Mitchell Robinson Named Knicks' X-Factor This Season

"Assuming health for most of their roster when you look at Mitchell Robinson, how healthy is he going to be?" the 17-year NBA veteran said in an a conference call previewing the 2025-26 season, per transcripts from the Worldwide Leader. "Mitchell Robinson has to be healthy. If he’s not healthy and Karl-Anthony Towns is your primary big and you’re going to go through all — and you’re going to try and win a championship against all of those bigs that are floating around, if he’s not healthy during the season, they’re going to have trouble during the season, in my opinion, with Karl-Anthony Towns being the primary big."

Jefferson, a 2016 NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will certainly have his fill of the Knicks as he calls games for ESPN as part of the top grouping with Tim Legler and play-by-play man Mike Breen, who also serves as New York's primary narrator on MSG Network. The Knicks' opener against the Cavs at Madison Square Garden will be his first assignment.

Robinson missed most of last season with an ankle injury carried over from the year prior. The Knicks undoubtedly regained a bit of gritty swagger upon his re-entry, basking in the efforts of one of the few traditional centers left on the NBA ledgers.

Robinson eventually reprised his role in the New York starting lineup in an effort to flip momentum in the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana, stepping in for Josh Hart to give the Knicks two big men in the primary five. While it didn't alter the Knicks' fate against the rival Pacers, the Knicks ran out a similar starting five during their recent preseason outings. In three exhibition showings, Robinson pulled in 10 rebounds a game, tying with Giannis Antetokounmpo for second-most among all preseason participants, needing less than 15 minutes a session to pull that feat off.

While Robinson may not garner the headlines reserved for Brunson and Towns, his presence will no doubt be vital as the Knicks pursue a long-sought championship. Patience, however, will be the name of the game: with his recent outings affected by injury, it appears he'll be subjected to load management at various points throughout the campaign, which will offer a sporadic nature to his supposed dominance.