Why Mitchell Robinson embraces ruining Hack-A-Mitch strategy

The NBA Finals matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks was going to be determined by the big men of both teams. In particular, there were a lot of worries about Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Robinson was an excellent defender and a great roll threat. However, his atrocious free-throw shooting made him susceptible to Hack-a-Shaq-esque strategies that could derail New York.

So far, Robinson is handling this challenge quite well. In the second quarter, with the Knicks finding themselves in early foul trouble, the Spurs went to the Hack-A-Mitch strategy. They sent Robinson, who was shooting 29.5% from the line, multiple times. The center made them pay, making three of his six free throw attempts to keep New York afloat.

After the game, Robinson talked about the Hack-a-Mitch strategy against him. The Knicks center said that he relishes it when other teams resort to this strategy, and that he likes it when he puts a damper on this tactic.

“It means a lot when I ruin that strategy,” Robinson said during the post-game press conference. “They just want me off the court, so in my eyes, I feel like I’m a threat.”

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Much has been made about Towns’ efforts against Wembanyama, and deservedly so. However, Robinson has been equally important at keeping the center at bay. While he’s slower laterally, his positioning has been excellent in preventing Wembanyama from getting good paint touches. His ability to stay on the floor as a good defender makes him valuable in preserving KAT’s minutes down the stretch.

With Towns getting into foul trouble early in the second half, the Knicks had to rely on Robinson heavily in the late third quarter and early fourth quarter. The center provided great minutes for his team, allowing Towns to get some much-needed rest and come in fresh in the fourth quarter. As the series pivots to New York, Robinson’s impact will be highly important to their championship aspirations.