to the team. The backup center's rarely gotten second glances in recent seasons without his ability to do much unassisted work, looking like a rather unpolished substitution as the key reserve behind Karl-Anthony Towns.

The basketball's expected to fly like it hasn't in a long time in New York, with Brown's motion-oriented, drive-and-kick offense expected to punch back at defenses who'd come prepared for Brunson's dribbling the air out of the ball. Robinson's paid his dues as the Knicks' defensive soul, and has to be happy about the attention he could be receiving on the other end of the court.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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