New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson will be worth the wait

Sept. 23, 2024

A report leaks that Robinson will be OUT for the start of the 2024-2025 season. New York is now without either of its starting centers from the last four seasons.

Suddenly, the “lack of depth” conversation at the five turns into having “nothing at the five.”

Sept. 27, 2024

Just four days after the Mitchell Robinson news hits the public, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves are closing in on a deal to send Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick (via Detroit) to Minnesota, in return for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Boom, the starting center problem in New York has been solved.

Present day

The funny thing about trades (or maybe it’s just the definition) is that to get something back, you must give something up.

The Knicks filled a gaping hole at the center spot and then some, acquiring the single most talented big the franchise has had since Patrick Ewing. In return, they sacrificed two of the most vital pieces on their team the year prior.

To put it more plainly, we’re talking about some major depth here.

All while Robinson, one of Tom Thibodeau’s most trusted players in his notoriously stringent rotation, was already confirmed to be on the back-burner until at least halfway through the season.

And here we are now, four games past the 50% mark with still no timetable set in stone for when Big Mitch will hit the hardwood again. His absence has been felt.

Since Thibodeau took over the reins as head coach in 2020, New York has ranked within the top six in terms of both offensive rebounding percentage and offensive rebounds per game in all but his first year. In 2023-24, they were the definitive best offensive-rebounding team in the NBA, leading the league in both categories.

Although maintaining their spot as one of the league’s premier teams up to this point of the season, this iteration of the New York Knicks has seemingly taken on a new identity, one where offensive rebounding has taken a back seat.

Through 45 games in 2024-25, the Knicks rank 13th in offensive rebounding percentage and 18th in offensive rebounds per game. A far fall from where they have been in recent history.

The reason why? A lack of Mitchell Robinson.

Among all players who logged a minimum of 500 minutes in 2023-24, Robinson ranked No. 2 in offensive rebounding percentage with a rate of 20.7%. He was also second in offensive rebounds per game at 4.6. The season prior in 2022-23, Robinson led the entire NBA in ORB% with 18.4%.

Alone, the addition of Robinson’s career offensive rebounding average of 3.7 would take the Knicks from 18th in offensive rebounds per game (10.6) this season, to second in the entire NBA (14.3).

On top of his proclivity for cleaning the glass, Robinson leads all active players in career block percentage at 7.1% and is near the top of the league in career blocks per game at 1.9. The Knicks currently rank 28th in the league in team blocks per game with 3.9.

He’s also had a positive defensive box plus/minus and VORP over his first six seasons.

While a date for his return still hasn’t been set, Robinson has made headlines recently due to his weight loss. On Jan. 17, he posted to his Instagram story that he now weighed in at 268 pounds, and is reportedly down another three pounds since then. He was listed at 278 pounds last season.

Robinson himself has also not been shy about speaking his mind on the subject via social media, responding to the section of Knicks fans who are doubtful about his return to the court just today:

Regarding team needs right now, Mitchell Robinson is the answer to many, but not all of the questions. However, he will certainly make a bigger immediate impact on this Knicks team when healthy than anybody they could potentially get back for him at his current value on the trade market.

After all, we’ve waited eight months, so what’s a little bit longer? In the end, Mitchell Robinson will be worth the wait for the New York Knicks and their fans.