Apr 11, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) drives to the basket against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and guard Miles McBride (2) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks Need Missing Pieces Back

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks jumped out to a quick 2-0 start to the regular season, getting their quest to return to the Eastern Conference Finals and advance all the way to the NBA Finals off of the ground early. They were winning despite consistently missing healthy chunks of their rotation, but their next pair of games completely sucked any momentum out of their early rise.

Two consecutive losses to a few conference rivals in the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks brought them right back down to .500, where the Knicks now look to escape despite depleted resources.

Injuries Impacting Knicks' Play

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges continued pulling their weight, but the same couldn't be said of many of New York's top contributors, as Karl-Anthony Towns continues attempting to play his way into a return to full strength while bench pieces in Josh Hart, Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson search for steadiness in their new roles. But above all else, the M.I.A. contributors' presences are missed more and more every day.

Mitchell Robinson's yet to suit up for the Knicks, with his troublesome left ankle keeping him from making his eighth season debut in New York. This is nothing out of the ordinary for the oft-injured center, nor has the Knicks' caution otherwise noteworthy as they attempt to keep the shot-blocker and rebounder ready for the postseason, but it's becoming growingly apparent that they need him back sooner rather than later.

The Knicks got by without him for much of last season, as Robinson appeared in just 17 games in 2024-25, but that was with Towns playing at an All-NBA level. This season, he's averaging 17 points per game, 7.4 fewer than he did last year, and his 35.2% field goal percentage is a far cry from the 52.6% he posted in his maiden New York season.

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Mike Brown also intended on using Robinson for more than he'd been asked for during Tom Thibodeau's final years on the job, as the big man's defense is even more necessary now that he has Towns to cover up for. The intended starter remains without an official timetable until his return, but the fact that he's traveling with the team on their ongoing road trip indicates that there's a chance he sees the floor for the first time since the preseason.

Miles McBride was also ruled out for that 121-111 Bucks loss, but the personal matter holding him back leaves much less room for speculation. He'll return when he does, and he, too, will be added right back into the key rotation. The Knicks were left to start Landry Shamet in his place in the backcourt, a human indicator of New York's desire to return with their full lineup before they're in the red.

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

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