Mitchell Robinson Uncertain For Knicks Opener

One of Brown's first NBA jobs was bestowed on the staff of Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs squads at the turn of the century, which are often credited for more or less birthing the concept of load management. That makes things "not odd" to Brown, but observers may express concern about Robinson as he embarks on his eighth tour of Manhattan. Brown was non-committal when asked about Robinson's status for the Cavs' visit, declining to "get into hypotheticals" despite the center not dealing with any pressing injury heading into opening week.

It's easy to why the Knicks are being careful about Robinson, as injuries have eaten away at each of his last two seasons in New York. Ankle woes held over from the 2024 playoffs, for example, kept Robinson off last year's game floor until late winter and the interior chaos behind Karl-Anthony Towns was only exacerbated when Robinson replacements Precious Achiuwa and Ariel Hukporti likewise dealt with injuries.

This time around, Robinson could reprise his role in the Knicks' starting five next to Towns as the Knicks potentially experiment with a "two-big" lineup. The gambit paid off this preseason, as Robinson pulled in 30 rebounds over three appearances, needing less than 15 minutes a game to do so.

However, if the Knicks have to deal with Robinson coming and going — and Brown hinted that such management would be in place for "the whole year" — it could raise questions about his continued viability in the New York system.

Robinson has proven to be a valuable asset as a weapon from a bygone era and New York's run to the conference final gained an undeniably gritty swagger upon his return. But the Knicks may well be inching toward grooming his replacement(s), keeping 2024 second-round pick Hukporti on the roster while adding Trey Jemison on a two-way deal. Time will tell how the Knicks choose to manage this management, and whether it proves to be too much for either side to handle.